The morning call., 1893-01-01

'Well, IRE away-uuless, by the way,
am not to hear it" returned EyeTsieigh,
with another swift and keeniy obserVant
glance.
OF course, YOU know all about the great
competition ?"
Possibly not, bat you will when you hear
that am sending IN.
Eversieigh'S face changed little, IN spite
of himself. as he answered:
''What, you, landscape man, go In
for"
"Oh. 1 knew what you would say, but L
I-cail me a fool Il YOU will; but it was
borne in upon me that-in short. L had
what thought was an inspiration by way
of an idea"
but the subject for you. den'tyou think.
is insupera5lv difficult? You know l
always advised you to"
''Stck 20 what you thought my line. l
know. and possibly | should have done so
He hesitated, while bis friend interposed
anxiously, but with an encouraging smile
"WeH?"
'But for my idea. Say that l was infatu-
ated. possessed. or what you will
Il can't say that until / have seen the
idea"
But | mean thoroughly possessed with
the subject and the desire to work it out"
''0h, there is no particular harm in that.
always providing"
cit is no use, Eversleigh. 1 may have
been fool. | hardly know yet; but / have
staked all upon this one thrOw-have given
up everything else for it-all my commits
sions and my other work Not only that
Mabel agreed to sit for the principal inquire,
and | think that her doing so inspired me;
while woTk-0h, how L have worked, ana
what agonies of alternate desire and de-
spondeney l have endured As an artist
you may have some idea. and, anyhow. you
are the only one l can tell, except-yes. OF
cOurse-except Farrell.
Farrell; what of him? always did
detest that man" This came quickly.
And"
''That is because you do not know him."
objected the other.
''Say rather because l do. But what of
him2 What could he have to say or do in
the affair? | thought"
THAT we were rivals. So we were until
he showed himself my friend. 1 don't
know why we should have both so mis-
judged him; but from the very hour that
Mabel assured him he had no chance he
changed, and. although he has never made
any open professions of goodwill, | suppose
he yielded to the inevitable, Tor he gave up
al that Sneering way he had, and he has
stood by and encouraged me when all the
others fell away. In fact, but for him l
should never have gone in, much less stuck
to it, as | have DONE"
| and Redmond and"
"a of them, TO man. OF late they have
| left me altogether alone"
"And for what reason !"
None that | have ever heard. Farrell
saws they must be Jealous, but that you
know, l can't believe. 1t is making too
much of ones self altogether to think that"
No, | would not even think it without"
Eversleigh stopped awkwardly. "And so
Farrell thinks your idea good, eh?" he in
! quired next.
s'He has nothing but praise for it. 1t is
| his own words. and
HE should know if any one does. He
| will never paint anything worth talking
about because be won't work; but TO give
! him his due. he Is a fair critic-thoGgh how
on earth
you may well be surprised. l wonder
| at myself sometimes.
| "My dear fellow, it Is not your talent or
invention that | doubt, but merely your
technical skill. Suppose you show me this
| masterpiece Of yours" and he laid his hand
on the curtain which was drawn jealousy
| before the easel.
Not yet-not just yet, EversleigN You
| see Mabel is coming this afternoon and /
the fact is, she must be the first TO see il"
/ Except Farrell" inteTDosed his friend
with a very pardonabs heat, natural jeal-
ously that was quickly lost in sincere pity as
| he noticed his friends wasted features and
| nervous, unsteady eve. $50, them" he
| asked, mabel has notyet seen it?''
Not yet To-day it is to be shown to
! her for the first time"
'Aud what else have you been doing?"
Il told you gave up everything for this"
but y0ur commissions, what Of them?
| Surely-was that wise?"
II cannot tell. Looking back. have my
| doubts. Truly, EversIeign, for the past
| twelve months l seem to have been in one
! long troubled dream. | only hope | shall
not wake to find" He broke off with
sudden gasp and an involuntary shudder.
''Well. we'll, we must hope for the best
| though l wish had been here" Eversleigh
murmured to himself, before he wasted
| twelvemOnth Of valuable time, just, too, at
/ the outset Of his career, when he was doing
! so well aud getting known. Unless. indeed.
! he is right after all, and the love fever has
! brought him the touch Of genius that makes
/ UP for tie rest. One has heard OF such
| things, whether fever or madness--and he is
! feYerisb enough, goodness knows. The
| wonder is he has not broken down long ago.
| You had better lie down and have sleep
as you agreed he went on aloud " have
| one or two calls TO make, aid will come
| back in a couple OF hours and see both the
| picture and It's fair inspirer."
"AIl right. do so, for | really am tired; |
| hardly know what has come over me Of
late. Such strange lsnguoT, and-bat |
will have dose OF choral, as Farrell
/ suggested"
''Ohi Farrell suggested that too, did he ?"
| murm ured Eversleigh, then aloud: Look
| here, Merivale, you take my advice. You
! lie down and rest, and sleep if you can, but
without any of thdse Internal brain-distuTb-
| ing drugs. II
''There. there. don't excite yourself. It's
| quite harmless, assure you. | could not
! have kept up without; but there, since you
make a point Of il, l will try to do without
! ii. l shall be all the fresher to meet Mabel
/ ii only L can sleep."
! They parted, MerivaIe to 60 to bed, where
after tossing about for while, he sank
| into heavy slumber, and Eversleign, full
/ OF anxiety for his friend, to walk about the
park and think matters over.
Two hours later he returned to the studio
in more hopeful frame OF mind. True,
Meriyale was worn out and unnaturally ex-
cited, but overwork would account for
| that; while, as for his own doubts, he found
| they rested for the most part on his dislike
/ and dstrust Of Farrell and his disbelief in
| the goodness and singleness of his motives.
| What they could be he was unable to
! fath0m. but certainly it was a sudden and,
| for him. most marvellous change from un-
| successful rival to confidential friend and
| adviser, and the situation required an uD-
suspicious mind such as MeriVale's entirely
| 10 accept Still, Merfvaie had Opportuni-
ties of judging that he, Eversleigh, had not,
/ and he must hope for the best.
And full Of curiosity he brushed past
lady, who. with bent head and down.
dropped veil. hurried by him as he neared
| the door.
"Miss Earnshaw, wanted so much to-"
| he began, but she was gone, and either had
not heard or would not hear HIN, and there
was nothing for it bet to ring the bell.
| Some little time elapsed before IL was an
Swered, and when he was shown into the
studio he was alarmed more even than
/ before by Merivale's wild and distracted
| air. He was standing reading note, and
| his staring eyes and white face spoke OF
some terribly strong emotion.
ION. thank heaven, you are here to tell
| me whether l am awake and sane or still
| dreaming" he exclaimed violently, then
sank into chair as he went on. "Oh. |
have had the most horrible dream, and n
| still more horrible awakening. What can