Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-02-27

| even been successful in his pictures
because because she had dragged
him down into the prose OF life II
was all her fault
| He was only glad that he had told
her, told her brutally, that she had
been only chain to weigh him down
in spite of her wealth. That
wretched drunkard's wife was a
heroine beside her; she had had the
strength to keep her faith to the end
in spite Of everything. But he had
been turned out
! He gave short laugh
Really, it was poetical justice for
her to dismiss me, that l must admit
should hardly have given her credit
for so much spirit. Thank Cod"
He began to yawn and stretch like
a person released from a heavy
chain, but he had no pleasant feeling
of freedom. There is no freedom
without money, and he would rather
starve than take penny of the aims
that she would be sure to offer him.
But where should he go? What
should he do?
He began too undress, and as usual
he took his sketch-book and pocket
book out of his jacket pocket. There
were the letter, and the telegram
too, which he had received just as he
was leaving the iron-works; more
| over, there was the elegant pocket
| revolver, and here at last was the
little red bow which he had been
| carrying about with him for the past
week. The dark head in whose hair
this bow had nestled rose before him
with charming distinctness. Why
had she displayed such anger, such
scorn, al last?
Yes, l made my eyes lie to yOu,
on purpose, because | wished to be
revenged on YOU
Revenged? For what? Because
he had laid his homage at her feet?
All, BAH She had been set on by
Ante; they had frightened her
among them.
That woman whose horizon was no
wider than tea-cup. what could she
understand of intellectual relation
ships, of Tie force which attracts one
soul to another? Everything about
her was coarse and clumsy, her
whole manner of thought and feeling.
Pots and pans, baby's pap, her
money-boxes-a delightful con-
glomeration. Oh, to get away
away from this narOWness!
He went to the window and looked
out into the night. The wind had
died down: a light silVery mist
tiOated about the beeches beyond
the clearing where the forest-house
stood. He took up the letter and
held it close before his eyes, but he
could not read the writing; and after
all there was no hurry. But the
elegram-probably the announce
ment that the shares in the F
bank are Sold
He had given the order to sell he
cause he had happened to hear that
something was wrong with this bank.
1t was no longer any affair of his,
but, after all, it was his duty to see
that his wife's fortune was safely in
vested; it had dwindled a good deal
as it was. If he had not sometimes
been lucky in his stock speculations,
things might have been even worse.
Barrenberg had advised him to buy
these cOnfounded shares. His friend,
who was usually Well up in such mat
ters, had felt sure they would rise in
value.
Leo held the telegram still unopen-
ed in his hand, and looked at it. lie
had bought shares at a far higher
value nominally than the capital
which was at his disposal. Confound
it, it would be disgusting if he should
have to sell at a much lower rate. If
he had only thought to cast a glance
at the prices of stocks in the count
ing-room at the iron-wOrks!
Suddenly cold shiver passed
over him. Then he CROPPED for the
matchbox and lighted the thin little
candle in the shining brass candle
stick, put down the telegram aud
opened the letter first. 1t contained
few courteous lines of regret that
the Committee of the Exposition in
Berlin were unfortunately unable TO
accept his picture, "The Spanish
Dancer" on account of want of room
and it's too tardy arrival.
A scornful smile passed over the
painters face; he knew very well
what phrases the gentlemen of the
jury had at hand when it was a ques-
ton of rejecting picture. They
called it among themselves, putting
it into it's, coffin
To be Continued.