Passaic City record., 1893-01-07


some. Miss Barbara herself, in her
youth, had been well nigh beauty.
And even now she had a fair, nobly
womanly presence, upon which years of
physical suffering had set peculiar
stamp of remuneration, even of spiritual
exaltation.
"Vincent,n she said, and with the
delicacy of reticent woman and one
who respects the reticence of others, a
sensitive color mounted to her pale
cheeks, ssis-is anything the mattera"
Vincent Dilkley started from abstrac-
tion. He changed color also, though
very slowly, under the loving scrutiny of
those clear blue eyes.
mo, Barbara, nothing" he said, a
little hastily, but there was wealth of
affection in the glance that rested on her
for moment.
Then he was gone and Miss Dillzley
stood there an instant, looking after him.
her idol, her boy, yet the strong staff of
her always ailing life. He had denied
that ought was amiss with him. Well,
that was his right. But Miss Barbaras
heart was heavy as she walked back to
the little cottage.
"Of course, he know VS. the Wiltons are
coming out in few days." she mused.
"They are getting the house in. order"
The cottage was smothered in clam
bering roses at this time of year. 1t was
a pretty place ssfor wretch of poor
man," Vincent had sometimes said, with
bitter laugh.
"Why were you not vouchsafed man
for brother, Bah, who could make his
mark in the world and give you all you
should havea instead of a good-for-
nothing dreamer, poor drawing master,
an impotent manufacturer of unstable
pictures, who will be pauper and keep
you one to his dying day9"
Y Then noticing the pain on Barbara's
sweet face he would stop abruptly and
laugh.
.Never mind me, Bah. You see I'm
a gocd-for- nothing-as / say"
But it was unlike Vincent to be bitter
lit was only recently only recently
that he had changed.
And meantime Vincent Dilkley was
plodding through the various stages of
his days drudgery in the heat and dust
of the city. The schools were about to
close and the drain upon his attention
and time, patience and nerves was heav-
ier DOW than ever.
1t was toward the middle Of the after
noon when he assembled the steps of
large house on the upper part of Madi-
son avenue. 1t had temporarily par
italy dismantled appearance, as though
in anticipation of an early vacancy.
Lowered awnings tempered the light.
There was cool fragrance of flowers in
the rooms which Dilkley entered, some.
what dazzled by the glare outside.
A girl had been standing near one of
the windows. She wore a soft, pale
blue dress drawn in by satin ribbon
that bound her round young waist.
Her golden hair made a nimbus about her
head.
"You are late, she said, half appeal
ingly. She had put out slim, high
bred little hand, but Vincent Dilkley
had not seemed to see it.
81 was Detained" he said briefly.
He began settling her drawing board
and pencils.
fare you quite ready to begin, Miss
Wilton" be asked tremendously. He
had glanced about the room.
s.Ah, Miss Hersy is not chaperoning
me to-day" said the young girl petu-
lantIy. She sat down and took up her
pencils with the wakefulness Of child.
The drawing lesson began IN silence.
TO the invisible third looking on it
would have made in itself pretty pic
ture. The girl with her delicate dress
and her still more delicate fairness; the
dark man standing over her with that
refined look on his face; the beautiful
room with its rare pictures, its great
bowls of roses, its soft, rich darkened
GOODNESS. The sounds from the street
came in vaguely throus b the open win