Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-20

blood, the great soul of a woman shin
ing out from the violet eyes; the ten
lutte pose Of the rounded chin, the rus
Meantime Strange had been looking
| carefully through some of Brydon's
sketches. scattered everywhere
You'll draw as we'll as you color.
old man, and that is more than
ever expected Of you. What does Lee
grun say?"
Naturally, the whole thing would
| have filled the soul of a dilettante
with unutterable disgust, being as
glaringly full of faults Of detail as it
| we'll could be, but an artist with half
an eye in his head would have put ali
these by in a place by themselves to
be dealt with later. and would have
gone mad over the truth that re-
| NAMED.
1t was the girls figure alone that
| made the picture: the man she stood
| before. was a mere blur Of an idea.
as were all the surroundings. Strange's
| eyes. as he watched the woman. were
brimful of a terrible joy. and Of a
more terrible sadness. AS for Gwen,
she fell to criticising the details in a
way that made Brydon's flesh creep
on his bones
This is not the original SKETCH she
said suddenly. stopping short in a
sweeping criticism. I wish you would
show us that
TT is very bad. you would like 1t
| still less than you do this
| I might like it less as a picture. but
as a likeness. more. perhaps. Do show
! it to me-
The mere suspicion of entreaty she
| threw into her voice had never yet
been rejected by any man. and soft
hearted Brydon was not going to be
| the first to run counter to her inclina-
| lions. so altogether against his will
he pulled the sketch. about half the
| size of the other one out from among
a number of others. and put it in a
| good light where she could examine it
at her ease.
'Ah" she said, yes, that's me, my
self! What induced you to idealize? 1t
was unjust toward me and dishonest
to YOURSELF
[ TT was neither, it was prophetic,
said Strange in a low voice audible
to her.
She glanced at him for second
with curling scornful lips.
| Was it impossible then to make a
decent picture of me as l look now? ?
| she asked with a laugh, turning to
Brydon, who was blushing furiously
and wishing he could swallow him
self
No fellow living could do justice to
YOU he blurted out painfully, how
ever you may look! but 1 was trying
to paint a bride, and there in that
first study you didn't look just like
one-from my own COMPOUNDED fault,
no doubt, so I tried the other
You have certainly succeeded in
producing your BRIDE she remarked
with a curious, absent smile.
To give her her due she did not
know how cruel her own pain made
her Her husband did, however; he
WINGED as he put the two sketches
side by side to compare them. He had
| the delicate sensitive respect of most
strong men for feelings and other frail
nervous things of that sort.
Gwen came and stood besides her
| husband, anr looked from one to the
| of baj. of tho sketches
Now in this first one she said, the
girl looks as if she were pre-ordained
to the role of bride; in this other one
as you observe, she does not, but she
is me. am so sorry ii disillusiOn you
OF your idea
You have not said Brydon softly
only showed her many -sidedness.'
4 can get my wedding dress over,
said Gwen, with a touch of malice
about her mouth, shall I, and give
you a few sittings in the character of
bride"
No, thank you, Lady Strange said
the boy, with admirable GOODNESS, 4
shall stick to the ideal for my picture,
I will work hard on it. And when. it
is finished. will you have it, Stranger
To Be Continued.