Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-23

land, so that Henri had found his path
] In life a rosy one. Rich, clever and
: handsome, he was immensely popular,
a little spoilt by adulation and very
sensitive to praise or criticism.
The contemplation of marriage had
not escaped his thoughts, but he feared
that he would grow weary of domestic
joys, and the women he met were
either too frivolous OF too serious-all
except the one of his dreams, whose
marriage had caused him to feel a dis
tinct sense of loss in his life. A thou
sand times he had blamed himself for
letting this treasure slip away from
his grasp, and when, at last, she was
free again, he found her more beautiful,
more gracious. Then he poured out
his passionate love, only to find his idol
turn cold before his eyes. Never could
he forget her cruel words, and yet she
had confessed that since she was a child
she had loved him, and for that reason
had avoided seeing him while married
10 the count. For one moment, for
one heavenly instant, her great brown
eyes had gazed into his with tender
ness. Then the look had vanished, and
a quiet dignity e~nveloped her, as with
an icy mantle. Henri had felt power
less to take her hand, and his eager
words died upon his lips. Thus had
they parted.
The carriage stopped. The coaehman
wished TO know whether monsieur had
any particular route in view.
Drive anywhere-to the devil" cried :
Duval, Grossly, and they turned down
a long alley toward a lake. The young
artist looked listlessly at the children 4
playing and nurses gossiping.
Suddenly he pulled the check string.
Why should he be mewed up in the 4
coupe? Why had he not taken his sad !
horse? All, only because he had
not known what he was doing or say {
ing since yesterday. This was no day y
sit cooped up in a carriage. At :
he could walk; the exercise would
1e a relief. Telling his man to wait for
i'm at the entrance to the Bots, Henri I
trode into a shady path that bespoke J
olitude and wandered on, while re- {
ID his mind over and over again {
he scene Of yesterday. At last a sense b
I WEAKNESS caused him to rest on a $
eneh. There he sat brooding and alb a
till his reveries were broken by G.
ne voices of children. II
Abstractedly Duval looked up and j
atched them at their playa boy of fl
eight years and a girl perhaps |
70 years younger. Gradually his e
God changed, and he became con- g.
of the radiance of the day, the II
ep blue sky and the autumn tints fe
at glinted and glowed in the sun st
hit. The air was as wine to his IN
irsty lungs, and life grew full of pos tr
,ilities again, and his thoughts took ar
course. Why could he not paint he
soul as well as a body He would win tn
lnche yet. He would not make anv pu
ort TO see her now, but would work
I wait. His life should prove his !
ht to win her love. He would paint
that even she would praise. orr
hundred subjects presented them ~
TO his busy brain as he sat there ~
those W children who ~
pped in their play and were crossing are
roadway. Hand in hand they came, trir
boy leading his younger compan- and
now running, now hating, to avoid will
carriage, until they reached nat,
grase'ed iootpath. There they dies
cred again, playing on the grass
the path. Both had on blue
and little wooden shoes. They -
e without hats, and typical chill theI
| OF the poor. Presently, quite IN BEN
iciously, the little girl fell into a pael
beneath a slender treo 49,. root
es autumn had turned Win uidas and
h 10 pure gold. upp'
ne breeze blew her short curls oh !
her forehead; her apron was full ~ u.
'lored leaves the boy had thrown to = /
just then a rustling above caused LeiB
look up and a shower Of golden free
ea descended upon her dark curls. WIFI
apron and little sabots. Ia
ii, sweet child Danae," cried Duyal. Of a
u art an inspiration" Of G
year Of work brought forth the pic tious
that made him famous. Ii was liz or
'le subJect-a child with wind whit
"a locks, holding open her blue as il
n to catch the golden shower of long
sent dancing down upon her by meal
wind. and
e public raved over the beauty Of card,
child's eager, upturned face. the
Of the sky and the gold of the n
but Blanche read the message al
oui in the innocent eyes, and gave -.
heart into the keeping of the 80
7 who had painted "a Little Danae -
lbots. "-Madame.