Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-19

of color caught my eye Could II be Z
bird Of brilliant plumage or q chile
dressed in red. or young lady with Z
crimson hatf 1t was the latteri
She reclined upon the beach. her hea6
resting upon little bank of sand. and al
neared her ! noticed a parasol and g
novel Constancel
| hesitated as to what | should do
Should pass her. and thus turn my bach
upon those artistic footprints foreveri
No. ! could not do that.
slackened my pace. and politely re-
Trained from gazing too rudely until
almost reached her. when turned to have
good look at her face
Judge my disappointment. however.
when ] found that the pretty crimson
sailor hat with its poppies and plush.
was tilted over the face. obscuring it com
pletelyl | stopped short and gazed at
her and was seized with an intense de
sire TO snatch off the hat. and unmask the
face at whatever cost But | could not
nerve myself to do it
My unknown appeared fast asleep
What If she should be wide awake. star
ing from under the bewitching little hiatt
| There was something awful in this
thought; and though am not a coward,
confess quailed before the mere idea Of
two staring. glaring eyes in ambush under
the hat
After contemplating such a desperate
onslaught. it seemed quite tame and civil,
quite delicate and unobtrusive, when
quietly unfurled my camp stool and sat
down and sketched her as she lay. wash
ing her in grays and crimson.
Scarcely had | finished when a sudden
panic seized me What If she should
awake and come out from under the hat
like hideous visionl shuddered at the
thought, and, bundling my paints into
the box. caught up my stoo! and hurried
away. retracing my footsteps and hers.
rejecting ruefully that. though had seen
her in the desh. knew no more than
did before
The problem as to her age and beauty
slasl was still unsolved.
Twelve months later had painted two
pictures. which | intended to send In to
the academy One of them had desig
mated Day Dreams II was as you will
have guessed. an exact reproduction of the
fair one whose footsteps | had traced
along the sands at Deal The central
figure was that of fashionably dressed
young lady reclining at full length upon
the golden sand. her hat pulled down over
her face to shade it from the sun She
was asleep. indulging in day dreams
while the pale green waves sighed softly
upon the shingle. and the white sails of
yacht relieved the broad expanse of blue
My friends generally said that the pict
ure was fantastical. but they all prophe
sled il would be a success. and some art
critics whose acquaintance | had made
thought well of it My friend and col
lege chum. Jack Barrett, though an artist
himself was ecstatical over it What
sport he and had in our studio about it
We always spoke of it as Dreamy Con
stance. and we made hundred guesses
at what sort of facial expression was
under the sailor bat
The lst of May had come and gone My
pictures had been accepted. and what is
more important. Day Dreams" was hung
on the line
Walking leisurely about among the
throngs of people. his hands clasped be
Lind his back and trying to look like one
If the crowd of commonplace young men |
Tho had not picture accepted. was my
self For the greater part of the first |
week could not help hanging about my |
pictures and listening to what the public |
said about them.
One day as ! was standing in the vesti |
buie. just on the point Of leaving, a car
riage drove up and from II alighted a |
young lady accompanied by a gentleman
perhaps ten years her senior
As they were passing caught the
words Day Dreams. and turned to hear
what they would say about it
The face of the gentleman struck me as
having a resemblance to some one had |
seen before and the lady was very beau
tiful-just the sort of creature whose
grace and beauty would drive men dis
tracted
In the crowd at the entrance lost
them. but making my way to where my
picture hung. | found them before it. The
man was evidently no lover of art. for he
he was staring about the room in an alb
sent minded manner. but the lady was
bending forward intently. with her eve
fixed upon my canvas in a manner that
caused me to feel delighted
was just noting certain points in her
girlish fgure-for. of course. her back
was turned to me, and could not see her
face-noting casually that she was tall
slender and graceful. with a certain pi
quaint dash about her stylish dress. when
/ man whom took to be clerk stepped
oriskly up and whispered something into
.he ear of her companion
''Oh, yes. I'll be there Immediately. he
and, turning to the lady. said
Constance. | must run away on a matter
If business Don't move from this place
Until ] return. so that shall know where
@ find you
He was walking quickly past me. when
touched him on the shoulder
why. Musgrave. old fellow. can It be
our | cried. for | remembered in a mo
nent where ! had seen his face before.
We had studied together in Paris Can
do anything for you. or | glanced
oward the still averted figure
Good heavens. Ray who'd have
bought OF meeting your said he. hur
iedly Thanks, yes. I'm called away on
n important matter: introduce yourself
u be back again In a few minutes Want
o run to the telegraph Office
The next instant he was lost In the
rowd
By her motionless attitude and fixed
lance ! saw at once that the lady had
ot heard word of our conversation. and
vas quite unconscious of her escorts de-
arturo stepped up to her side. but
efore could speak she was saying, In a