The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-04-08

N'NiANN NAO''SAAs 1 81 PpOoN' VI SOulsoCs L
wish l hadn't been drawn into it, but |
cart very well get out of it now-at
least not without appearing rather dis
honorable and giving d good deal of
pain"
"Now, look here, Teddy" I said,
| warmly, you've put two distinct issues
before me. Either you are acting from
mistaken sense of honor, sacrificing
both yourself and your art to the vain
hope of making one woman happy,
which you can never do if you don't
love her, or else you are cheating your
self into the idea that you can save your
art by selling your manhood and do true
work while your daily life is a lie"
81 don't think that's quite fair way
Of putting it" said Teddy. in the first
place, I'm rather honestly sorry for the
girl, and should feel rather mean in
backing out after I've allowed her to
get fond of me; though, l assure you,
I've never made love to her, or compro-
missed myself in any way except by talk
ing rather indiscreetly about what work
| could do if | had a free hand and n
place like Templecombe. And l don't
think you quite realize how impossible
it is for me to do the work | want to do
as things are with me now. I've been
pretty low down here more than once
IN these last three years, as you know.
and if it came to that again, | think |
should go under. But Niolet's greatest
wish is to give me the chance of doing
my own real work; and | might not
have such another chance in lifetime"
SO he rambled on with the incon-
sistent apologies of a man torn by con-
Hicting motives and desires. Honest
ambition, thwarted by poverty. strove
painfully in him with a chivalrous SEN
sitiveness which shranli alike from the
pain of giving pain, and from the
grosser discourtesy of falsehood.
l argued, protested and entreated de-
lay, until at last the anxious lines which
] now saw for the first time on Teddy's
smooth brow subsidized a little, and /
consoled myself that he was safe for
the present from Mrs. Roxburgh's
snare
But two mornings later ! received a
short note from Teddy. a am going
down TO Templecombe Tomorrow it
said. Il lave made up my mind that
| ought to do ii, both for nv sake and
hers; so it is best to go at once. You
can make what explanations you like,
if you are asked for any
Of course, 7 rushed off to his rooms
with a last eXpostulation. But man
dressing hastily and packing his
trunks, with one eye on breakfast and
;he other on the timetable, is not very
open to total change Of plans. Ted
dy had quiet way of declining further
discussion when his arrangements were
made, ana now he assumed that l had
only come round to bid him personal
good-by. He knelt on the floor, strap
ping a portmanteau, the flush of ex-
ertion on his bright face heightened,
| knew, by a secret annoyance. and his
straight brows contracting with some
thing more than physical strain.
freddy, old man." l broke out,
you're not really going to that wretch
ed woman. For Gods sake, don't make
such a fool of yourself-let me get you
out CT it-there's time yet"
He gaze last tug at the strap and
got up, facing ME sharply.
Look here, old chap he said, 81
think you'd better leave me alone;
you'll do no good now. I'm awfully
sorry, but l hope our friendship"
Then he stopped short and set his lips
neryously and held out his hand in
friendly but firm dismissal. Good
by" he just muttered, as | gripped it
and turned reluctantly away.
1t is 20 years to-day since Teddy went
to Templecombe. And now he is a IA
nous man: Sir Edwin Brownlow, II.
A., the fashionable portrait painter, the
drawing-room darling of a London
spring-why, even the illustrated pa
pers are full of "Sir Edwin Brownlow's
house at Kensington," and corners of
Sir Edwin Brownlow's studio" and
"portraits of his beautiful wife," pow
dered and made up now with less
honorable art than Teddy's. All, Ted
dy! has that unhappy vampire sucked
all the youth out of you yet?
To-day is Show Sunday, and have
been with the large, gaping crowd to
Sir Edwin Brownlow's studio. | had
seen very little of him during the years
of his steady rise to fame. He seemed
to know how lleenly | felt the inevitable
decadence that overlook his work and
to shrink from any criticism of mine
upon the pictures which, season by sea-
son, were multiplied on the Academy
walls, each more vapid and insincere
IN treatment than the last. But this
year he had sent me the formal invita-
ton card, with a written postscript on
the back: "Do drop III for an hour if
you can. Violet wants you to see the
girls; their portraits are going in"
So l went. and endured for half the |
requested hour the polite inaninities of
the occasion. Teddy gave me Il quick |
handshalle and passed me on to her
ladyship, who was beaming over blue |
teacups and yellow primroses, which |
threw unkind reflections at her face |
How well | remembered that face, too. |
its sharp, white features and thin
mouth little more accentuated now |
against the fiat pink of her teagown |
than when | had first seen it in the |