The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-03-16

ana Wnen, q llttle later, he com
menced humming an old Italian bal
lad it was evident that the heart OF
the artist was more at ease than ii
was prior to the ColOnel's visit.
Colonel Bland was a Baltimorean
who resided three parts of the year
in Europe. He was very wealthy and
a widower without children. When
Claude went abroad to. study, the Col
onel was one of the first Americans
whom he met in Paris. Their ac-
quaintance ripened into a warm
friendship and the elder gentleman
took lively interest in young Rem
ingtOn's successes. A lover of art.
though not himself an artist, he be
came an enthusiast i'm 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 half they were
constantly together and when Claude
met his fate in Constance Blythe the
Colonel was his young friends cOntld-
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 ninSurmOuntable barrier
to a union, and the Colonel was bitter
~
of his friend. He counscled Claude TO
stay, i'm 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 fulfllment of
his mission. But still the thought of
Constance's poor condition of health
worried the Colonel considerably,
though he Strove to conceal his fears
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 Uid
Dover.
Scarcely resting in the French capi-
tai long enough to take 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 b0ire 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 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
sician 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 atcurious 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 a 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.
n
In an elegantly furnished bedroom
in another part of the hotel sat Mrs.
Blythe by the bedside or 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 strikingly handsome
woman of about As, tall and graceful
in figure, and with an air Of refine
ment in her features which was some
what heightened by the hd1te,tr of her
expression. So habitual was this proud
look on her face that even now, while
bending over the sleeping form of her
own child, the strongly marked char
acteristic was distinctly observable.
The girl was unquestionably beauti-
full, but the ravages of a long sickness
were plainly visible in her white and
drawn face as she slept.
Mrs. Blythe had seen the Colonel
and Claude, and a consultation, with
the physician as adviser, had resulted
In the determination to prepare Con-