The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-08

daughter to make pictures of you, YOU
impudent pauper. Don't YOU ever show
your face at my house again. you lying
sneaking-"
stop right there, colonel" said
Pierce picking up the bundle as he
rose and plucking at the string. He
was very pale and there was puz-
zled look behind the angry flash of
his black eyes. Don't use such lam
guage to me, sir; ] might
You might what. sir?" The choeric
old soldier had half-raised his cane.
II might kill you, colonel" said the
artist trying to smile.
The Englshman stood fuming for an
instant as Pierce unwrapped the bundle,
A little twichng at the corners of his
mouth, "A choking sensation in his
throat, a tear springng to his eyes,
were the only signs that Pierce made
when he saw the contents of the parcel.
| They were all sketches. drawings. little
| pen and ink or crayon portraits of HIM
| self in a hundred poses, done from
memory, toiled at by tender hands,
| guided by the loving heart of the gill
who thus yielded first to her father
and then to her lover, the secret that
she had never betrayed before.
Well. that was the beginning of the
| end. Colonel MacLagan blurted out
something about sending in your
| blasted bill, but Pierce never sent any
bill They never asked for the portrait
and Hester never appeared in his oath
way again.
| oh. these English girls are niracul-
| ously filal
| Pierce didn't work much after that,
and what he did lacked spontaneity
! and motive. He had to give up his
studio and he sold nothing. The Mac
Lagans sent him a check for $500 a few
weeks after he mad begun to live OF one
mca! aud fifty drinks day, but he
sent it back without word and never
heard from them again. Finally he lost
heart altogether and went awdy-to
Mexico, | believe, but no matter. His
old friends in New York haven't heard
of him since. Probably he discovered
the fierce Nirvana that lies stineinE;
perhaps he has found the longer, less
bitter peace of death. Bu. that doesn't
matter. either, to anyone except him,
because Miss Hester is marie i--"well
married"
The story ought to end right her but
it doesn't because on the noble walls
|
; lfe-size painting of Psyche sitting
lost and alone, on tie bretling cliff
Of storm-clouded isiHn!. lokne out
to sea through wind blown yellow hair,
and through tears rhat dim her great
blue eyes. Upon her lap, instead of the
treasure box, there is e sheet of paper
upon which she seems to he trying
to linn the forgotten face of man.
1t is weird, desolat2, hopeless con-
ception of the much pictured Psyche,
but it is not 70" its artistic quait!t :
altogether that MIS-. Bul!en, Tie lady OF
, the house, prizes il. In the corner Of
the canvas is the painters name
"Pierce Churchill" and if YOU ask the
young matron about her PSYCHE" she
will look seriously at you with hel
great blue eyes and smile at you only
with her lips as she says:
MY husband Mr.. Bullen, picked II
up at an auction sale somewhere. II
Was among the effects of some ponl
artist and was sold for storage charges
NJ. Iullnn took a fancy to IL because
ne imagined that it looked like me. The
idea, No woman was ever half as
j. beautiful as that, do YOU think So
: the artist? oh yes, | remember meet
l ing him when | was "A girl, be gave
me a few lessons in drawing, and tina
too. gives the picture a sort Of senti
= mental value to me. silly, isn't it,