The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-21
Pieture N)ffb
a Sforg.

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Spare Moments.
did you ask me where I got that pic
ture7 If you want to listen to me will
tell you
The speaker was a man not yet forty,
yet his hair and beard were white as
snow, his black eyes sunken, and q
strange and peculiar look of age and suf-
fering was on his face. He seemed like
fire burned out. SO far as any interest
or enjoyment to be found in this world
was concerned, 1t appeared that he might
as well have been dead
1t was in one Of those old towns on the
Rhine. I was travelling and chance had
thrown me In the way Of this man, for
had stopped for weeks at this quaint
place, finding a charm every day that
still held me.
We were both English-that I was a
compatriot may have been the reason that
Ralph Curzon had been casually kind to
me.
He had for years lived in a few rooms
In an old chateau that stood a little back
from the river. The house had been par
italy destroyed by fire. Instead of re-
pairing 1t, Curzon had fitted I'D these
rooms and dwelt there with one servant.
l was standing In a sumptuously fur
n1shed inner room, where knew that he
passed most of his time. The windows
overlooked the river. It was a prospect
that might have charmed any one; did 1t
charm him?
The picture at which was looking was
hung in perfect light It was draped In
folds of perfect velvet. In spite Of its
somber surroundings, the face looked
down with what seemed an Immortality
radiant smile. It was the face of q wom-
an beautiful enough to haunt one
1 stole glance at Curzon as he stood
looking at 1t. Plainly, he had for the
fhof
| him. His eyes told that ne was living
| over again some time in that unforgotten
past made a movement, and he start
ed suddenly and turned toward me.
Some men seem to have the power Of
| loving score of times" he said, with
bitter smile; ''but spent all my heart
here. This is faint hint of what Laura
Stanton was motioning toward the pic
ture. "Odd that should feel desire to
tell you that part Of my IfeI Sit down"
AS we sat by the window he began:
Eighteen years ago I came to this
town and became acquainted with the
Stantons, an English family who had
J settled in this chateau.
THE father was a genial cosmopolitan
sort Of fellow, much given to patronizing
| poets and artists. I got my living then
| by painting, and was in lose with my
art. So lily did I read Mr.. Stanton's
chara cter that I thought If possible he
would consent to my marrying his laugh
| ter. Whether he consented or not. I in
| tended to have her.
| "How 1 loved that woman! It seemed
to me that never mortal was 80 blessed
as was when I found that she returned
! that love. For two weeks I was utterly
happy; for two weeks we lived in the
| knowledge Of each others love. Laura
had begged me not to tell her father
to leave 1t to her, and as soon as she
found fitting time she would tell him.
| and beg him to consent to our union.
In that time Of two weeks-ahI could
human being hope for more happiness
in lifetime than was crowded into
those days2-in that fortnight I painted
her portrait. That is 1t. All that oil and
canvas could do toward thinning that face
I believe I did. I was inspired; never
had done work so satisfactory.
AT the end Of that time, by accident,
Mr.. Stanton discovered the existence of
a love he might have suspected. He was
furious. A poor painter to think of
aspiring to the hand of his daughterl
Then 1t became known that he had prom
ised her In marriage to the son of a
wealthy and titled friend in England.
Laura had heard the talk concerning
such a match, but had laughed at 1t.
Not until she knew what love was did
she think with horror of her father s
wish
''Now the tyrant in Lester Stanton be-
came unsheathed. He did not hesitate.
In one week from the time when he first
knew that his daughter loved me, this
young Englishman was sent for, and
came
Their marriage was appointed for the
following week Mr.. Stanton was not
going to leave any chance for his daugh-
ter to escape. He would have no folly
he said.
what did I do, you ask? was wild
with suffering. I knew now what sort
of man I had to deal with. I was des-
perate. I knew I could make Laura
happy. I earned sufficient income al
ready to live in comfort, and my famo
was growing. I watched necessarily near
the grounds here until I gained an inter-
view with her. 1 pleaded as a man who
loves and is determined can plead. Ali
she loved me-"
Curzon paused q moment. His gloomy
face was still more pale, his eyes emit
ted strange light. He went on:
'She consented to my request, and she
only stipulated that she would not go
away with me directly. She loved her
father, and she longed to be reconcIlcd
to him. The next night she met me, and
we secretly rode to the next town be-
low US on the river.
eve were not gone three hours, and
when we came back no human power
| could give ner TO any OCneI-Sue was my
wife 1 promised to wait a month before
claimed her; and in the meantime l
was to keep out Of the way-to do moth
ing to aggravate her father.
"She said she would alone bear what
ever might happen when Mr.. Stanton
urged on the marriage, which had been
appointed for the next week. 1t was
hard for me to bear, but there was
everything to comfort me. She was mine
she loved mel"
afraid that I might meet her father
and increase his animosity-for he was
inconceivabIy infuriated against me-and
thus make her lot still harder, for 1 was
not afraid of anything he could do to me,
left tho town, thinking l would remain
away some days.
st did not know myself could no
more have stayed away than could nave
done any other impossible thing. came
back that night.
at did not go to bed until late. and /
had hardly fallen asleep before L Yves
awakened by cries which startled me
into springing from my bed. My hrst
glance from the window was In the direc-
ton of the chateau. It was on fire. The
dreadful light illuminated my room.
'It was but a moment before I was
dashing on toward the hill on which the
chateau stood. The peasants round about
were fiocking to the place, but they did
not seem to know what to do. In two
minutes had them bringing water from
the river.
at did not seem to me that the fire