Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-12-06
Continued.


plete, and yet | am rotten at the core,
a sort of Dead Sea apple. What a.
hackneyed order of fruit TO belong to,
| am not even original-ugh. am
indlined to think If / were down
right bad woman, who had slnned.
sinned solidly, and all for loye-I wish
to Heaven | could get the feelings
of one of them just for five minutes,
to understand this temptation which
to me is so utterly incomprehenslble-
Well, really think that Humphrey
would do better TO marry a woman of
this sort than me. 1t has come TO a
pretty pass when IL, Gwen Waring,
have taken TO enyying that sort of
person.
She raised her head, got 10 her
feet, and went down and played for
an hour, then she went out and walk
ed, walked, walked, till she hadn't
a leg to stand on, and could no more
think than she could fly.
About week before his marriage,
Strange ran up to London for cou-
pie of days, but even to Gwen he did
not specify the nature of his business,
which altogether concerned Brydon's
launching in life.
When he reached the studio, he
found things looking pretty bad. Like
many'a better man, If his Art didn't
drive him Brydon couldn't drive his
Art; besides, his health was below
par, there were days and days when
he couldn't so much as paint pot
boiler, then he starved.
He was learning Italian just now,
to solace himself. Strange perceived,
however, that the soft vowels hardly
appealed to an empty stomach. Bry-
don was haggard and distressful OBJ
ject, sitting with Dante on the table
before him, smoking cheap tobacco,
and with the CHASTITY beginning of a
sketch crying shame ON him from
every corner.
Goodness, how outrageously jolly
you look! Is 1t engagement or ten
thousand Year,"
"Oh, I'm all right, which Is more
than you look! Taken to shag, | see
well, can stomach lot, but not that.
Would you mind chucking that pipe
somewhere where II wont smell, and
try some of my STUFF, just to oblige
me- Oyerheated Arab and shag are
the two stinks | draw the line AT.
Halo, he remarked, looking at one
OF the sketches.
Il am taking holiday"
He was going on to lie little-but
with shrug he changed his course.
II have to, as Il matter OF fact.
can't paint, I've lost the way, do you
ever forget the way to writeTf he
asked
DO /? The deuce | do! We all do
at times, then we feel like throat
cutting or Rough on Rats However,
| came on business. | have some spare
cash and | want 10 invest 1t, and on
looking round | have come To the
conclusion you would be rather a
good thing to put some of II into.
~"
''Yes, even Your beastliest daubs
have something in them that saves
their souls. one has TO look more
than once at everything you do, even
If il is only to swear at II. You have
capacity somewhere about you, wher-
ever you hide it-as for drawing, you
don't know the beginnings of 1t! But
what's thatl You can learn. It's a
mere question of swatting. IL | had
any doubt of your success, | wouldn't
be here today. | never on principle
put penny into a rotten concern,
and | am here to make you definite
offer, as binding on you as on me.
i Will defray your expenses in Paris
for three years, will give Eou enough
to learn under the best men, and to
live decently, not a farthing more
don't speak yeti"
Brydon had jumped up rather Wild
y.
Wait till you hear all about it
your conditions are pretty hard. In
case YOU should die during your APP
premiership the best OF us are IL
able to that contingency shall in.
sSt OH YOU insuring your life for an
amount equivalent 10 that l lay out
on You If you live (the best thing
you can do under the circumstances,
you shall pay me back principal and
interest in given term of Years say
fifteen, after you begin 10 sell
Brydon threw himself down In his
chair and buried his he.d III his
hands. limited diet of bread and
mustard had taken the starch out of
him He was soft. and his eyes were
brimful of tears. he was young too,
and nearly burst in his efforts to holt
them, then he lifted his head from
his hands ana began precipitateiy:
you have given me the chance of
q career, you put the world within
reach Of me, you trust me down TO
the ground, all in one breath. Look
here
For one minute he was about to
throw back the salvation waiting I'M
der his nose with most laudable self
respect, but he looked at Strange and
his heart got soft again.
I'D black Your boots for you, why
shouldn't | be dependent on you? I'll
take Your Offer. and-and ="
NJ - 7