The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-26
"nI were to fail for once?n she said,

!
away without saying more.
DON'T jest about anything so ;ippall-
! lngly serious " he said 81 have left all
that the life of the picture depends on to
! the very last, to be done calmly and de-
| ilberateiy, when it is perfectly dry.
intend TO begin with this ON Monday,
/ and II you were to fail you would ruin
| the picture and me too.'
on see. know so little about pict-
ures," she said nervously, and then, with
downcas eyes,she began to go.
stop! stop! You are sure to come on
monday? cried Drummond, pursuing
! her outside.
"Of course, I am; but am dreadfully
late-do let me gow He made no further
resistance, but watched her as she hur-
fled away, looking very crestfallen and
sad.
| ~ on seem so extremely half-hearted
about it, after all ~ he called after her. 81
can't be happy until you give me SOL
emn promise TO come"
81 am not at all halt-hearted Of course
! l. IL come; but l am so late. mast go ~
For moment he was still uncomtorta-
bic, but when she had gone few steps
1 more on her downward way she look ed
back, and there was something in her
! face which not only set his mind at rest,
! but made his brain spin.
Monday morning came, IL o'clock
! struck, and in an instant he was on the
| alert to hear step that was ever welcome
III his ears, and a low knock, which
would be followed by the sight of a face
winch was continually in his thoughts.
lie felt his heart beating.
Five minutes passed She had never
been five minutes behind her time before.
! Ten passed, and fifteen. He laid down
his palette and began to pace the studio
Had something happened, or had his
suspicious OF Saturday been well founded,
and she had never meant to come? He
tried TO paint and regard this as a mere
accident, but when u struck he
! found he was doing his picture more
harm than good, and stopped work. At
| | he could bear it no longer, and went
/ to the main street, where he hailed a
hanson and ordered the driver to go
with all speed to 4 Wolseley Building,
Canonbury. What long way it was,
ana how rapidly the aspect of everything
! changed for the worse as he ratified
through the streets eastward. And he
was comfortably seated in a hansom
while she, poor girl, had to dispute inches
with stout men and women in omnibuses
| or choke down below in "the bowels Of
| the harmless earth" And vet how
sweet and fresh she always looks after
the struggle" he thought.
Wolseley Buildings, Cancnbury?"
asked the driver, with a manner that
seemed 10 wish to convey that such low
places were not to his taste. He was di-
rected TO long dull street bearing that
name. Heaven grant that No. 4 be at
this end, said Drummond, but though
his prayer was heard, and he reached Nc
4 IN another minute, no Alice HayIey
| lived there, or had ever been heard of in
the neighborhood. He tried every house
with in its number, but all in vain
! lie asked at the poStotfice and many of
the shops, but learned naught, save this
J that had iirnfr Tri,. ri ~l,.O
! for reasons of her own, had given him a
J false address,
He had Il sudden visitation of hope as
| he reascended the stairs to his studio, for
1t flashed on his mind that ne had been
an idiot to go off to Canonbury in search
| of model who had probably been for
some time sitting by his fire wondering
where he was. 1t was impossible that
anyone who had been so attentive, so
doclle, so ready to fall in with every wish
| that he expressed, could fail him thus so
! cruelty. Doubtless she was there and he
would find her. lie opened the door,
| picturing to himself the attitude in which
| he would discover her. His breath came
fast; he was daring to enjoy beforehand
/ the delicious change to happiness and
| peace. His studio was empty of
all but the pictured presence of one who
! had hlled 1t to overlooking with every
/ thing that was wanting to his life and art
/ II
ever. He took the picture and placed it
with its face 10 the wall-he gathered to-
! gether his hopes and ambitions, and hid
| them away far from him-wouid there
| ever be time Wnen either hope or am
bition would dwell with him again?
Fourteen months afterward Drum
mond received this letter:
DEAR SIR: My second daughter is to
| be married in the beginning Of next
week to Sir Edward Cleeve at St.
| Georges, Hanover Square. Her hus-
| band that is to bel has lust confided to
me that he has all along had a great wish
! to have picture of the wedding cere-
mony, and has felt sure that YOU could
! paint one which would give satisfaction.
| Somehow or other he has never let me
know of this wish until to-day. He
| thinks that it is now too late to make
arrangements, and does not like to write
to you, and wants to give up the idea, but
do not like it given up, so told him
| that l would write to you in nice, deli
cate, apologize way-women are much
better at letters of that kind than men
and ask if you would do it, and what YOUR
terms would be, and what facilities you
would require. My son-in-law that is to
be- is fine, MISUNDERSTANDING man.
and my daughter extremely handsome
! the bridesmaids, who all of them be-
| long to the best families, are mostly
| good-looking, and when they are not YOU
can easily make them so, remembering,
of course, that on the most important oc-
casion of her life the bride has right to
expect to be made to look her best. Nv
| son-in-law that is to be- thinks this may
| be subject you will not care for, but
! beg you will be so kind as to put such
! feelings aside, and willingly express my
regret that you have not been consulted
| about 1t sooner. You will still be able
| to take some preliminary sketches of nv
| daughter, who, after all, is the person
| am most anxious should look well. AS
soon as hear that you accept this COM
! mission l will, if your terms are such as
we can agree to, confer with her about it.
and make an appointment for you to see
and sketch her. Until then | shall say
nothing to her, for at such time she has
naturally more than enough already
to see and settle about. The brides
maids, of course, you can do at your
! leisure, for they all live in London, and
you can have the dresses TO paint from,
so your task will be easy. By
! book post you will receive with this
| letter. or soon after it, cabinet photo
graphs of the principal parties concerned.
/ have marked that OF my-son-in-law
| that is TO be- Bridegroom and that of
my daughter, Bride l do it for your
convenience only, so l hope and trust it
will not be unlucky. The bridesmaids
! photographs are also marked. Let me
have a favorable answer, if you please,
together with lowest terms l am ar
ranging this, but the bridegroom that is
| to be- is paying for it. We are persons of
condition, but poor, and could not read
lily afford it, but we delight in the idea of
this picture. so don't refuse, and be as
easy in your terms as you can. and we
faithfully promise to do our best to Sc
cure you more commissions of this kind
indeed, of any and every kind. Yours
faithfully,