The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-22

outer room and then returned to tn
easel, before which he stood for sever
al minutes in deep silence. But ther,
was an added brightness in his eye
and a warmer glow upon his cheek
and when, a little later, he com
menced humming an. old Italian bal
lad it was evident that the heart O.
the artist was more at ease than il
was prior to the Colonel's visit:
Colonel Bland was a BaltimOrear
who resided three parts of the veal
in Europe. He was very wealthy anC
a widower without children. Wher
Claude went abroad to- study, the Col
Onel was one of the first Americans
whom he met in Paris. Their &C
quaintance ripened into warm
friendship and the elder gentleman
took a lively interest in young Rem.
ington's successes. A lover of art,
though not himself an artist, he be:
came an enthusiast in Claude's work,
and accompanied him on many ram
bling tour in search of the beautiful
and picturesque bits of scenery that
abound in France, Italy and Switzer-
land. For year and a half they were
constantly together and when Claude
met his fate in Constance Blythe the
Colonel was his young friends contid-
ant and did his best to bring about a
match. But the pride of Mrs. Blythe,
who came from an old BOStOnian fam
lily, proved an insurmOuntable barrier
to union, and the Colonel was bitter
ly disappointed himself at the failure
of his friend. He counseled Claude to
stay, in fact, and disregard Mrs
Blythe orders, inaSmuch as Constance
was nearly of age, but in this case the
younger man had the most sensible
view of affairs, and wisely decided not
to remain near the girl who, he knew,
loved him as fervently as he did her.
This difference of opinion as to what
he ought to do led to some words be-
tween the two friends and Claude, who
was of an impetuOus nature, left Men,
tone abruptly and without bidding
anyone goodbye.
And now his friend had followed
him across the Atlantic for the eX-
press purpose of taking him back to
his lady-lOve and never was a messen-
ger more happy in the fulfflment of
his mission. But still the thought of
Constance's poor condition of health
worried the Colonel considerably,
from Claude.
On Good Friday evening the Ameri-
can liner "Paris" glided slowly into
her dock at Southampton and two Of
the first passengers to walk down the
gang plank were Colonel Bland and
Claude Remington. They took the
night express for London at once and
the next morning started for Paris via
Dover
Scarcely resting in the French CAPT.
tai long enough to take a meal; they
took train for the. southeast and
towards noon on Easter Sunday were
near their journeys end. Loverlike,
Claude's spirits rose as he gradually
approached the place where Constance
was Everything was familiar to him
in Nice. The very hackmen recOg-
nized him and touched their hats re-
spectfully. Many pour boire had they
received from the young artist during
his long sOjOurn in the fashionable re-
sort
On arrival at the Hotel Royale the
Colonel and his companion went
straight to their rooms, which had
been engaged by telegraph. Colonel
Bland then sent messenger to Mrs.
Blythe with a note to the effect that
Remington was with him and awaited
the pleasure of an interview. A reply
was not long in coming and the bearer
of it was Sir William JOWitt the ply
stefan in attendance on Constance.
The young lady, he said, was seri-
ously i'll, so much so that he would
have to deny Claude an interview I'M
til she had been prepared to undergo
the ordeal. They had extreme doubts
of her recOvery-her nervous system
was completely shattered. Mrs. Blythe
was at her daughters bedside, scarcely
ever left her, in fact, except while the
sick girl slept. AS soon as Constance
fell asleep she would be pleased to see
Claude and the Colonel in the recep-
tiOn room.
The physician was calm and polite,
but his soft gray eyes were bent, while
he was talking, upon the young artists
face. He had heard much of him but
seen nothing, and he had been some
what curious to know the young gentle
man whose presence, his professional
instincts told him, would be much
more potent than all the medicines he
could prescribe for Constance. But
then he had to fear the effect of any
shock, even though of joyous nature.
Sudden happiness is frequently as IA
tai as sudden sorrow in cases where
the nerves are in weak state. They
had not known whether the Colonel
would find Claude or not, and did not
like to even hint at his coming until
they were sure he was there.
4 4 4 4 X 4 4
In an elegantly furnished bedroom
in another part of the hotel sat Mrs.
Blythe by the bedside of her daugh-
ter. She was waiting for the girl to
wake up from the few hours slumber
she had taken that afternoon. The
mother was a strikingly handsome
woman of about Is, tall and graceful
in figure, and with an air of refine.
ment in her features which was some.
what heightened by the ha,deur of heI
expression. So habitual was this proud
look on her face that even now, while
bending over the sleeping form of heI
own child, the strongly marked char.
acteristic was distinctly observable,
The girl was unquestionably beauti.
full, but the ravages of long sickness
were plainly visible in her white and
drawn face as she slept.