Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-24

gaudy fnery.
"He shall see that 1 can be smart,
too" she thought, and tossed her
head as he appeared.
he stopped, and, drawing a note
book from hispocket, rapidly sketched
a ehurch[ront upon it. She shook
her head. He looked puzzled then
his quick fingers drew the outside Of
one of the commoRest type Of meeting
house. She shook her head again, and
moved of. Somehow she did not like
to show him how she spent her Sun
day evenings.
The weather became very hot.
Jeanne dropped more and more in the
unhealthy workroom and stuffy
/, streets. He seemed to notice it, for
on Saturday night she found a draw
ing Of trees, and a path, and figures
walking about, and underneath the
figures 2.30. Could he be asking her
10 go for a walk? She waited in to
see.
At go a knock came at her door.
There he was, with his square, ugly,
good-nstured face smiling at her. She
felt awkward going down the stairs
with him. What could they do during
a whole walk if neither could speak to
the other? But that walk did not
take place. The smart tie around her
neck had been the price other dinner;
she turned faint and reeled, then sat
down on the stairs and burst into
tears
She hardly knew If she was vexed or
pleased to and herself picked up like
a baby and carried up to her own room
and laid upon her bed. She sat up
and drank some water, while he stood
looking perplexedly at her, and she
blGshed that he should see her untidy,
~disorderly room.
He went out. In a few minutes she
heard her door open, and something
pushed along the floor. 1t was a little
Jug Of not coffee and milk and a plate
of German rolls
The next day another picture was
left. 1t represented a large workshop,
with men sitting at tables, all busily
engaged over some mechanical work;
underneath was written the figures
SOS.
With unskilful fingers she drew an
outline Of a coat and wsistcoat and a
needle and thread and posted 1t at his
door as she went out but she had to
come back again, she was so Ill, and all
day she lay there alone waiting for
what Was the only friendly signal in
the world to her, the scrap of paper Of
the foreign artist.
She heard it pushed under the door
at last, and feebly rose and CROPPED for
it. Her head was t~hrobbing so, that
she could scarcely see that it contained
a whole line of portraits-an elderly
man and woman, and younger faces,
among which was his own. His family
doubtless.
She made a rough outline Of her
hat, with q sharp oval for a face un-
derneath. She was too i'll to get it
down TO him. She pushed it out and
trusted that he would fetch it. She
heard him IN the morning come up
again. and then she heard no more for
the fever seized upon her, and when
next she woke to. consciousness she
was lying on 3 hospital bed. For days
she was too weak to speak or think,
but, when she was able, one of the
nurses asked her if she would like to
see some papers which had been
brought to the hospital for her, and
the nurse spread them out before her.
The first vas of a man following a
stretcher through the streets. Then
the same man sitting alone in a soil
tary room with his head bowed upon
his hand and weeping. The next, the
same man at q door, evidently asking
questions OF a porter within. The
next, the man was beside a bed on
which lay a deathlike figure.
HAS he been to see me?'
eyes. il was when we thought you
were dying he came every day, but we
could not tell him anything, no one
could speak his language, bat at last
we found it was Wendish from the Dor
ders of Saxony and Bohemia, and one
of the doctors here got him a book in
it, by which he could study English.
You viii see by the sketches"
The next one represented the man
with the book in his hand.
The next showed the mar in q train,
and then on board a steamer, and then
IN another train.
Jeanne dropped the papers.
'sHe Is gonel" she said, with a little
weak cry. ''Oh, why have l got any
b~etter?'
There is another picture, said the
nurse, and she unrolled it for the
trembling girl.
The man had arrived at the little VII
lage Jeanne remembered in the first
sketch. then the interior Of q house
was showa, q coffin lay in the middle
of the room, an old woman, two girls,
and three men knelt around it.
"His father is dead" said JEANNE,
and she turned to the next, The man
was AZ the hospital door.
ooh. he Is coming back!' she cried.
See, this is the last said the
nurse, and as she held it up she
laughed. Il was the man on one knee
before a girl-Jeanie in her out
rageoas hat but there was in = little
sketch, up in the right-hand corner,
as if it was vet in the distance, the
same little village with the pine for
ests around, the two figures, the man
and Jeanne, walking arm and arm up
the village street.
The nurse held her sides for laugh
ing.
otis the funnieS thing I ever saw
in MY lie She said.