Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-01-10

L
went TO the devilr
II suppose It's all the brutal truth, 4
said Brydon.
Ibid you expect thls?" he asked with
sudden shyness. Are you disap-
pointed?v
II am 100 old to be disappointed In
any fellow, probably there's not a
thing you have done. | wouldn't my
self have done had been In your
skin. Now the ques ton il, what's to
! fit you for work again:"
Il think, said the boy dolefully,
''the best thing ! could do would be
| TO cut my throat"
III / felt like an ass should hold
ilGy tongue about 1t, and take a blue
pill. By the way, there's some con
1 trahiction for Blunt saw Legrun the
oiher day, and he's tremendously
pleased with yeu."
"Oh. | took TO swatting for time,
as a sop TO Cerberis, and worked like
the very devil at drawing, but some
how I'd rather get a kick any day,
! than praise when | know my work S
dishonest, done to cover filth; It's an
/ insult to Art"
/ "Afy good boy, don't be morbidl 1t
! was good sight better to bring your
lines into order than to do nothing
1 IAN the same, have no satisfaction
I In any work done them
"Ah, parsons blood again-no need
4 you should, but you needn't add it to
z - l;af ,xf ct {1aaf !.
rather a work Of supererogation, woul
wouldn't it?"
Il would like to go out into the
desert alone for forty days or so, and
wrestle with anything that came
along, God or the devil"
IA very proper attitude of mind and
betting your breed In the meantime,
when do you intend returning to Pa
rls?"
Il must 90 tomorrow.
"Why must your
because" he hesitated, blushing
! furiously
Good Heavens, man, speak out!
/ Have we been friends for fifteen years
for nothing"
"Well, beastllness, however cheap
you do 1t, is costly. Even your mag
nificent commission has gone down the
gutter"
sit wouldn't pay either of us for you
to return there just now. besides,
want you to come over and stay at
my house"
81 cannot stay In the house with
Lady Strange" said Brydon in a low
voice, Il couldn't If ] am not clean
enough to work at my Art | am GER
talnly not fit to eat and drink in her
presence. I didn't stay in my fathers
house until my mother and sisters
had gone away, and-Lady Strange,
somehow, is divine TO me. she is
always the bride in that picture. /
think" he continued. with a strange
softness la his voice, 'for all her ieer-
ing at me- that l have painted the
real woman" 1t was Strange's turn
to vince this ime.
Look here Strange" the boy went
on, still softly and with lowered head,
~ finished that picture before | went
into the sty. / wouldn't have touched
her with dirty brush"
"My dear fellow, | know it! I should
have liked you to have stayed with
us. At any rate you will stay In Lon
| don for few days; ! will be your
! banker, of course: 1t will be after all,
only very trihing increase of your
debt to me, and there's plenty Of time
| 70 pay that in"
/ He took hold Of the fellows arm
and swung him round
ITS getting late" he said, "and l
want 70 see the picture tonight"
They walked on in silence. the boys
chlvalrous alteration of his wife touch
cd Strange sharply. All the same, he
/ felt vastly inclined to turn round and
punch his head for 1t.
How dared the fellow go speculat-
ing on her possibilities he thought;
shat l. my business
"Yet when one comes to think of
It, I'm an ass, | might just as we'll
80 for the dozens of others whose adj
miraton Is quite rs vicarious It's
not Gwen one of the lot goes mad
over, It's her double. Heigh no! Big
amy's an awful embarrassment"
II tried to keep exactly to Nature
in that last picture Of Lady Strange" >
said Rrylon. as he set to unfastening
the packing of his picture
You succeeded said Strange. Bry-
don looked round.
You didn't like it then-no more
did |. | tried too hard to be faithful
to tile order"
well and 50 you were. and that
was what was wanted of you. Mrs.
Warning. for whom the portrait was
intended liked 1t tremendously" said
Strange shortly "Damn the fellows
/ impudeneew he thought.
Brvdon continued his cutting and
unwindlng, painfully red In the face.
! when II was all uudone he waited
n moment before he removed the last
covering, then he pulled 1t Off with a
quick soft movement, ard from a
vague feeling % half shy delicacy he
i turned aside aud began 10 cut up to-