Sharp County record., 1903-04-17
George Verney's
Pictures
By DOROTHY MAYNARD.

L..
+ y ONE IL months after the purchase
! ! by Henry BeIlamy Of young Ner'
h nty's picture, The Worship Of Eac'
I caus," the artist hGI been asked ia
dine at the bankers house and had met
Grace Bellamy. That first meeting
! which the sympathy of the two
/ rsuag people was instantaneous, was
the prelude TO many others-to ducts
sung in the twilight, to long discus
sious upon art and pictures, and, finally,
toaa question and answer.
n nthe conservatory, under the fronds
Of a white ferrlike palm, George Yer
ney had spoken, in accents which
H trembleI in spite Of his effort to con
\ troll them, of his love, ard with one
/ quick, crimson flush from neck to
i brow, one look Of trust and love from
The beautiful blue eyes, Grace 3ellaTy $
fair head had nestled to the young
painters shoulder, and their liTs had
met in one long lovers Hiss. Ten min-
! utes later George VeTncy left the
h.use after short hut stormy inter
: view with his loves father.
IL have other views fer my daugh-
. ref,- -NeFF1rry'" NAeeFF1rry," Henry BeIlamy 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
rassionately. For many days The girl,
who had never known what it was To
have a single wish ungratiiied, treat
ed her father as harsh and cruel
tyrant, and refused almost to speak
TO him. Then, one afternoon, she had
apparently thrown off her sense of
injury, had conversed with him on top
les which interested both of them,
and had, he thought with pleasure,
forgotten Verney. lie 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 day
Mrs. Vorney left his house, went TO
her husband once for ALL and wrote 20
tell her father that she had done So
Four years later Grace Nerney died
at Perugia Of typhoid fever, and the
young painter was left alone in the
world with one little girl to remind
him constantly OF the sweet c0mpan-
ionship which he had lost so soon.
During the four short years of that
sweet intercourse George Verney had
worked but little, and his work had
not been good. The pictures he had
painted, three in number had all been
purchased by New Yorker.
After his young wife died. Verney
worked hardan almost desperately. He
sold his work to n dealer, and this
man alone of all the art world knew
that THO real buyer Of George Nerney's
work was Bellamy, the banker. The
dealer thought, as Verney himself
might have perhaps believed, If he had
known the purchasers identity, that
the pictures we're bought up by Bell
amy, not so much as an investment, as
for the purpose Of providing his little
grandchild with the necessares OF lie;
hut even 50, il came as surprise to
picture-lovers when Bellamy one day
threw open his gallery to the public
for an hour or two IL week, and it Was
found that George Verney's pictures,
with the exception of the three in
ferior works which had heen bought
by the New York collector, were all
upon its walls. Then came The recon
citation. How the two men had met
nobody knew, but meet they did, and
it was great surprise to all who knew
the stern, unbending character Of
Henry Bellamy when lie took George
Nerney and his little daughter into the
great, lonely house, and to all intcnts
and purposes made a son Of him.
Ease and comfort, unfortunately,
were not good Tor the young artist
Never strong character, the actual
need of work had spurred him TO great
effort, and the double necessity Of
providing for his little girl and Of
working 20 forget his sorrow had urged
him to paint.
After his return, however, his work
fell off considerably. The few pictures
which he produced while he was living
at his father-in laws were good In
their way, but they lacked the vigor OF
his earlier efforts, and one after an
other he destroyed them. 81 want"
he said to Bellamy, one day, when The
old man had asked him, with that grim
smile OF his, why lie destroyed work
that, although below the standard cf
his best, he could undoubtedly Lave
sold, ~ want the name of little Gracie's
father to be remembered only for his
finest work. I shall never paint again
ms have painted, that know, but unit
I can do something worthy to rank
with what | have already done, shall
destroy my pictures" Then illness
came. George Verney grew lOnguid
and dispirited, and gradually, although
the doctor could put no specific name
to his disease, sank into q decline.
Before the last great weakness
l. I