Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-08-30
Time went on and Miss Mitchell did

| not receive her pictures as promptly as
she had hoped she might. She called upon
| Mr. Milford to urge him 20 greater haste,
| but he met all her complaints with good
humor, yet made very little effort to
please her. In truth, he enjoyed her
visits, and, perhaps, he purposely delayed
the completion Of her pictures in order
that she might be led In as often as pos
sible. Her Impotence with the delay
rather amused him, and their talk was in
teresting to him. And so, indeed, it was
to her, although, it may be, she would
not have so acknowledged, if she had
been questioned. 1t especially pleased
her when he showed her pictures, from
time to time, as he finished them,
There soon came a day, however, when
he had to confess that although her pic
lures were not finished, the negatives
promised we'll.
II think" said Mr.. Milford, 1--WE shall
have some very good things there"
HOh, let me see them" Miss Mitchell
answered. Il want to know what l look
like"
This was going ahead little too fast
to please Milford.
Il do not think you can tell, he said,
II would much rather have you wait till
they are quite completed. There is SO
much IN the printing, you know"
"Yes," she replied dolefully, Il sup
pose so, but do let me see the mega
tivos. Then perhaps [ shall know just
how much there is in the printing"
Milford demurred, but finally yielded.
She took the negatives and looked them
| over critically. When she handed them
back she expressed her qualification with
| them.
Milford kept one of the completed
| pictures and guarded it with jealous care.
He was, it must be confessed, sometimes
tempted to exhibit it as an example of
the perfection to which his art could be
| carried, but this temptation never lasted
long. He kept it by him, however, as
much as he safely could. At his break
fast, which he took in a lonely way in
his apartments, he had it before him at
the table; and, as often through the day
as he could, he would hasten from his
studio to steal parting glance at it.
It seemed to him that it varied in APP
pearance from day to day. He thought
els changing moods. If the eyes lost
their sad expression, and were smiling,
as they sometimes were, he felt that she
was happy; if they were more sad than
usual he wondered what had happened
to distress her And sometimes, too,
he would discover it in other signs,
and then he feared that she was i'll.
Alarmed at its growing power over him,
and annoyed that he was so little able to
resist it's influence, he at last placed it in
a seldom used portfolio. He was deter
| mined not to look at it again. This de-
termination he adhered to for some time,
perhaps a week or longer. In the mean
time Miss Mitchelfs visits had entirely
ceased. Milford knew that there was no
reason why she should call, and he
laughed somewhat sadly as he admitted
to himself that he wished it had been
otherwise. He now resolutely deter
mined that he would forget her, and that
he would not again look upon the picture;
but he found himself thinking much more
of Miss Mitchell and of the picture than
of matters needing his attention. One
day he took the portrait from. it's hiding
place and examined it carefully.
He was startled. It seemed to him
that the picture was less distinct than it
had been. So much was he impressed
that he looked at it frequently thereafter,
and was soon convinced that he had been
right, that it was growing less and less dis
tinct Though interested more than ever,
and puzzled as we'll, he again determined
that he would think of it no longer,
and replaced the picture in the port
folio. He busted himself so successfully
that he was able to overcome, in some
measure, his longing for the picture and
its original; but for few days only
Then he fastened again to the portfolio
There could be no question about it; the
picture had perceptibly faded since he had
last looked at it. It was now barely dis
cernible.
cit has almost gone" he said to him
self sadly, land she-can it be that she
is going too?"
This thought almost unnamed him.
Now he realized for the first time what
her loss would mean to him; now he
knew how empty would be his life if she
should be taken away.
He was at this moment called upon bv
gentleman who surprised him by ask
ing:
"Will it be possible for me to procure
some duplicates Of the pictures you re-
Gently took to Miss Mitchell?"
Nilford's annoyance was apparent, but
he tried to say, politely: