The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-09

60 %" %SRs whose seri
roy GUS reparC
seemed to plead mutely for restoration
Co more fitting environments than tho
slush and snow of the windy March
twilight. The stalwart young man
who towored above it returned the
earnest gaze with an irresolute smile.
A soiled photograph was hardly worth
staining ones gloves, but the gaze of
the earnest eyes transhxel and held
him. He stopped and picked up the
bit of pasteboard, cleaned 1t a. best
he might with his immaculate hand.
kerchief, wrapped il within its soft
linen folds and went his way down the
darkening street with the leisurely.
swinging stride that was quite as reada.
bic an index of the man as were his
voice and smile.
Jack Huyler was that favored crea.
ture. man with genuine innate arts.
tic talent. The man with n talent for
buying and selling, tho man with n
talent for languages, the man with n
talent for these and their
like must be content with the rank OF
mediocrity unless financial success in.
vest them with its golden halo of rev.
erence; but the man who paints pic.
lures, though n doubtful Bohemian,
may hobnob with the great and mighty
OF the earth, albeit his sole "expecta.
tions' may rest on the possibly fortu.
nate sale of his last canvas. Whether
or not Jack Huyler could support n
family by the fruits of his dilettante
saunterings through the field of art
was a question still unsolved by the
young mans most pertinaciously re.
naming single.
Jack was unfortunately handsome:
Tor beauty is undoubtedly a misfortune
to It's possessor, though most pleas.
ing property TO gaze upon and admire
impersonally. Physical charms stand
man IN .ead of those mental graces
which endear him to the fai- o,v--tI .
..SII- ol..ioI mage, .Lo ..UIiCatu con.
sideration, the easy grace of repartee
and that genial camaradeiie more
pleasing IN the eyes of true woman
than mere physical comeliness. And
mis- many experiences with the light
headed and callow specimens of their
kind who openly lay snares for his en-
ticing, dull his belief in sweet womanly
reserve and modest sensibility.
In his own self.confident convictions
TO this end, Jack was acquiring sys-
tematic avoidance of blushing maid
enhood. He grew cynical, dogmatic,
and most fastidious and eyacting IN
the standard OF ideal womanhood he
eventually reared for himself.
Meanwhile Jack was swinging les.
urely home under the scuddinc clouds
of the wrathlul March sky with SEN
sation of actual interest dominating
him. Had the original OF the fair
face now reposing in his breast pocket
itself confronted him, the fate of its
many predecessors might have been
hers, but the odd chance which had
thrown II in his way seemed to invest
il with a sort of proprietary interest; ;
and, arriving at his own door and let
ting himself in, our erring hero made
his way up to his rather sumptuous
rooms and struck light. He set the
photograph on carved easel; he
lighted tiny lamp beside it which
ditfused soft rose color through the
room; he took down some clinging
folds of embroidered amber silk and
draped them about the soiled edges.
He sat while in absorbed contempla-
tion of the pure young face that
shone out like a white star from its
clouds of rose and amber. Then lie
rose and gravely placed before it n
Parian group of adoring angels.
No, prosperity had not spoiled her ;
the sweet, womanly face with its
steadfast eyes looked grayely past ITS
aesthetic surroundings with the
changeless serenity OF Madonna
above her suppliants, and transtxed
Jacks gaze with her own. The tender
curves of her lips were full of sweet
womanly meanings; the eyes under
the shadowy hair-soit, dreamy, starry
eyes-held uniathomed store of wit.
wisdom, love and pathos; only high.
truthful, unstained soul looked out oi
them.
Jack rose. "She seems to say" he
said meditatively. "'My young friend,
what consummate idiot you are. ~
And he turned the picture to the wall.
1t was about this time that Huyler's
friends began to comment on his sin
gular prediction for that last resort
of entertainers and entertained, tn,
photograph album, and an odd habit
he had acquired in that connection
that of Occasionally slinninp ont IN,
of the bits of pasteboard and glancint
at its back. In fact, A. Stanton Boy
den, as Jacks longtime acquaintanc,
Allan Boyden now signed himself, il
conformity with the fad of the day
was reused to suspicion not only b,
this new freak in his eccentric friend
but by the frequency with which h
sauptered into Boydep's own photo