Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-05-16
HOW THE KING CAME TO HIS OWN.

box at his side lay his palette and
brushes, in front stood his easel, with
an unfinished canvas. on which he
gazed with troubled eyes. On some oc-
casions he had succeeded, and his fell
low artists had not been slow to recog-
nize the master touch. But why, why
did he not produce more of such work?
THAT fellow destroys more good
work than any man l know. He is
mad. All those pictures wanted was a
few touches to make them master
pieces; which was true. quite true.
But these few touches here md there
meant life or death to the picture, also
to the painters reputation.
In the picture before him he had
thrown his whole heart and soul-up
till now it had been a joy to work at it;
to-day he had come into the studio in
tent on its completion. and again had
come short. Again he had withheld
his hand. knowing he could only spoil
it, And within him was the old deadly
heart-sinking, the swoonlng Of hope,
that ever-recUrring wondering dismay
at himself.
Noiseless as a ghost he rose and
slipped out of the studio, out of the gar
den, into the high road, walking as if
for wager.
Suddenly he hard the laugh Of a
child. and rounding a turn OF the road
he saw. encamped under some trees on
the common, gypsy tent, with brown
faced children playing about the fire,
whose smoke rose blue and curling in
to the tranquil air.
A girl with a crimson shawl tied
across her bosom stepped out from the
tent and looked at him with the Clark
eyes of her race. In another minute he
had drawn his sketch book from his
pocket. and seated on a messy bowlder.
was rapidly sketching the scene. Evil
IDENTIFY the girl had been accustomed 10
posing. for no sooner did he begin to
draw than she smilingly leaned up
against the door Of the tent.
In a few minutes, the tent. the girl,
the children about the fire. the tall,
over-arching elms and the undulating
landscape. eirdled by the river, were
ali sketched in and he had returned to
the house.
Il say. Lilly" he cried. "look here;
I'm in luck this morning
The sweet-faced. earnest-eyed wo-
man looked up eagerly. He had sue
ceeded. He had finished his picture
this time Oh joy,
The light in her eyes dulled, however
as he went on:
81 couldn't do anything in the studio
this morning. 50 | went down the road
bit. And look-what / lit upon-just
around the turn. you know
He produced the sketch. and. with an
or'o~.. sho tried to conceal her disap-
pointment.
oh what pretty idea for pict-
IRE" she said: you were in luck truly.
Not for worlds would she have uttered
A protest at that moment. although her
heart grew sick within her. She aid
think he would have completed this
beautiful thing and sent il off 10 the
cyhibition-but not. too. was left
like the others. and now he would be-
Gin this new one Perhaps he might
finish that-perhap9 not.
9TH tell you what I'll do. Lilly, Just
for little money to keep us going, he
said. one dav. after a mighty struggle
with biroself "T'U Ghost it for a while
This work. It might please some-mlght
sell-hut it does not satisfy me. | Will
not own it. but a ghost is only guessed
ar. I hate that sort of thing, but it
will relieve the financial pressure. Eth,
little Wom9n?'
The little woman sat silent, too full
to speak.
Was this then the fulfllment of the
fair promise Of his youth? Or their
dreams of greatness-of the life they
were to lead together. still achiving,
still pursuing" still advancing toward
the goal Of perfect work.
She had seen something Of this i'm
pediment to success before they had
married. but she had been so sure she
could help him. that she could relieve
him of caring for himself; she would
ALWAYS be near. ready to cheer him
when his fits Of depression and dread
of failure came upon him; she had
thought it would al be so different
when they were together, these two
who loved each other so.
All. me, the dreams she had dream
ed,
Now. however. the situation had be
come serious. Duns had begun to call
regularly: color bills had run up fright
fully: sharp letters came, threaten ng
proceedings. In desperation he had
gathered together a few of his best
Sketches and sent them off to dealer
Who auctioned them off for a little over
tba mice Of the frames. The relief had
been so slight that the ruinous process
had to be repeated and so the time
went by. At last the duns ceased to
trouble: their debtor was ill-seriously
I'M Il had come-the long tedious
sickness which he had jestingly said