The herald., 1897-01-12
eviewing a. vast panorama of his early

years.
How sad; terrble Is this a com.
| mon accident?" l inquired of him.
common? Yes, re coup de fouet; but
zls vas worse. For long L lay in bed. my
brain made mad to know Eat all vas
ovare, Eat all vas lost. Zey offered me
half wage to teach, but ..o-not we're I
| mad been ze first-ze very first | left
| England and my friends, l hoped, for
evere."
Was that not foolish?" asked, view
rg the greasy curtain and other sur.
rounding evidences of poverty
"Voolish? All, We are all fools ven W
love. L have loved; she vas almost mine,
but she vas too young, a child dancer OF
feefteen summers. So sweet. so beau
ti1ul Size learnt from me my art, every
Jeste, every perfection. She would have
been my wife, my queen-but after zis,
ran. When my senses came knew that
| | could be no more rich-only poor
dead dog In her way. For zis 1 fled zs
country. | came back after feefteen
year, no longer ze great Salvador, but
plaln M. Dupres-back to Betty
| Betty" l echoed
es, the first dancer In London-my
! leetle Betty-you have zeen her?" And
| ne lifted hand to a portrait over his
pillow.
l recognized with dismay the child's
| face-the merry smile at the corner Of
the lip.
This is the very woman I am trying
to paint"
Sapristii' he exclaimed, and again
wiped his brow. You Will keep my se-
cfet! re years of zacrifice, let them not
be known TO her." His face was wrin-
kled and livid with anxiety.
Your confidence is sacred; am hon.
ored by 1t, / said, extending a hand,
Tor Laura just then opened the door
| upon us.
Il have much to be grateful for to him
to YOU | said. My picture is al.
most achieved"
| When Betty next came to the studio
she thought my painting was completed.
ana skipped about in front of the can
| vas with the genuine joy of gratified
vanity.
Why didn't you tell me it was done.
and l needn't have got into these?" she
said, lifting the hem of her gauze skirt
to lips-a fascinating trick, which, to use
| her own expression, invariably drought
down the house"
l looked at the laughing row of white
teeth and thought of Dupres.
| ou still want a touch or two. Just
get into position for one moment"
You'll spoil me" she warned, jump
ing to her place on the "throne'' and
shooting out an ankle that would have
unhinged Diogenes.
Nothing could spoil you" said gall
lantly, and paint tube leveled in the
direction of my head was. the reward Of
my pollteness
You didn't aim as well as you
dance. How did you learn-at a training
school or Where?"
can't teach the fine poetry of movement.
Ihey knock the prose into you, but-but
the poetry learnt from-Oh-a man who
was great in his day."
SALVADOR l ventured.
She blushed family.
How did you know?"
you gave the cue. Salvador was the
greatest name l could think Of"
You know something of dancing.
them"
Very little. 1 have heard of an ac-
cident or something that affected his
career" ,
Yes, it turned his head. He was to
have married me, but like all men, he
was ungrateful; he changed-changed
quite suddenly"
How SOP
Il nursed him night and day. He had
no mother, no sister and l thought I
could be all the world to him. Little
girls are romantic and he was too Ill to
know. Before he recovered conscious
ness l sent an old woman to attend to
him; but one day, when we'll enousl, he
bolted"
''Where?'' ...----
Lord knowsl" (Betty's language was
not Johnsonian). DO you think I was
going to crawl after him anu groyeI?"
There is no groveling where love lev
els"
But it didn't level" she said angrily,
as though the reproach stung. 'it didn't
level L would have chucNed my whole
future for him. 1 would now, wniie he,
oh. don't talk of it," she exclaimed,
huskily, whiaking the back of her hand
across her eyes. Il tell myself it was all
for the best
The tone indicated query, but made
no answer. There were heard thrills in
the air, and my brush. pregnant with
their subtle rhythm, was travelling fast.
why don't You say it was?" she per-
sisted. You know that love-real love
lis worse than handcuffs"
"A cloying treacle to the wings of in
depend Dnce'-eh? Keats would have
been glad of the treacle, nevertheless"
Perhaps. Wouldn't we just drown
in it if we could? But. after all, 1 should
have been a fat lump of domesticity by
now," she laughed, Strengthening her
1.-the limbs and resuming her conven-
tfonal smile.
In a moment she would become the
worlds Betty Notwithstanding coy,
insouciante Betty.
But teardrop still clung to her eye-