The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-06-12
chooses your

word, 'mine,' and If the luck is with me
! wire, yours I shall understand it,
He wrung his friends hand.
Good luck to you, Jack, although that
| means the reverse to me, doesn't it?"
The door slammed behind him and
Steadman heard him bound down the
steep stairs, two steps at a time. He
gave low whistle, heaved sigh, and
then, thrusting his hands into his pockets,
he fell into profound thought.
The two artists had long loved the same
girl and she could not choose between
them. The state of affairs between the
trio grew from bad to worse, until there
came day when the two friends said
that it was uncomfortable, that she was
running their careers, and they implored
her to consent to a plan which they pro-
posed. Their proposal was that they
should each paint her portrait from mem
DRY. No names were to be affixed to the
pictures, and. when they were finished
she was to choose between them. The
artist whose painting she chose was to be
her husband The girl demurred for a
while, but in the end she gave her con-
sent.
IT wish he had not gone" muttered
Steadman. TITS awfully hard waiting
here alone"
He rose and paced the length Of the
studio several times, coming at last to a
standstill before the two pictures.
From the canvass q girls lovely face
looked out. In the actual painting there
was little. If anything, to choose between
them; yet, In looking at the one you in
voluntarily Wanted for the girl to speak;
in the other, you expected no such thing.
"How on earth did Dick get the soul
Into his!'' exclaimed Steadman savagely.
Tt is splendid" he muttered, "splendid!'
49,. Il P>lI to-
the studio again. The girls eyes seemed
to follow him with half mischievous ex-
preston, while the lips, half tender, half
'scornful, seemed to smile at his discom-
future. He threw himself into a chair
with his back to the pictures. But soon,
as II against his will, he had moved the
chair SO as to face them again.
'.Why doesn't she Gomez" he cried
fiercely, starting to his feet.
Then demon rose up within him and
whispered:
what If she chooses his? You know it
is the best. Look at that rose she holds
SO carelessly in her fingers; can you not
fancy that you smell Its fragrance? Don't
you expect her to step out of the can
vas and speak to you?"
Steadman drew his hand across his
| brow.
mo one would be the WISER the voice
went on. Dick would go abroad at once.
You know he swore he would. Then
| something could happen to the painting
| 8. fre-they would be destroyed. Better
pluck the flower that he has run away
| from! He was not man enough to see the
! game out. Treachery ?-Nonsensel They
would never suit each other, but-you
could, you would make her happy. You
! feel that with her at your side you could
4 do great things v M
He rushed across the studio to the
paintings standing side by side.
81 must have you" he cried. Ethel!
| And the lovely eyes looked back at him.
mischievously. alluringly.
There came q ring from below, followed
BY the light tread Of dainty feet ascend
\ ing the stairs.
\ Jack Steadman pulled himself together
with a guilty start, and hurriedly drew 9
curtain before the two pictures. Their
he went to welcome the anxieusly awaited
visitors.
ooh Dick has bolted." he said, with 9
somewhat forced laugh. in answer t
j Ethels glance Of inquiry round the studio
! .Bolted r.
There was surprise, anger and conster.
i nation in the girls voice
4 ...rhere was scarcely necessity for that
3he remarked coldly.
i "You misunderstood me-" interrupted
steadman. Dick has only run down t