Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-06
Continued.

she went TO the glass and crossing
her arms on a little table near she
looked at herself, laughing.
would any one think it to look at
me? l look so very sound and com
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! l am
snclined to think if l were a down
right bad woman, who had sinned,
sinned solidly, and all for loveI wish
to Heaven l could get the feelings
Of one of them just for five minutes,
to understand this temptation which
TO me is so utterly incomprehensible-
Well, l really think that Humphrey
would do better to marry woman of
this sort than me. 1t has come to a
pretty pass when II, Gwen Waring,
have taken to envying that sort of
person.
She raised her head, got to 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 a 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 a 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 it engagement or ten
thousand a year,"
Ou, L Ill dll IlSut, WHICH 10 LlOl
than you look! Taken to shay, l see
well, can stomach lot, but not that.
Would you mind chucking that pipe
somewhere where it won't smell, and
try some of my stuff, just to oblige
me? Overheated Arab and shag are
the two stinkS l draw the line at.
Hallo!" he remarked, looking at one
of the sketches.
Il am taking a holiday"
He was going on to lie a little-but
with a shrug he changed his course.
Il have to, as a matter OF fact. L
can't paint, I've lost the way, do you
ever forget the way to writer he
asked
DO L? The deuce l do! We all do
at times, then We feel like throat
cutting or Rough on Rats However,
came on business. l have some spare
cash and l want to invest it, and on
looking round 1 have come TO the
conclusion you would be rather a
good thing to put some of it into"
..IY'
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 it is only to swear at it. You have
capacity somewhere about you, wher-
ever you hide it-aS for drawing, you
don't know the beginnings of it! But
what's that? You can learn. It's a
mere question of swatting. Ii l had
any doubt of your success, l wouldn't
be here today. | never on principle
put a penny into d rotten concern,
and l am here to make you definite
offer, as binding on you as on me.
i will defray your expenses i'll Paris
for three years, will give you 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
ly.
wait till you hear all about it
your conditions are pretty hard. In
case you should die during your ap-
prenticeship-the best of us are Ii
able to that contingency shall in
sist on you insuring your life for an
amount equivalent to that l lay out
on you. If you live Ghe 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 to SELL
Brydon threw himself down in his
chair and buried his head i'll his
hands, limited diet of bread and
mustard had taken the starch out of
him. He was soft, and his eyes We're
brimful of tears, he was young too,
and nearly burst in his efforts to bolt
them, then he lifted his head from
his hands and began precipitately:
You have given me the chance of
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 l be dependent on you? I'll
take your offer, and-and-and-"
II told you the conditions. l shall
stick to them, we don't thank one an
other or get emotional in these trans
actions, 1 mean to have my money
back. principal and interest. my full