The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-02


! upon Mrs. Flint's untidy head But since
this mode of proceeding would have been
useless as well as violen-. he bethought him
J self Of another way. He called on Mrs.
! Flint, and represented to her that when
Jess rose so early in the morning and went
out in the wet she caught cold and made
| her nose red, or grew tired and was too
pale, SO that he could not paint her picture
on these occasions, and would soon be
| forced to dispense with her services alto
gether. Mrs. Flint was alarmed at this
prospect, for Jess services" we're well
paid, and she professed, with a whine, that
she was quite willing to do without Jess
assistance if she was paid accordin'n A
| bargain was struck accordingly. Mrs.
| Flint was to employ some one else if neces-
sary, to buy her flowers at the market, and
was to be paid half a crown a week by
Mr.. Eastwood as long as he wanted jess for
hispictures. And, privately Mr.. Eastwood
was beginning to think that he not only
wanted Jess for his pictureS-he wanted her
altogether.
AT or a time-it was when she had tainted
one day from sheer ination-he took care
that she should always have a good meal
when sac came to him. Sometimes Mrs.
Fogg provided it, and on these occasions
jess could hardly eat for nervousness; and
sometimes he took her to a coffee shop or
cook shop and made her order anything
made difference in Jess appearance. The
shell-lixe bloom on her cheek, the dimple
that had lately appeared ON the left side Of
her chin, were watched by George with I'M
feigned satisfaction He was never tired of
watching her. There was fascination for
him in all her looks aud ways, be was never
weary of wondering how this delicate wind
flower had been blown upon the heap of
refuse where he found it. Her mother had
been Mrs. Flint's daughter, her father-no
one knew her father, but it was vaguely
reported that he was "a gentleman" Per-
haps it was from him that she had inherited
her white skin, her long delicate fingers, her
naturally dainty ways. These are traits,
George reflected, that generally do come by
inheritance. Probably Jess had good blood
in her veins
He was pleased TO hear that she had taken
to needlework instead of to flower selling.
He did not realize that if the needlework
} were persisted in day after day it would be
far worse for Jess youth and beauty than
her former occupation. Man-like he did
} not remember that needlework was ex-
} hausting to the nervous system, or that a
free, out-of-door life would Inevitably be
much missed by girl who had grown ac-
customed to it. Needlework was associated
in his mind with visions of silks and can
: vas, muslin embroidery and cross-stitch,
| and he would uave been Mortified if he had
mems shirts, or roughly-made listers, at
something like tenpence a day. And the
better food and frequent excursions TO his
studio kept Jess in health and good spirits
= for time.
1t was q great pleasure to her to go TO his
studio. He always had her "draped," as
he taught her to call it, in some beautiful
, and striking fashion. He enlisted Mrs
Fogg's aid ia devising costumes for her. He
} drew her in every dress, in every attitude,
that he could think of. In the richest silks
and velvets-hired sometimes for the occa-
} sion, or loosely run upn by Mrs. Fogg-
Jess used to pass hours of unalloyed bliss
and it was very sadly that she Invested
herself OF her finery at the end OF the sit
ting, and trudged away home again in her
faded, ill-fitting cotton frock.
1t was impossible that this state of things
should last. Prudence governed George
Eastwood for time, but prudence failed
at last, and on one mild, warm day in early
spring c'when a young mans idle fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of lover he, as he
afterward phrased 1t, "lost his head"
His picture for the academy had been
sent in, and he had said that he wanted to
make a study of her in the hackneyed
character-not quite 50 hackneyed then as
it is now-of ''the lily maid Of Astolat u
He told her to dress herself in a gown that
Mrs. Fogg had. with many grumblings,
made to ut her; but Mrs. Fogg was not
present. She had been kept at home that
day by a severe cold in the head. and neither
Jess nor George Eastwood greatly regretted
her absence.
The artist seemed unable to settle to his
work that morning. He complained sew
eral times of the light, although one
might have thought this at least was
perfect, seeing that the blinds were all
properly arranged and that the sky was
! ala Il j.. L.
eral times, and then he began 70 sketch, and
paused, and began once more, until evea
jess wondered q little what was wrong.
She did not show her wonder. She felt,
with the instinct of born slave, that TO
show it would displease her master She
stood silent where he had placed her, her
long, bright hair unbound and FLOWING to
her knee, her hands clasped before her, the
long white dress, embroidered here and
there in gold, falling about her in straight
folds not unworthy of the sculptor's art
Eastwood turned and looked at her. His
face had grown very pale.
II must alter the position Of your hands
little he said, suddenly.
He threw down his brushes and walked
over to the platform on which she stood
She let him move her hands about for a
minute or two without noticing anything
unusual; then she began to feel that his
hands were trembling, and that he was
Kneeilng on the platform before her in
stead of standing. A vague shyness i'm
PEELED her to draw her hands away The
next moment they were seized and passion
ately kissed, and then his arms were round
her waist aud he was looking up into her
face with eyes that told their own story.
you know that love you" he whis-
pered.
jess gazsd at him without answering. Her
face began TO culver and to blush.
ba
She would not answer; she only tried to
get way. He unloosed his arms
Have l been mistakenH he said
Don't you care for ME, JESSE o, my
darling, you must love me, you must care
for mel Tell me that you love me just q
little btu
20, don't know" said jess.
J fare you sure you don't knows" he muir
} INJURED. "Think. and tell me again. Look
} at me, sweet"
} She looked, and very faint little smile
} began to curl the corners of her mouth; a
!, faint little pink flush stole up to her pale,
soft cheeks. George Eastwood's victory
was assured
J 'If you don't love me now" he said,
} feeling perfectly confident that she did,
don't you think you could love me by-and-
byF
IL don't know" said Jess again.
"WiI you try, darlingF
\ 80, you can't mean IT. she said, in the