Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-07-10

mad always shown herself to be wom-
| an of sense and reason-she wouldn't
| be found wanting in this case.
Hans groaned aloud as he looked at
his watch. "Oh, hang it all, Pm due at
Mrs. Blocker Onderdonk's at for an
other sitting, and | can't paint in this
state Of mental imbecility. / should go
| wild if had to stare into that old wom-
ans fshy eyes all the afternoon.
| shall have to put her off till tomorrow.
[ hats to offend her, for she can give
! erbocker blue blood, who wish to be
| handed down to fame-but | can't help
| it. 0 Margaret. Margaret! if you only
| knew how you have undone me ~
| But Margaret was not at home that
afternoon; she and Miss Olivia had left
suddenly for Albany, the servant said,
to visit q r;aiden aunt for a few days.
| ("Confound the maiden aunts % Hans
muttered, soto Uoce.) Begging his par
don, did he speak? No? Did he want
their address? Miss Olivia had lett it
on a card, and had whispered, all unbe-
| known to her sister, that it was to be
given to Mr.. Vischer the minute he
called.
Hans took the card mechanically,
and walked away like man
| dazed. Gone to Albany were they ?
This affair was certainly assuming the
complexity of a spihnx's riddle, and
Hans Vischer hardly knew whether he
was standing on his head or his heels.
Of one thing he was sure-he would
strike while the iron was hot. He
meant to take the first train for ALBANY
on the morrow and demand an ex-
| planatlon-he was tired of being trifed
with.
Take the first train he did. and
| Margaret was never SO surprised in all
her life as when she saw coming up the
garden path, Hans Vischer! Even
! his eyeglasses seemed to express the
| determination that Law behind them.
Margaret had been cutting asters. and
she opened and shut her scissors ner-
| voUsly. as Hans drew nearer and nearer.
She had grown very pale, too, and her
breath came in quick gasps. Hans,
regret to say, was selfish enough to en-
| Joy all this symptoms of distress. But
his heart melted in moment, and he
stretched out his hands eagerly to
| Margaret.
ooh, Margaret" he said reproach-
fully, chow could you hurt me SO by
sending me this mote?' holding it out.
What does it mean? | do not under
| stand it. You surely do not mean
what you say-that all is over between
| us ?"
This is not all the denouement Hans
| had planned. He had meant to be
| stern, reproachful and unyielding, but
| somehow all his dramatic phrases re-
| fused TO be uttered when he looked in
| to Margaret's averted, unhappy eyes.
Il don't know what you think of
yourself, Mr.. Vischer," said Margaret.
| speaking in tone of stirring scorn, and
glancing colby at him. "But consider
you-beneath my notice"
Hans grew as pale as ashes. and his
blue eyes burned with anger and re-
sentiment. For full minute he stood
there before her without speaking.
Margaret" he said at last, IN low.
suppressed tone, ''for your sake and
mine weigh well your next remark be-
fore you utter it. | cannot stand any
more like the one just made to me-
Your conduct demands an explanation
| and | will have it. Why did you send
me back my ring?"
Mr.. Nlscher, your assurance is sub
lime" said Margaret with a bitter
laugh. Pardon the suggestion, but
I'm sure you'd make your fortune on
the stage, should the goddess prove
tickle in painting. You demand an ex-
PLANTATION of me? Go to the original of
PLANTATION enough"
The original of my Daughter of the
Gods" Margaret. Tor Heavens sake
explain your meaning-I am tired of
these mysteries! Why, you are the orig
inal of that picture, and [ bad meant
to show it to you and tell you SO the
other day, had you come to my studio"
81 was at your studio" said Margaret.
look Of perpleXity creeping over her
face. There was a picture on your
easel, and a-young woman In the other
room, and-O, Hans, I saw it all, and
you have broken my heart Oh, what
shall do what shall do!'
The proud, pale Margaret" bad bro
ken down at last. and the bitter passion
ate tears trickled through her fingers.
"Marearet and you believed that of
me? Why, that was the young French
girl, or child rather, TOR she is only that,
who has been posing Tor me as Hebe.
She mas wretched time of it at home
with drunken father and two brothers
who are no better, and she always comes
with all her troubles to me, confound
her! IL mean, God bless her She
seems to think that / can help her,
though it's very little [ do She calls
me her brother. Ter protector-and-er
seems to think good deal of me-"
Hans blushed like girl as he made this
frank confession. "She had had an un-
usually bad time with that cursed father
of hers, the other day, and was-rather
demonstrative, in fact. [ don't wonder
that you were little-surprised. You
believe me, don't you, dearest"
But Margaret could not answer Just
then. She had thrown herself into
Hans forgiving arms and was sobbing
as it her heart would break. She did
not care if fifty inquisitive maiden
aunt's and hundred sharp-eyed
Olivia's were in the windows looking at
her. To think that she had wronged
and hurt and insulted a man so good
and true as this one was? Could he
eyor forgive her? Could she ever for
give herself?
Your picture is the one I mean to
exhibit. dearest, and if you like ] shall
send poor Marie Larue's with it" said
Hans, after he had assured Margaret
again and again that all was forgiven,
and that her conclusion in regard to his
conduct in the studio had been the
most natural in the world. 'Ah, Mar
garet | could paint you blindfolded-I