Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-08

! talking ABOUT, O6eduSo no WIN WI '
but, TO give him his due, he Is fair
critic-though how on earth"
'You may we'll be surprised. won
der at myself, sometimes.
"My dear fellow, it is not your talent,
or invention that 1 doubt, but merely
your technicalskill. Suppose you show
me this masterpiece Of YOURS" and he
laid his hand on the curtain which was
drawn jealously before the easel.
''Not yet-not just yet, Eversleigh.
! You see, Mabel is coming this after
noon, and 1.-The fact is, she must be
the first to see it,"
Except Farrell" interposed his
friend, with very pardonable heat, a
natural jealousy thai was quickly lost
in sincere pity as he noticed his friends
wasted features and unsteady eye.
So, then he asked, "Mabel has not yet
seen it?''
mot yet. To-day it is to be shown
to her for the first time"
"And what else have you been do
ing?"
II told you gave up everything for
this"
"But your commissions, what of
them? Surely-was that wiser"
II cannot tell. Looking back, l
have my doubts. Truly, Eversleigh,
for :he past - months l seem to have
been In one long troubled dream. l
only hope l shall not wake to find -"
he broke off with sudden gasp and an
involuntary shudder.
"Wel, well, we must hope for the
best-thOugh l wish had been here, :"
Eversleigh murmured to himself, "be-
fore he wasted 12-month of valuable
| time Just, too, at the outset Of his career,
when be was doing so we'll and getting
known. Unless, Indeed, he is right
after all, and the love fever has brought
| him the touch Of genius that makes up
! for the rest. One has heard OF such
| things, whether fever or madneSs-and
/ be is feyeriSh enough, goodness knows!
The wonder is he has not broken down
| long ago. You had better lie down and
have a sleep as you agreed" he went
on aloud; Il have one or two calls 10
make, and will come back in couple
of hours and see both the picture and
its fair inSplrer."
"All right, do so, for I really am
tired; l hardly know what has come
over me of late. Such a strange Ian
guor, and-but 1 will have dose OF
chloral, as Farrell suggested"
"Oh! Farrell suggested that too, did
hep" murmured EYersleigh, then aloud:
Look here Merivale, you take my ad-
vice. You lie down and rest, and sleep
! II you can, but without any of those in
fernal brain disturbing drugs, /"
There. there, don't excite yourself.
I It's quite harmless, l assure you. l
could not have kept up without; but
there, since you make a point Of it, l
| shall try TO do without. / shall be all
/ the fresher to meet Mabel if only | can
sleep"
They parted, Merivale to go to bed,
/ where, after tossing about for while,
/ he sank into heavy slumber, and Ev-
ersleigh, full of anxiety for his friend,
TO walk about the park and think mat
tiers over.
Two hours later he returned to the
| studio in In more hopeful frame of
mind. True, Merivale was worn out
and unnaturally excited, but overwork
would account for that; while, as for
his own doubts, he found they rested
for the most part on his dislike and dis
| trust of Farrell, and his disbelief in the
singlenesS and goodness of his motives.
What they could be he was unable to
fathom, but certainly 1t was a
sudden and, for him, most marvellous
change from unsuccessful rival to
confidential friend and adviser,
and the situation required an unsuspi
cious mind such as Merivale'S entirely
to accept. Still, Meriyale had had OPP
portunities of judging that he, Ever
sleigh, had not, and ne must hope for
the best.
And full OF curiosity he brushed past
! a lady, who, with bent head and down
dropped veil, hurried by him as he
neared the door.
Miss Earnshaw, I wanted so much
to" he began; but she was gone, and
either had not heard or would not hear
| him. and there was nothing for IL but to
ring the bell.
Some little time elapsed before 1t was
answered, and when he was shown into
| the studio he was alarmed more even
than before by Merivale's wild and dis
! tracted air. He was standing reading
| a note, and his staring eyes and white
/ face spoke OF some terribly strong emo
| tion.
"Oh, thank heaven you are here to
/ tell me whether l am awake and sane
/ or still dreaming" he exclaimed, vio-
/ lently. and then sank into chair as he
went on. "Oh, have had the most
/ horrible dream, and a still more hOrri-
! bic awakening. What can IT all mean?
/ Ii Is cruel, heartless, 20 leave me with
out word OF explanation, nothing but
/ this" and he dashed the note he was
still holding down. Yes, read 10 by all
means, for can make nothing OF it,"
And thus Didden Eversleigh read
/ only g very few words, but they left him
more troubled. This is what he read:
III that is how l look In your eyes,
the less we see OF each other for the
/ future the better"
That was all; no signature, no re-
gretS, no farewell. But, Of course, il
was from Mabel; be recognized the
hand, and, puzzled as he was, he was
about to test his first idea when his
friends voice arrested him.
''No, not yet" he urged hoarsely;
''don't go to it-yet. Wait, wait while
I tell YOU my dream. Instead Of the
bright creation OF my fancy that for
months past has gladdened my eyes and
grown underneath my hand, dreamt
/ stood before the picture and saw
-" a groan broke from him and
he shook as with an ague, while be tried
vainly to go on. 'Oh, l can see it still.
1t is here-here" he repeated wildly, as
he struck his forehead with his open