Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-08-28
George Verney's
Pictures
By DOROTHY MAYNARD.

4 I IL IAN ALANg AAAt " sup NA AtaA
: ehus," the artist had been asked To
dine at the bankers house and had met
Grace Bellamy That first meeting
= in which the sympathy of the two
, young people was instantaneous, was
z the prelude to many others-to duets
Il sung in the twilight, to long discus
sions upon art and pictures, and, finally,
to question and answer
? In the conservatory, under the fronds
= of white fernlille palm. George Yer
= ney had spoken, in accents which
y trembled in spite of his effort 10 con-
, troll them, of his love. and with one
= quick, crimson flush from neck 70
D brow, one look of trust and love from
} the beautiful blue eyes, Grace Bellamy's
D fair head had nestled TO the young
, painters shoulder and their lips had
D met in one long lovers kiss. Ten min
utes later George Nerney left the
D house after a short but stormy inter
D view with his loves father.
} II have other views for nv daugh. |
} ter, Verney," Henry Bellamy said, |
firmly, but not unkindly. "and it will |
!, be better for you not TO visit her again
until she marries.'
For some time after this there was
almost quarrel between the banker
and the daughter whom he loved so
passionately For many days the girl,
who had never known what il was 10
have single wish ungratifed. treat
ed her father as harsh and cruel
tyrant, and refused almost TO speak
70 him. Then, one afternoon, she had
! apparently thrown of her sense of
| injury, had conversed with him on ton
4 les which interested both Of them
and had. he thought, with pleasure. !
forgotten Nerney. He was mistaken. {
She had married him. For many months !
they kept their secret well, and the /
married lovers met by stealth. without /
the knowledge Of the banker. One dav (
Mrs. Nerney left his house. went 10 \
her husband once for all. and wrote to '
tell her father that she had done So
-Four years later Grace Verney died
at Perugia Of typhoid fever, and the o
young painter was left alone in the s.
world with one little girl TO remind a
him constantly of the sweet eompan- 81
ionship which he had lost SO soon. Il
During the four short years Of that %
sweet intercourse George Verney had Y
worked but little, and his work had ',
not been good. The pictures he had il
painted, three in number had all been HI
purchased by a New Yorker. Ii
After his young wife died. Verney
worked hard and almost desperately. He 10
sold his work TO a dealer, and this LEI
man alone Of all the art world knew Al
that the real buyer Of George verney's he
work was Bellamy, the banker The III
dealer thought. as Verney himself We
might have perhaps believed, if he had er
known the purchasers identity, that lie
the pictures were bought up by Bell he
imy, not SO much as an investment. as wa
or the purpose Of providing his little TO
grandchild with the necessaries Of life: TO,
)ut even so, il came as a surprise to be
'icture-loyers when Bellamy one dav tn
brew open his gallery 10 the public wa
or an hour or two a week. and il was air
ound that George Verney's pictures. Ia,
With the exception Of the three in the
erior works which had been bought the
" the New York collector. were all
pom its walls. Then came the recon tur
iliation. How the two men had met ser
obody knew, but meet they did, and aga
was great surprise TO all who knew ]
he stern, unbending character of ste
Ienry Bellamy when he took George anC
erney and his little daughter into the en-
reat, lonely house, and to all intents tod
nd purposes made a son Of him. ste
Ease and comfort, unfortunately g
ere not good for the young artist. per
ever a strong character. the actual TO
eed of work had spurred him to great the
fort, and the double necessity Of stel
roviding for his little girl and of line
orking TO forget his sorrow had urged nc
m to paint q
After his return. however. his work nau
II of considerably The few pictures slst
hich he produced while he was liyinc,
his father-in-law's were good IN
eir way, but they lacked the vigor Of gar
S earlier efforts, and one after an yer
her he destroyed them. II want" BUR
said TO Bellamy, one day. when the TOOL
d man had asked him, with that grim said
nile Of his, why he DESTROYED work pap
at although below the standard of see
5 best, he could undoubtedly have lse'
Id, Il want the name of little craoia,s forp
Their TO be remembered only for his Nur
lest work. shall never paint again sooI
have painted. that / know, but until aers
can do something worthy to rank blue
til what have already done. I shah dc
stroy my pictures" Then illness lie
me. George Nerney grew Ianguid iath
d dispirited, and gradually. although daul
e doctor could put no specific name Il
his disease, sank into a decline. NerI
Before the last great weakness IL
ew upon him he had painted one eont
eat picture. II was a portrait of "as as
) dead wife as she had been in the Il
VS. Of her iovous cirISoo,5 ~ m, - ,is A
ter II was sn;sbe5 60. -, Ile Noy twer