Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-30
TheStory Of a Masterpiece.
Nv HENRY JAHxs, il
N TWO PARrs-rARr L
[Copyrightsd.l
tooNsrRusD.l

projected renewal OF tnetr OLD acquaintance,
stephen Baxter would call upon her, under
the auspicee Of her lover. He called in effect,
alone, but Marian was not at home, and he
failed to repeat the visit. The day for the
first sitting was therefore appointed through
Lennox. The artist had not yet obtained
studio OF his own, and the latter
cordially offered him the momentary
use Of q spacious and well lighted
apartment In his house, which had been in
tended as q billiard room, but was not yet
fitted up. Lennox expressed no wishes with
regard TO the portrait, being content TO leave
the choice Of position and costume 20 the
parties Immediately interested. He found
the painter perfectly well acquainted with
Marian's points" and he had an implicit
confidence In her own good taste
Miss Everett arrived on the morning ap-
pointed, under her fathers escort, Mr..
Everett, who prided himself largely upon
doing things In proper form, having caused
himself to be introduced before hand TO the
painter. Between the latter and Marian
there was brief exchange Of civilities, after
which they addressed themselves to business.
Miss Everett professed the most cheerful
Difference to Baxters wishes and fancies, at
the same time that she made no secret of
possessing number Of strong convictions as
to what should be attempted and what
should be avoided.
II was no surprise to the young man to
hnd her convictions sound and her wishes
thoroughly sympathetic. He found himself
called upon to make no compromise with
stubborn and unnatural prejudices, nor to
sacrifice his best intentions to short sighted
vanity.
Whether Miss Everett was vain or not
need not here he declared. She had at least
the wit to perceive that the interests Of an
enlightened sagacity would best be served by
painting which should be good from the
painters point Of view, inasmuch as these
are the paintings chief end. may add,
moreover, TO her great credit, that she thor
oughly understood how great an artistic
merit should properly attach to a picture
executed at the behest Of pas
sion, in order that IL should be anything
more than q mockery-a parody--of the
duration Of that passion; and that she knew
instinctively that there is nothing SO chilling
TO an artists heat as the interference OF
illogical self interest, either on his own be-
half or that of another.
Baxter worked firmed and rapidly, and at
the end Of a couple of hours he felt that he
had begun his picture Mr.. Everett, as he
sat by, threatened to be a bore: laboring
apparently under the impression that II was
his duty to beguile the session with cheap
esthetic nall talk But Marian good
humoredly Ok the painters share Of the
dialogue, and he was not diverted from his
work.
The next sitting was fixed for the morrow
Marian wore the dress which she had agreed
upon with the painter, and in which, as in
her position, the picturesque" element had
been religiously suppressed. She read in
Baxter's eyes that she looked supremely
beautiful, and she saw that his fingers tingled
to attack his subject. But she caused Lennox
to be sent for, under the pretense Of obtain
ing his adhesion to her dress. 1t was black,
and he might object to black. He came
and she read in his kindly eyes an
augmented edition of the assurance
conveyed in Baxter's. He was enthusi-
astic for the black dress, which, in truth,
seemed only to confirm and enrich, like a
grave maternal protest, the young girls look
of undiminished youth.
az expect you," he said to Baxter, ito
make q masterpiece"
"Never fear" said the painter, tapping his
forehead. "Its made"
On this second occasion, Mr.. Everett, ex.
hausted by the intellectual strain Of the pre-
ceding day, and encouraged by his luxurious
chair, sank into tranquil sleep. His COM
panions remained for some time, listening to
his regular breathing; Marian with her eyes
patiently fixed on the opposite wall, and the
young man with his glance mechanically
travelling between his figure and the can
vas. At last he fell back several PAGES to
survey his work. Marian moved her eyes,
and they met his own.
swell, Miss Everett" said the painter, In
accents which might have been tremulors if
he had not exerted a strong effort to make
them firm.
"Well, Mr.. Baxter" said the young girl.
And the two exchanged long, firm
glance, which at last ended in q smile-a
smile which belonged decidedly to the family
Of the famous laugh Of the two angels behind
the altar in the temple.
"Well, Miss Everett" said Baxter, going
back to his work, "such is life!"
$50 it appears" rejoined Marian. And
then, after pause of some moments: "Wby
didn't YOU come and see me'" she added
~ came and you weren't at home"
"Why didn't you come againp
"What was the use, Miss Everettr
ut would simply have been more decent.
We might have become reconciled."
"We seem to have done that as it is"
81 mean lin FORM"
"That would have been absurd. Don't you
zee how true an instinct / hadi What could
have been easier than our meetingl ] assure
you that should have found any talk about
the past, and mutual assurances or apologize,
extremely disagreeableF
Miss Everett raised her eyes from the fool
and fxed them on her companion with q
deep, half reproachful glance. "Is the past
:, - y.1l to- Ia Ian
Baxter stared, half amazed. GOOD heav
ensln he cried, "of course it is"
Miss Everett dropped her eyes and re
mained silent.
may as we'll take advantage Of the mo
ment, rapidly to make plain to the reader
the events to which the above conversation
refers.
Miss Everett had found it expedient, al
things considered, not to tell her INTENDED
husband the whole story of her Acquaintance
with Stephen Baxter; and when ] have re
paired her omissions, the reader will probabl,
Justify her discretion.
She had, as she said, met this young maj
for the first time at Rome, and there in tn
course Of two interviews had made deel
impression upon his heart. He had felt tha
he would give great deal to meet Mis-
Everett again Their reunion In Switzerland
was therefore not entirely fortuitous; and
had been the more easy for Baxter to max
Il possible, for the reason that he was able +
claim kind Of roundabout relationship witt
Mrs. Denbigh, Marian's companion. Wit
this lady's permission he had attached him
self to their party. He had made their rout
Of travel his own, he had stopped when the
stopped and been prodigal Of attentions an
civilties. Before week was over Mrs. Der
bigh, who was the soul of confiding goo
nature, exulted in the discovery of an inyal,
able kinsman. Thanks not only to her natul
ally unexacting disposition, but to tn
apathetic and inactive habits induced y
constant physical suffering, she proved
very Insignificant third in her companion
spending of the hours. How delightful
these hours were spent it requires no gres
effort to imagine. A suit conducted in II