The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-10-05


was speedily to ensue, and 1t came
about through the instrumentallty OF
Lake Addison, R. A.
This man was Ruthven's most anti
mate friend; the one who oftenest IN
vaded the little house at Kensingtcn,
and lured the dramatist from the at
fractions of the club; and Peg O'Rellly
had not been one of the family many
days before the artist noticed her Ap-
pearance.
who's that girl that brought in the
glasses just now, Ruthven?"
"Only kind of sub to Mrs. Garrett,
who's getting too old to do all Ny
work.
Where did you pick her up"
"Why do you want to known?
Because it's in my mind to borpSW
her. Will you lend her to me?"
LAS model, of course?"
eyes. For my new picture. She h&B
just the face I want
'Is there anything in it, then?"
"There is everything in it. 1t IS
wonderfully expressive
II must look at it next time she corAss
in"
s.'And her eyes are beautiful. Large
limpid, and almond-shaped. She woubd
be useful to me in dozen ways.
II had no idea she was woades
Make what arrangements you like with
Mrs. Garrett, Addison. Whenever she
can spare her, the child is entirely st
your service"
Mr.. Addison secured the housekeep-
er's good will on behalf of his project.
and for some days Miss Peg O'Reilly
visited his studio, and sat, mute with
establishment, whilst he made various
studies of her face and figure. At the
end of that time, he repeated the ques-
ton he had first put to his friend:
Where on earth did you pick up THAI
child, Ruthven?' And Ruthven also
repeated:
"Why are you so anxious to know?"
Because l am sure she is not of COM
mon birth. The contour of her features
and the formation of her limbs, tell me
so. She has the most delicately formed
little feet, and her nails are filbert-
shaped. You will never make me be-
lieve that girl was born of roughs."
"Did [ ever try to make you believe
| it?"
"No; but you're so close upon the mat
ter altogether, I half suspect, you old
dog, you know more about it than you
choose to say
eff it's come to this" said RuthveD,
laughing, II must make clean breast
of it. l have only kept silence for the
child's sake, so you must respect my
confidence The fact is, picked her
up in a police court, where she was
charged with stealing onions"
"Was she innocent?'
81 never inquired. l saw she was
starving, and she told me she was
friendless. So I paid the fines, and
brought her home to Mrs. CARROTS
care If she turns out we'll, she will
want to forget the police court, SO
thought it best to keep her counsel.
There is the long and the short of it"
"Ruthven, ] have always said you
were the best fellow in the world; but,
|
born than she appears. Can't you
find out anything about her antece-
dents?"
"Well, to tell the TRUTH replied
Ruthven, shamefacedly, II have tried,
without success. Mrs. Garrett told ma
the girls mother had died in certain
work-house, so I went there to gain all
the information concerning her 1 could.
| But they had none to give me. 1t was
the old story A woman who called
herself Nan O'Reilly, had come into the
house some ten years ago, in a dying
condition, with this child in her arms,
and the authorities, knowing nothing
! further, were compelled, on the moth
er's death, to bring her up. Three
years ago they drafted her out into do
nestle service, from which she ran
away, and they had never heard of her
again till I came across her in court.
Depend upon it, the child is nothing
more than she seems"
81 don't believe it. Besides she
doesn't seem So She is starved and
pinched at present, but she will be
beautiful and graceful woman some
day."
"Poor Peg. Ireally must have look
at her by and by" replied Ruthven,
quietly amused.
But the look resulted in wonderful
change for our little heroine Ruthven
observing that his friend Addison's
opinion was correct with respect to her