The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-11-02

uS Il could not let her stay IN Ire
newlyn ITSELF but took her up the hill
side to n farm house. where I felt GER
tain they would accommodate her.
She was in rsptures with the place,
aud I agreed with her that IL was a
paradise, ms, indeed. it seemed 90 me
on that August night. / remember
the moon shining over the bay, the
fleet Of boats ,tsnding out TO sea, the
lights from the towns and villages scat
tered along the coast or amid the
sloping hills. | did not wonder she
was charmed. we all have felt that
charm here. and il doesn't lessen with
time we all have acknowledged that
also. But ! must hurry on. When
| Trenoweth heard OF the new artists
sex he was rather put out. could not
see why myself, and agreed that the
mistake was my own NJ might stand
for Mary, or Msgdsleu, or Marietta,
just ss we'll rs for Maurice or Malcolm
or Mortimer However, when he came
down and saw NJ Delaporte here, I
heard no more about the disadvantages
of sex. She was essentially n woman
for rcompanionship, cultured, brilliant,
artist to her fingertips, yet with all
her beauty and fascination holding n
certain proud reserve between herself
aud ourselves, marking line we dared
not overstep. At the end of mouth
we knew little more about her than we
! did on the first evening. / opined
| that she was widow, but no hint,
however skilful, no trap, however
| baited, could force her into cont
dcnce or self-betrayal. We called
| her Mrs. Delaporte. Her name
was Nlusette, she told me. Her
mother had been = Frenchwomsn; OF
her father she never spoke. She
worked very hard, often putting me
TO shame, but still she would not let
me see the picture, always skilfully
| turning the easel so that the canvas
WAS hidden whenever Jasper or myself
entered the studio. We were never
permitted TO do 50 in working hours,
but when tho daylight faded and the
we'll known little tea table was set ont,
We often dropped in for cup of tea
and chat. II was all SO pleasant, SO
homelike. The studio with its drap-
cries and its bowls of flowers, its
plants and books and feminine trihes.
wonder how it is that some women
seem to lend individuality to their sur.
roundings. The studio has never
looked the same since she left.
He paused and laid down the sketch.
The usual gayety and brightness of
his face WAS subdued and shadowed.
"l-well, it's no good TO dwell on it
all now, he said abruptly. "Of course
fell madly i'll love with her. Who
could help it? bet any OF you fell
lows here would have done the same.
| neglected work. could only moon
and dream and follow her about, when
she let me, which am bound to say
was not very often. I'm sure / used
to bore Trenoweth considerably at
that time, though he was patient. And
she WAS Just .h' all.eys; oaIn,
friendly, gracious, aosorr',d in her
work, and to all appearances uncon-
scious of what mischief her presence
had wrought. As the third month
drew near to its end grew desperate.
| thought she avoided me; she never
let me into the studio now, and must
confess had great curiosity to see the
picture But she laughingly evaded
all my hints, and would only receive
me Mt the farmhouse. | believe
Trenoweth was equally unsuccessful.
At last ! could stand il no longer. |
spoke out and told her the whole
truth. or course" and he laughed
/ Ia, l,,N al, 4
she had been my mother or my sister
she could not have been more serenely
/ gracious, more pitiful or more sur-
prised. IL had made fool OF my
self, as We men call it, and all to
no purpose. IL was maddening, but
knew it was hopeless. | had al
most known it before my desperate
confession. | couldn't bear TO see
her again. j felt I hated tue place, it
was so full of memories. So, sud
denly without n word TO Trenoweth or
herself, | packed mp my traps aud
started of ON sketching tour through
! Cornwall. When | came back the
studio was closed, and Trenoweth had
gone away. The man left in charge,
and who made the arrangements for
letting them, told me that a new rule
had been made by the landlord. They
were never to he let to women artists.
That ID all my part of the story. This
this sketch is only the figure | re-
member. She was standing once Just
like that, looking at the wall OF the
studio, as if to her it was peopled
with life, and form and color IL
was fsncying myself at the Academy
she said to me, as asked her at what
she was gazing, at the Academy, and
my picture on the line. do not know
il she ever attained her ambition" he
added. 81 have never seen or heard
OF her since"
He glanced at Jasper Treuoweth,
who silently held out his hand for the
sketch.
For moment silence reigned
throughout the room. The eyes of