The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-14
miss Wilmot sent you: You are

miss Wilmot sent you. You are
Fair Rosamond.''
She smiled as she answered: eyes,
Miss Wilmot said you desired to Sc
cure a model, and [ have come. DO
you need me?"
There was little anxiety in her
tone, and she looked at him appeal
ingly with her radiant sapphire eyes.
He led her to one side Of the room,
courteousIy removed her bonnet;
threw over her shoulders some Anglo
Norman drapery, and then stepped
back to regard her.
"Perfect!" he cried, "only you should
let your hair hang loose. THERE" aft
er she had let fall the flood of her
golden hair. "You look now just as
If you had stepped out from some me.
dl@val castle with 1vanhoe. You'll
10. When can you sit?"
long,
II would like you to come twice a
week in the forenoon" And he NAM
ed such liberal terms of compensation
that the wistful face frightened with
delicious bloom and color.
II am SO glad, MIR. Seymour, that
you like me, for l need the money very
much. Yet, it seems as if you were
paying me great DEAL"
II pay according to the value of a
thing: You are very beautiful. had
dreamed Of beauty like yours, but
never thought to see it. My Rosa
mond will bemagnificent. Ishall look
for you tomorrow at s o'clock pre-
cisely, and, with all attempt to ap-
| appear very business.like, "you will
please be prompt. l am perfect des-
pot AS regards punctuality"
"Have no fear; will not keep you
waiting"
"Oh! had almost forgotten. What
is you name?"
Observation-Disclosures Howth," she
answered, with a queer little tremor
in hes voice.
"Perfect like yo,irself. Well, good
Informing Miss Howth," and the artist
turned to his brush and palate.
Barbara Howth, true to her word,
made her appearance at the time des-
ignated, and for days thereafter, she
illumined the room with her beauty.
Ralph felt an inspiration even When
he looked at her, and as his Fair Rosa.
mond grew on the canvas, the original
grew dear to him, not merely as his
model, but as the one woman who
could guide and make happy his life:
But for long, long days, he never told
her this.
Miss Wilmot had come in once eftei:
he had begun his work, carrying her
self like the queen she was, in her CO.'S
tune of velvet satin, with a soft white
plume sweeping round the purple black
hair, and caressine the curve OF her
superb shoulders. She was charmed
with the progress he had made, and
the attitude OF the model, and she
went away without one thought or fear
of her rivals power.
For several weeks thereafter she did
not visit the studio, and Ralph had
begun to wonder at her absence, when
one day the post brought a letter. He
smiled as he recognized the elegant
handwriting. Opening the envelope
he read:
me? l am SO sorry had to leavs before
"Feir Rosamond" was finished But moth
er was not well, and we left the city earlier
than usual. Newport is beginning to wake
up, and soon society will bein it's gay whirl
here: am, woman-like, wasting time and
strength on pcurile things, while you arc
struggling nobly on works that will live
Well, l will not say Cui bono. Do not put
out your painting till l return. shall OK.
pect to see you by the last of October.
With good wishes, your friend,
! CArHiE WlLMor.
The letter pleased him, for it's tone
was SO free and frank that he felt she
wrote only as friend. He had hall
suspected she loved him, but lie was
glad it was only friendship-glad for
his sake and for hers.
| "She is a noble woman and nv true
FRIEND" he said to himself, "a good
and true woman; there are few Of them,
but she is one. She thinks of my IL.
bors even IN the whirl Of her fashiona-
bic life. Well, no stranger eye sh all sec
my masterpiece till she hath seen it. y
And when at last the great painting
was finished, when the last touch had
been given it, he turned it to the wal
in his studio, for the sake OF her who
had inspired it.
The summer days passed quickly
and the cool, frosty nights of Octobe,
brought Miss Wilmot back to her city
home. The second after her return
she visited Ralph's studio. She went
up the stairway to the well-remem
bered room, and the rustic OF her silk
en- robes startled Ralph at his work
After an exchange of civilities she
walked up to the painting and gazed
with all her heart at it's wonderful
figures. And as she looked her lips
grew white and q terrible expression
crept into the dark, despairing, beau
tiful eyes. She clasped her hands
over her heart and would have
fallen had not Ralph's strong arms
been near.
What is it," he gasped. "Nlis:
Wilmot, are you ill?"
1T is nothing, Ralph-Mr Seymour,
she answered, recovering herself. "a
sudden faintness, the room is close
perhaps. l am better now"
"And what do you thing of Queer
Eleanor and Fair Rosamond?" hi
asked, thinking only of what she
would say.
"What do think?" with an elo
quent gesture. "Why, that it is grand
1t will make you famous. l am sc
glad for your sake, Ralph, for 1 love
YOU"
my God! What are you saying?'
cried the astonished artist. Miss
Wilmot-Cathie, are you mad?"
mo; but shall be if I go longe,
without telling you my feelings" .sht
answered, sinking into a chair. await
do not speak; hear me out. I have
loved you from the first; you did not
know it, but tell it to you nov; and
feared lest you might think NV
wealth should stand between lis. But
tell me truly, Ralph, now that you
know love you, are you glad"
She raised her Cleopatra-like eyes tc
his, and stretched out her white hands
entreatingly. And there was a grea,
anguish in his face as he took one O.
the fair hands in his, and his voice
trembled and shook as if he had stood