The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-12

rememocteo tuat suo nou ~ aPPoinsueus
at 10:30.
A half smile Of meditative satisfaction
moved her lips and dimpled her cheeks at
the thought. Apparently the appointment
was not an unpleasant one. For that mat
/ ter, there had thus far been very few dis
agreeable experiences in this young lady's
! career. Her father had died before she
was old enough to comprehend the bereave-
ment For time she and her mother had
been poor, but their wealthy cousin Harry
| had come generously to their assistance and
had placed them beyond the reach of pow
erty. Olympia had been an attractive child
and she grew up to be a beautiful girl. She
had more than usual intelligence; and edu-
cation Tin the conventional sense) was little
more than pastime for her. Their cousin
Harry, who, having no children OF his
own, had ideas as to how children ought to
be brought up, put her in the way OF getting
sound training. She was Of aspiritualistic,
mystical temperament. and possessed per-
ceptions and susceptibilities unknown to
the generality. But she was Of whole
some constitution, and had seldom been in
poor health.
She was very fond of cousin Harry, and
he was so young in his ways and spirit and
entered into her thoughts and point OF view
| so easily that she regarded him as a COM
panion rather than as a guardian and man
three or four times her age. They laughed
and chatted together and went to theatres
and balls and danced together. Whether
she had ever thought of him as possible
sutton for her hand is an abstruse question.
1t is safe to say that If she did, the idea was
not likely to have been of her own sugges
ton. The traditions of their intimacy were
against that. He, however. may have pre-
pared her mind for the entertainment OF 1t.
Men of the world, like Harry Trent, know
how to manage women-sOme women at
least-without soaring or antagonizing
them.
Now, Cousin Harry's birthday fell on the
2Sth of February, and Olympia, wishing to
please him, had resolved TO make him
present of her own portrait. This plan was
the more easily realized, because she mad
latterly made the acquaintance of certain
Mr.. keppel Darke, a young portrait paint
er, who had a delightful studio in Twenty
third street Mr.. Darke was himself de-
1 lightful, in Olympia's opinion. He was tall
and rather slender, with powerful blue
eyes, and hair black, or nearly so, which he
wore longer than was common. so that 1t
curled about his neck. His manner was
grave and, for a young man, very impress
sive; he was Laconic in speech, observant,
and, beneath quiet exterior, impression
able. he kept his face including his upper
lip close shaven. You might have taken
him for tragedian, or for a clergyman
except that his costume was incompatible
with the latter character. He affected
q
doors, velvet; outdoors, a long capped over
coat and a broad brimmed hat
People turned to look at him as he Stalked
along the street. Fashionable men OF his
own age said he was a conceited ass. Girls
thought him deliciously romantic and did
not know how TO talk 10 him" Married
women commonly dismissed him as unavail-
aole for social purposes. with the reserva
ton that he would be all right if he became
famous. His brother artists. without ex
pressing much personal affection for him,
admitted his talent This magnanimity
came the easier to them, because the world
had not yet discovered how really remark
aole his talent was. One had to know some
thing to appreciate ii. He could do things
in painting that others tried, but failed to
do. He had faculties, a perception, an in
dependence of vision given TO few. He was
not incapable of producing work OF genius.
No doubt he was conceited; young men of
exceptional powers are apt to be SO, and IN
like a lower class OF vain men, are at no
pains to conceal it. In addition he had the
artistic temperament, which, lovely in it
self, is rendered aggressive and eXtravagant
| by the stolid hostility of convention. To
make an end of this catalogue OF his quail
ties, he was sensitive and high tempered.
! He came of good New England stock, and
he had an income which enabled him to pay
for his board and lodging and the rent of his
studio even when his portraits did not pay.
! But for the last year or two they had begun
to pay tolerably well.
| Olympia herself had artistic tendencies:
and on Darke's first Introduction to her
they soon fell into a conversation that in
terested both of them. He admired her. be-
| cause he had never before been able to ex-
press himself to a woman so fully and flu
| emily, and she liked him because he had
something in him and was different from
other men. Oiympia's beauty took his ar
hr.s
her. In half an hour he mad told her of his
desire TO do so. Olympia at first laughed
and passed II over, but the topic came up
again whenever they met, and at length, as
aforesaid, she conceived the plan Of having
her portrait done for Cousin Harry. She
made confident of her mother, and the ar
rangement for sittings was made and pune
tually carried out. Darke was delighted;
he had never done such good work: he had
found himself" He had also found what
was more serious-that he was in love. But
| Olympia was supposed TO be the destined
heir of her Cousins fortune, the latter hav-
ing no nearer relatives. and Darke did not
like to appear in the guise of a fortune
hunter.
This situation, familiar in fiction and not
unknown in real life. continued until the
epoch of our story. The portrait, born OF
the love of art and nou1shed by human
love, was all but completed. Darke had
should ne do so he would have chance.
Finally, with the last sitting and possible
cessation OF their intercourse in prospect,
he felt that now or never he must take a
step. In the ordinary American course of
things he should have addressed himself in
the first instance to Olympia herself. But
! his pride counseled him to make an attack
upon her guardians; that is, upon Mrs.
Ravan and Harry Trent AS regarded the
former. however he reflected that she was
a person of feeble character dominated both
by her daughter and by Trent, and that she
would be sure, If approached, to refer tie
sutton 10 that gentleman. To Trent there
fore. he decided to betake himself. If
Trent acquiesced the posture of the affair
would DC hopeful, and Darke would not be
reasonably obnoxious 10 the fortune hunt
ing charge.
AT 10:30 on the morning Of the Goth of
February the studio bell rang and Olympia
and her mother entered. Keppel Darke
arose from the sofa on which he had been
lying and stood before them. His face was
pale, his hair disheveled and his eyes dry
aud heavy. His expression was gloomy and
distressed. Owing to the lack of sleep, a
painful emotion or some other cause, he
seemed dazed and hardly TO know what he
was about. He replied to Olympias cheer
full greeting only with a troubled stare and
On inarticulate murmur.
II am afraid Mr.. Darke is not WELL my
DEAR" said Mrs. Raven in an undertone.
IL fact, the good lady thought he had been
acting as young men will sometimes act
during the night and was not yet sober.
SIS anything the matter!" demanded
Olympia, coming forward TO shake hands
with him, unconspicious of evil, at once
cd lNol-