Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-11-05
LIFE Or DEATH.
DY THE LITE HF-GH CONWAY.
A.shor Of "Cdlled Back" "Dark Days."
"A Family Affair."" Etc.
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER ii,
Some seven years after the ambitious
boy left Coombe- Acton, honest farmer
Abraham, just when the old-fashionsd
hawthorne hedges were in whitest
bloom, slckened, turned his stolid face
to the wall and del. Gerald had been
summoned, but arrived too late to see
his falher alive. Perhaps it was as we'll it
shou be SO; the farmers last moments be-
ing iloub.ed ones, and 1ull of regret that
Watercress Farm would no longer know q
Leigh. The nephew who had taken Gerald's
place had turned Out an utter failure; so
much so that Abraham Leigh mad roundly
declared he would b. both rel with no more
boys, and for the last few years had man
aged h.S business sInyl3 handed. However,
although Gerald suph laval Of family tradi-
tons made the farmers deathbed unhappy,
he showed that his son had not forfeited his
love. All he po.scsse some three thousand
pounds, was left to him MIR. Herbert took
the lease Of the farm off the young mans
hands; by AMI bye the live and dead stock
were sold of, and Watercress Farm was
waiting for another tenant.
The winding up of mis- fathers affairs
kept Gerald in tie neis hborhood for some
weeks, and when it became known that Mr..
Herbert had insis ted upon his taking I'D his
quarters e. the hall, the simple Coombe-
Acton folks were stricken with great won
der. Knowing nothing of what is called the
'aristocracy Of art" their minds were much
exercised by such an unheard-of proceeding.
What had Jerry" Leigh been doing in the
last seven years to merit such distinctionl
Nothing his agricultural frien Is could
have understood. After picking I'D the
rudiments of his art in a ll-known sculp-
tors studio, young Leigh had been sent to
study in the schools at Paris. Mr. Herbert
told HIM that, SO far as his art was con-
cerned, Paris was tho workshop of the
world-Rome its bazli and show room. So
to Paris the boy Went. He stu liel hard and
lived frugally. He Won certain pr.z,, AMI
medals, and was now looking forward to
the time when he must strike boldly for
fame Even now h. was not quite unknown.
A couple Of modest but very beautiful
studies in low relief had appeared in last
years exhibition, and, if overlooked by the
majority, had attracted the notice of fsw
whose praise was we'll worth winning. He
was quite satisfied with the result of hi,
firIt attempt In all things that concerned
his art he was wise and patient No sooner
had he placed his foot on the lowest step OF
the ladder, than he realized the amount OF
work to % oone-tne tecnnIcai sKlu TO be
acquired before he could call him self a
sculptor. Even now, after seven years
study and Labor, he had self-denial enough
longer before he made his great effort to
place himself by the side Of contemporary
sculptors Passionate and impulsive as was
his true nature, be could follow and woo Ar.
with that calm persistency and method
which seems to be the surest way of winning
her smiles.
BE is now a mana singularly handsom
man. If not so tall as his youth promisei
he is well built and graceful. Artist IL
stamped all ever him. Brow, eyes, ev,
the slender, wellshaped hands proclaim
The general expression Of his face is onn m
calm and repose, yet an acute observ.
mighs asssrt that when the moment came
that face might depict passions stronger
than those which sway most msn
His hair and eyes, and something in the
style Of his dress gave him look not quite
that of an Englishman-a look that terribly
vexed poor Abraham Leigh on those rare
occadons when his cratic boy paid him a
visit; but nevertheless. it is look not out
OF place on a young artist.
This Is the kind OF man Gerald Leigh has
grown into, and while his Transformation
has been in progress Miss Eugenia Herbert
has become q woman.
Although remembering every feature of
the child, who seemed in some way asso-
ciated with the day of his liberation, Gerald
had not again seen her until his fathers
death called him back to England. Each
time he had visited Coombe- Acton he had,
OF course, reported progress to Mr. Herbert;
but, shortly after the changc in his life, Mr..
Herbert by great effort Of self denial, had
sent his darling away to school, and at
school she had always been when Gerald
called at the hall. But now, when he &C.
cepted MIR. Herbert's hospitality, he found
tie fairylike child grown, il seemed to him,
into his ideal woman; and found more
over, that there was q passion SO intense
that even the love of art must pole be-
fore it.
He made no attempt to resist it. He let
1t master him, overwhelm him, sweep him
along. Ere week had gone by, not only
BY looks but also in burning words, he had
told Eugenia he loved her. And how did he
farei
His very audacity and disregard of every
thing, save that he Lowell the girl, succeeded
to q marvel Eugenia had already met
with many admirers, but not one like this.
such passionate pleading, such fiery love.
such vivid eloquence were strange and new
to her. There was an originality, a fresh
ness, q thoroughness in the love he offered
her. His very unreasonableness affected
her reason. All the wealth of his imagine
tion, all the crystalizations of his poetical
dreams, he threw into his passion. His
ecstacy whirled the girl from her mental
feet, his warmth created an answering
warmth, his reckless pleading conquered.
She forgot obstacles as his eloquence over
his great dark eyes looked into hers, and at
last she confessed she loved him.
Then Gerald Leigh came down from the
clouds and realizsd what he had done, and
as soon as he touched the earth and became
reasonable Eugenia fancied she did not care
for him quite so much.
His conscience smote him. Not only must
Mr.. Herbert be reckoned with. but terrible
interval must elapse before he had fame and
fortune to lay before Eugenia. He could
scarcely expect her to leave her luxurious
home in order to live au Quatrieme or au
cinquieme in Paris, while he COMPLETED his
studies. He grew sad and downcast az he
thought Of these things and Eagenia, who
liked pleasant. fright, we'll people,
felt less kindly disposed toward him, and
showed she did SO.
This made him reckless again. He threw
the future to the winds, recommended his
passionate wooing, recovered his lost ground
and gained, perhaps, little more.
But Abraham Leigh's affairs were settled
up, and Gerald knew he must tear himself
from Acton Hall and go back to work. He
had lingere1 few days to finish a bust OF
Mr.. Herbert This DONE be had no excuse
for staying longer.
The summer twilight deepenei into night.
The scuipto: anl Miss Herbert stood up m
In, broa AM gravelel terrace walk that
runs along the stately front of Acton Hall.
They leaned upon the gray stone balustrade;
the girl. with musing eyes. was looking
down OH shadowy lawn aud flower bal
underneath: the young man locked at her,
and her aloie Slslc, reignel long be.
tween them. but at last she spo1e:
you really so tomorrow
Tel me to stay, AMI l will stay," he
said, passiOnately; but next we.k-next
month-nsxt year, the moment when it does
come, will be just as bitter"
She did not urge him. She was lent.
He drew very near to her.
"Eugenia," he whispered, You love mes,