Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-03-21
CHAPTER II.

That evening Harry Weston looked
upon the living counterpart of the por-
trait upon the ivory locket. A fair face,
truly, was that of Estelle Duverne, or
Stella, as her school friends knew her.
A low brow surmounted by fluffy blonde
hair of such silky fineness that it might
be compressed into a knot no larger than
ones hand, and yet when shaken loose
would fall in shimmering light over neck
and shoulders to the waist. Eyelashes
and eyebrows were dark and heavy, af-
fOrdlng TO the hair a striking contrast
that is one Of the rarest and loveliest efi
fects in feminine beauty. Yet her chief
charm lay IN her eyes, which we're gray
and exceptionally large. They would be
almost too large were they not so be-
wilderingly fringed with shadow. A
warm blossom mouth and chin, small
like the forehead, taken with complex
ion of the purest pink and white (re-
deemed from doll-like delicacy by rich
ness OF color, made up an ensemble Of
girlish loyeliness that a painter would
rave over and a poet weave into his
dreams. The figure threatened TO grow
heavy with time, but now it was exQuis-
itcly proportional, the bust opulent, the
rounded neck marble in white strength,
suggestion of waspisyness. Here was
an example of exuberant health and
beauty combined, the physical roaliza-
ton OF the Greek ideal. Weston, who
adored beauty with tho ardor of youth
and the devotion of an artist, felt in
Stela'S presence a sense of sweetness
yergiug upon pain, such "a comes TO one
in reading an ode by Keats.
lie had known her only few months;
she was the guest Of his cousin, Alice
Darlington, who had finished her studies
ot fashionable convent aud brought her
favorite classmate TO the coy and mod
est home ON one of the South Side av-
enues He loved Stella from the mo-
meut their eyes met, and had told her SO
before she had time to learn the state OF
her own heart. Already she was begin
ming to raolprpCate the sentiment. He
was $50 different from her in all things
that he attracted her; his peusiveness
was "a, marked as hisg1yety; his idealisla
AS suuu. us hos frank enjoyment of the
rcHItje. Of life.
As she cnme into the dlmly-lit parlor
this ui-W HAIRY Weston felt within him
stronger than ever that sinking sensation
as when one receives keen delight
from a sensu0us perfume or a still more
scnsu0us strain of music. She greeted
him with simplicity which no con
seriousness of personal charm had even
destroyed in her, and tenderness thai
was deepening with every passing day
Like RossetJis SISTER Nell IN the poem
of Jenny
Her uucouquored mirth grew quoter
Beside auuthor's faith iu her"
II have something to show YOU sait
her visitor, abruptly; look at this pic
ture and tell me what You think of il.
She took the locket in her hand anG
gazed upon the portrait, first with o
startled glance and then with long earn
estuess "How lovely" she said simply
1T is very like you"
The compliment passed unheeded. The
girl herself was thinking how like her
the portrait was, The big eyes were
misty as she raised them and inquired
Whose is it:'
y thought Won might be able to tell
me that said Harry; lit looks enough
like you to be the face Of your sister, or
he added slowly-"of your mother.
She kissed the portrait no the sugges-
ton. you know | never knew my
mother. She died when | was hardly
NlRlt tltll a itAUNs tlAL W .Nn ili 4AlNttNCt
My father was an officer who died for
EmuCc IN our last war. I never saw
him, for always lived with my grand
father. You did not know that my
guardian was also my grandfather
"BordellO, the artist inquired Harry,
as o rush of suggestions came upon him,
when the quaint figure that he had com.
p,etely forgotten came before his minds
eve. "Nour grandtather-strangel lie
is eccentric, is he not.'
"Nes, to the world he is; but he was
always loving TO me and has watched
over me all my life. He is old and sad,
and spends his life alone in that old gar
ret-stuaio, where he says it is too dirty
for me 70 come. Show him the picture
but tell me first where did you get its'
Leaving out the narrowing details
which the next day were 20 be in the
hands of every reader in Chicago, Harry
briefly related ,he incidents attending
the finding of the looket, SAY nothing
of this to any one he added; Il have
done wrong to take this. but l had