Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-20

you know" he returned. my nans
was rather in the way. Those thiay,
get about. eve ove here"
And SO you
80 began all over. Took a new
name, came over to Rome; you Know
how I've always loved the ehisel."
81 know" she murmured. "You ough,
never to have"
Tried financing instead?" he finish
ed sardonically. NO. And after l.
after ~things-well. after l luckily eoi
out of that little affair with my liberty
determined on a iran new start. And
I've made it, Alice" he went on eager
ly. 1--WE gone into this" he motioned
with his left hand toward the studio be-
hind him, with a perfect passion for
work and achievement. And I'm sue.
ceeding, too,," he added, with a touch q
pride. Rome has taken me up hand.
somely. Blair Lewes is a thing of the
past. I'm Gilbert Upton now"
She had turned half abstractedly dur.
ing his words. ana was gazing again at
the face on the pedestal.
Il don't know how you happened
here, Alice" he said. II thought you
were far on the other side of the water.
But at all events, you've surprised
"Oh, believe me, | didn't mean to-"
she cried, turning suddenly. Il didn't
know; how could l? Mrs. Downs drove
me here to look around. l thought tha,
curtain was simply part"
"sWhy EXPLAIN" he interrupted.
Couldn't l divine that? Don't | know
you too well to believe anything else?
But still, you have surprised some
thing that was only mine"
"You had no right to it," she flashed
| out imperfeusly. How did you come
how did you dare-to make it,"
He moved nervously; then he looked
at her with defiance.
Because / loved you, Alice" he spoke
out, ~impetuously, because l love you
now. and always have and shall and
must. You turned me down, almost
contemptuously, too, months before
tildL Ddlh LAdIlcl "a IL SOuidA I
change my feeling. And after that
well, that money exposure-dashed any
hopes / might have had remaining, l
came away with one good thing left in
me anyway-love for you! Other things
were gone, but I've chung to that des-
perately. And this face-I've put my
very heart and soul into It." he burst
out p~assionately. "It wasn't to be for
~+ba. n u,ac n nurp "
own, l had an old time photograph of
you; and with that and memory, I've
put spare minutes and hours, and even
days into that one thing. l never
thought to see you, yourself, again;
but j persuaded myself that perhaps
possibly,-oh, Alice" he cried hold
ing his hands toward her, 'T'm not
good at bottom, 4 know, it as we'll as
you, but Nv begun over again, I've been
pretty straight since that time; and
seeing you here before me fairly drives
me to ask the old question again. II
you only knew"
The girls eyes, at first sorrowful, had
grown brighter with surprise and anger.
Stop, Blair!" Sue burst in. "Do you
suppose for a single instant that, know
ing you as Il do, ! can possibly listen to
ouSA WOloo. Nhy thC Ntiy thOu6Ht
makes mech, what shall i say? What
canI say, that is strong enough. unmis-
taxable enough, without being hard and
harsh?" She moved toward the door
way, and he instinctively held the cur
tain further aside to let her pass into
the studio. 81 don't want to discourage
your new Network" she went On.
Your secret is safe with me. You are
Gilbert Upton. l am glad If your life
is a better one. But i am no part of it.
| will not sanction your making me
part of tin thought or by image. To
the face IN there you have no right by
consent of mine"
She paused at the studios outer door.
will you please tell Mrs. Downs
she added, that 4 could not stay?"
III.
AS the wide door closed leaving him
alone, Blair Lewes made a sudden, half
dazed movement toward it, and then
dropped covering into the nearest chair,
and hid his face in his hands.
Presently he rose, slowly and YEARLY.
Going to the portiere, he lifted it and
passed into the inner workshop. The
face was there, confronting him. He
gazed at it for a long minute without
moving.
Then he lifted a heavy metal mallet
that stood near, and with logged, re-
peated blows shivered the bust into
pieces.
RYDnY