The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-24
A STORY BY
CHAPTER XXI.
Irs. Roper was in tears.

on lanO-tearS OF anger, WHICH sne sHeu
when a customer whom she dared not DEFY
proved particularly trying; tears OF SYM
pathy, which flowed most readily when
she went to the theater; spiritual tears, so
to speak. which were evoked by her min
lister, and were associated with her Sunday
bonnet and her five-button black kid
gloves. But the tears which she shed in
the privacy of her own room the
morning after Dr. Milbank had paid
his one visit to Randall, were tears OF pure
vexation, tears of such perplexity as she
never had shed before.
There was the doctor saying Ran
ought to leave town, even going so far as
10 mention Florence distinctly; and there
was Ran declaring point blank he would
not 60. Not that that amounted to a row
of pins, for as ike as not when she got
back to the studio (she had just run home
to see that Mrs. Rockwood's brocade was
not utterly ruined) he would not be for
starting off at two days notice. And
when that notion struck him. VINO was to
90 with him? Where was the money to
come from?'
Mrs. Roper asked and answered her
own questions with tart energy. Oh
course she would have 10 go with him.
OF course that $500 IN the bank would
have to be drawn out. Ran was her own
flesh and blood, and she hoped the
time never would come when she should
forget what she had promised their
mother
And while she was "gallivanting" all
over the world what was to become OF her
business? This was the question. ex-
cogItating IN answer to which had finally
thrown Mrs Roper into condition little
short IF hys-eria.
Some one knocked at the door.
She dried her eyes quickly. Not for a
"clean III ousand" would she have one of
her work girls find her in tears They
world 90 ri ght OF and report a falling off
in her Gus tom. Her come in" was as
crisp. as CT urupy as one would care to
hear.
Marianne er tered the room with a small
roll of bills in her hand.
'sYou are so hard to find lately that l
shall have to sc trap Tor you whenever
nv room rent ia lie due"
little though have I been giving to
room rent this W eek" Mrs. Roper spoke
discensolately, b ut xtended her hand
for the bills. 81 heus are more things in
this world 10 bother about than money,
Nrs. Fawcett.
''Aany more. You are in trouble. Can
I do anything for you ??
"Not this time. IS a graver matter
than getting up q gir, 5 ball-dress. Do sit
down Mrs. Fawcett. 1t gives me the
fidqets 10 have you standing up and me
sitting: but Pm that tired Pm ready to
Marianne seated herself resignedlg.
Mrs. Roper's con tideness had propensity
TO string themselves out tediously, but the
little dressmaker haCi lowered over her
like a mother when size got back from her
summering, sick at soul and weary of
body.
This is YOUR busy season, suppose ."
cit isn't the work; Pm used to that !;
but Pm not used to nursing. I'm done
"sickness in the family? Nothing
serious. hope"
Mrs. Roper slaughtered her cuffs with
a little conscious air OF pride. After all a
brother whom the papers spoke of. and for
whom a rich girl, belOn ging to the very
first, was Dining, was not possession to
scorn.
1T is nv brother-Mr Randall Mac
kaye, the sculptor. You have heard me
speak OF him.
Over Marianne's face, which, Mrs.
Roper said. looked "peakeder and whittier
than ever since her trip TO Lake George"
a wave of crimson swept swiftly.
"What of your brother? Is he very
ill?"
"Dear me, Mrs. Fawcett, If you ever
read the newspapers You wouldn't have to
ask. Didn't you see in the City SelCer that
poor Ran worked himself nearly to death
TO fnish q statue2 Think of such foolish
nessw
"And is it finished"
ayes; but it came very near finishing
him"
as it on exhibition? Has the world
passed sentence on it? Do they call him
great? Is he famous?"
DO they call him great? call him a
bag of bones. Is he famous?' Maybe
what there is left OF him is, but that is
precious little. Much good has his mar
Die beauty done him. SO far"
Have you seen it2'
"Only once and then I didn't see the
face. The thing stands there finished. but
a dusty old sheet hides it from every
body"
Marianne leaned back in her chair with
q sigh. This was the moment she had
been looking forward TO all these months.
This first taste of fruition was exceeding
bitter.
al heard the old man tell the doctor
that Ran meant never 10 have it put on
exhibition, though | should think some
of his rich friends-and he seems to have
lots Of them-would give him thousands
of dollars for it on the principle of a fool
and his money soon parted, you know"
Marianne WINGED Was this fame?
Was it to hear his masterpiece spoken of
a. q peddler might speak of his plaster
manikins that she had stepped aside and
given him his FREEDOM? How queer that
she should be catching the first echoes of
Randall's fame from the lips OF this OBJ
ecure dressmaker! And this marketable
thing was tine statue into which two lives
had been molded-hers and his.
"Why is the statue not 10 be exhibited"
At least she would know all that Randall
sister knew.
The dear only knows. Nobody has
honered me with an explanation. All /
know / caught by making use of my cara
when the old man and the doctor were
talking. And l may not even have that
straight"
'Well, whatever it is let me have it."
well, think / heard the old man tell
the doctor that since Ran had heard of
his wife's death he had sworn the statue
should never be exhibited"
Marianne 1ozad AZ Mrs. Ropar afnrfIIx-