The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-08-10
WHEN INEVITABLE LOVED, ;

WdS 0uOgR u W hlohV cPAhcVNi VI SAO
loveliest girl ever born. When she
left school they bore her off to Europe,
where, Shile her FIVE years OF travel
gave her an excellent knowledge OF
men In til, composite, man as an indl-
vidual WIS entirely unknown to her.
Then folltwed her fathers death and
mothers Ing years Of illness, when all
the daughters thoughts and energies
were concentrated on the sick room.
Finally, to complete the bands which
all her life had been forged to keep her
In single blssedness, she found herself
at 35 with avery comfortable fortune
n not a sign OF near relative with
whom to sh8te 1t. SO that she hadn't
even that Questionable excuse OF be-
coming married for the sake OF a
home.
IL Mehitab,e had been q poor girl
she might have proved a genius, for
she could paint SO cleyerly as to make
her rivals decidedly uneasy. But now
that she found herself u lonely woman,
with cruely plain silver lines over her
temples and no longer any trace OF the
old-time dimples where the sharp
knuckles now showed, her only re-
source vas the palstte. One thing she
stoutly refused to do, however, and
that was to max u workshop OF the
old family home. She 1T last hit upon
the tiny brown C.tage In the next
square, where a. the surrounding,
towering residence looked In heartless
disdain on tae tumble-down frame
house which the owner. q weak-voiced
little old man, had dung to desperately
in spite OF all his fashionable neigh
bors' scorn and the tempting offers Of
frantic real estate dealers. The old
man had been found dead one morning
hat summer with the rising suns rays
trying to warm his tin, white cheeks.
Then all the residents on the square
sighed in u relieved way and the
shrewd real estate men began to hunt
up the heirs with new proposals for
the valuable bit Of ground, when 10
and behold! it was discovered thai the
poor dead owners viii was being con-
tested by a prodigal sou, and therefore
the house would have 10 remain where
1t was until the question was settled.
Again the fashionable 81 uare squirmed
and hutted, for 1T was evident that no
one with any ~self.respat would want
to occupy the innocent cause OF all this
trouble while there was the terrible
possibility that some sacreligious
%laundress might rent the little brown
house and mar the whole landscape
with her out, ageous signs and long
lines OF Haunting, shameless sheets and
p~etticoats.
At this point OF suspended hostilities
Miss Hopkins conceived the brilliant
idea OF Transforming the disputed
property Into a temporary studio, to be
used until the long legal bubble
should end. Whereat the entire
neighborhood was enthusiastically
grateful.
At last it was finished, and its
temporary owner held a reception to
the residents OF the whole square.
They came, n and all, and went away
fairly delighted at the result. The
low walls had teen done in an unbroken
gray-green and the floors laid soft and
smooth with something a shade
darker. The poor, battered woodwork
now shone in q dark rich red, o while
the tiny window panes, formerly sc
pitifully che%ap.looklng, were now
voted quaint to a degree. The chintz.
covered couches were tantalizingly in.
viting and the simple draperies added
wonderfully to the artistic whole.
And throughout it all there had no,
been done one thing to nal any OF the
old houses original charm beyond the
necessary nails and braces to steady
the poor little wreck.
EOI GuS uTSG tlulC III nST lllO MISS
Hetty had time TO be really happy,
and the big family house up on the
corner rarely knew her except wher
she crept back there at dusk to her
solitary s.ate dinner and the undis'
turbed nights rest in the big, quiet
chaEH5er on the second floor. Can,
vases seemed fairly to fly from beneath
her tireless fingers, and pretty soor
everybody came to recognize her works
because Of the inevitable old man, with
q thin, pale face, who always stood out
against the background OF the old,
slanting brown house. When she one
day showed the last .hings she had
done the whole square tip-toed, wet
eyed, out into the street again, with
many q penitent promise never again
to speak i'll Of the battered little house
and Its erstwhile owner. For Miss
dead, quiet face, there in the early
sun, with the shadows OF the morning
glory vines across his high-lined fore.
head and with one huge, rosy blossom
trailing in at the open easement as
though trying to lend some of It's
beautiful warmth to the wasted, pa,
tient cheek beyond.
Nov that | have so many, I think ]
shall try to sell them, for the orphan
asylum on the next street Is in sad
need Of money, | hear. But I think
I'll not paint him any more,' she
added. softly, "for he's dead how, you
know" And poor, fond, foolish little
Miss Hetty sobbed quietly as she laid
her trembling hand tenderly on the
beloved canvas.
1t was that same evening that Mrs
Wilmarth brought her brother, Major
DOane, to see the little collection.
Mrs. Wilmarth lived just across the
street from the big Hopkins house, and
Miss Hetty had always found a good
deal of comfort in tho bright, busy
young matron. She had heard of the
Majors intended visit with no little
interest, for she remembered him as a
tall, handsome 10y with q hint of a soft
brown mustache and a pair Of bonnie
brown eyes. lie had kissed her, then
q white-frocked little maid OF ten, as
he went off to don his first gray coat at
West Point. Some way the tiny, wide
eyed girl never quite forgot the beauti-
full, manly boy, although she had never
seen him since, as their schools and
travels had cOntrived to keep them
apart. But she remembered very veil
that when she was o sweet girl gradn-
ate she a contiding Ia maidenly shy
ness to her dearest friend her ideal
husband, when tina. friend laughed
gayly and cried:
"Why, how funny! You've been
describing young Capt. Doane, who
was here visiting his sister, Mrs. Will
marth, only last week"
Poor Hetty blushed as red as though