Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-02-06


my attention, and | am anxious to be
at It. Don't looked worried, little
friend; God bless you, | haven't fot-
gotten my promise. This last act of
the drama blots the whole thing out of
my life. Fedora now belongs to an
other, and under no conditions could
ever again be the queen of my heart.
l have cast her out as unworthy, and
closed the doors forever-hermetically
sealed them, | trust. | could not If
tried tell you how much good you
have done me. When | go hence-for
l shall soon leave England behind me
Il will carry the remembrance of your
friendship with me to the end Ma
zette, goodnight, and heaven bless you,
child"
He went straight home to his attic
studio. One set purpose governed his
every move now, and this to put Fe-
dora, fair and false, out of his mind
forever
Since through womans hand This
night had witnessed the sacrifice OF
his hopes, his aims, 1t might as well
be complete.
In this bitter spirit he entered the
humble attic that served him as a
studio, while cot in corner granted
him a bed
Lighting a lamp, he first Of all built
a little fire upon the hearth, for,
strange to say, the upper room was
possessed OF a fireplace.
1t was not because the night was
cool that he did this, but with quite
another definite object in view
Finally he walked over to the easel
and snatched away the cloth that Gov
cred it,
Long and earnestly Overton survey
ed the magical work of his hands-so
perfect had been the witchery that
guided his love-inspired brush that the
very breath of life seemed to have been
infused into the canvas, and one could
almost expect Fedora to step down
from the easel, creature of flesh and
blood as Galatea, of sculptor fame, had
done of old.
At length the artist heaved heavy
sigh.
1t required all the determination of
his nature to carry out the desperate
resolve he had made, but, though IL
seemed like Staying his love anew, he
did not falter Human eyes should new
er again behold this work Of his genius
conceived in alteration, and worked
out through the days when her love
hung over him like benson, it must
cease to exist on this black night when
the last spark of his affection was ex-
tinguished and the bonds uniting him
to the happy past were severed forever.
He took up his palette knife and APP
preached the canvas-his hand was
firm, though his face appeared very
pallid in the pickering light.
Suddenly, as the rush of emotion be-
came too great to be longer withstood,
he dashed the blade through the can
vas, splitting 1t from top to bottom
most ruthlessly.
The first stroke seemed to loosen the
passion which had been so long re-
strained, and with savage, almost BIRD
tai emphasis, he cut and slashed furi-
ously right and left, up and down.
Thus in a very brief space of time
all that represented his many months
OI WEARY yet ihtO "hiNH
he had put his very life, so to speak,
was a wooden frame from which dan
gled dozens of streamers.
The masterpiece was as utterly de-
stroyed as his own ambition.
Not content, he ground the frame
into pieces under his heel and cast
the wreck upon the fire that had been
purposely started upon the hearth to
receive 1t.
Burn" he said, bitterly, as the
flames greedily seized upon the frag-
ments; "burn out as my love has done,
leaving nothing but bitetr, cold ashes.
Henceforth | live but to seek power
and wealth. The past shall be ghast-
ly blank--the future / will build by
the power of brain and Drawn, until
the hour comes for my revenge. Some
thing tells me 1t will sooner or later
reach me-that to him who waits and
works everything is given. And now
to begin to live a new existence"
Two days later sailing vessel left
London bound for the old Spanish
Main, and among those who shipped
before the mast, thanks to his early
yachting training, was Jack Overton,
gone to follow the reckoning finger of
fortune.