Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-25

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At first he was tender and thoughtful
toward her. and then he seemed to forget
how fragile and sensitive she was--he
neglected her, and grew more and more
morose and moody. He used to get very
savage about his models, and complain
that it was impossible to get any one
with intelligence enough to sit decently.
ssOnce his wife asked him whether she
could not sometimes help him by sitting,
and he only laughed at her, remember,
"You-you!" he said--that was all.
Then the poor child had an illness, which,
if she had been happier, might have end
ed differently, and been new happiness
to both of them; but she was too worn
out with sorrow and disappointment.
and in the end she died. In her delirium
she was always calling to her husband,
"Let me help you, let me be of some use;
only once, dear-paint me only once;"
and poor Drake, who woke up to sense
of his loss, was heart broken at his in
most passionate tones of his voice never
reached her. and she died without ever
knowing him again. After that Drake
was changed man; he seemed to have
only one idea--to paint the portrait OF
his wife. Canvas after canvas he spoiled,
and when went to see him he would
say, "She cannot rest until have done
it. / must succeed; sooner or later ]
must satisfy her" At length he became
SO unmanageable, eating nothing, and
spending long, sleepless nights walking
about the country, that his friends came
and took him away. He died some
months after in an asylum"
"By Jove!' said Teddy O'Brien when
Quiller had finished, and then relapsed
into silence.
Hooked at Graves, but he was lost in
wonderment too deep for words.
''The portraits very like her." said
Quiller, with strange awe in his tone.
"rm glad poor Drake succeeded at last"
"You think said I, and broke off.
Quiller was putting on his coat. He
answered my unfinished question with
solemnity for which I was not prepared.
'For twenty-five years those two poor
ghosts have been waiting their oppor
tunity. Let us be thankful that in the
end they found it."
He seemed to forget to take leave of
MS in any way, and went without an
other word. AS the door closed each Of
us drew a deep breath Of relief Dick
raised his head with an air of stupefac-
ton.
s'That's rum story" said Teddy
O'Brien; why did you never tell it be-
fore?'
'The rummiest thing about it is the
sequel" said l. ''Dick, old man, is your
part true?:"
81 don't know" said Dick; 81 begin to
think it must be-"
sGreat Scotland Yardv' said Teddy
O'Brien, ''did you make it up?"
Every word of it-on the spur of the
moment"
''Did you know it?'
''Not word. Quiller seemed struck
by that picture, and it was the only sign
of human interest he had shown, so !
thought I'd hu1nor him. I didn't mean
a ghost story when began, but it some
how developed into that would have
given good deal to take rise out of
him, but never hoped for anything SO
complete as this"
SIT was curious coincidence that you
should have taken brakes cottage" said
OBrien.
"Yes," said Dick dryly; "but the most
curious part of it all is that the cottage
was made up too
"Great Scotland Yardr' said Teddy
O'Brien again.
''And who painted the head?"
II painted it myself, said Dick, land
I begin to think it must be a deuced
good picture. "-Cornhill Magazine.