Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-09-25

the incident was not without q certain
subtle effect upon the celebration, and
al o'clock Hayward sat alone BY bis
easel. his head buried IN his hnnds,
dainty handkerchief upon his lap, and
before him the rapidly sketched out
line Of = face
He knew now why jennings had an
gered him. The shaft Of Hight from q
womans eyes. which once strikes keep
into the soul Of every man, had at last
come home to him
The opening was auspicious.
Wealth and art alike were well repre-
scented.
Toward the end Of the evening q
lady who had once sat for portrait
came up to him
"Dlr. Hayward she said, Il want
you to know my niece"
He followed her into the next room,
where a young lady sat on a diyan.
Her gray eyes we're lifted to his face,
and then suddenly lowered In con
fusion.
"Mr Hayward" /" she said, Il am 50
much ashamedP And when he tried
to reassure her she answered: Lets
not talk about Il; it's too humiliating."
50 they spoke of other things. He
learned that she had come from dis
tant city to visit relatives, and the
aunt invited him to call upon them.
Friday afternoon came at last, and
Miss Grey and her aunt were at bOmes
Other Fridays followed. and other days
which served as well as Fridays It
was seldom that the girl looked him
in the face; but when she did so he felt
himself confessed before her--a man
with no right to touch even the hem of
her garment yet honoring her with
every fiber OF his being.
They were much together, and Con
stance took a franlF enjoyment In his
friendship He made every effort to
please her, and one day they went into
the country. Constance was almost
childishly happy, but the seeming per
fection Of her happiness distressed
him when he learned that in very few
days she was to sail for Europe, pass
the Summer and Autumn in travel, and
spend the Winter in Paris
At length they sat down under a
gnarled oak tree and watched the
light upon the river and in the sky
After some moments Of silence Hay.
ward spoke.
81 think you know the man now.
viii you tell me what his pictures
lack?"
She hesitated. II do not know the
man well enough to say, but l win
give you my art creed and let you
Judge for yourself. believe that
mans art is neither. more nor less
than the expression of himself, and
that in order to obtain an exalted ex
preston his first business is with him
self. Wrong living blunts, and eventu-
ally destroys, the fundamental sense
of right and wrong, without which a
noble art is impossible. When a mans
art is true, It is because he himself is
true. The true artist must be man
first and an artist afterward."
Hayward took the admonition with a
worshipper's meekness. Their conyer-
sation ended with his declaration that
he would not paint again until he had
something in himself worthy to put
into the picture.
you'll help me, won't your he
asked.
Her eyes filed Indeed I will, If l
only can"
He went home with loves fever in
his veins. She had promised TO help
him, and surely there was only one
way. He wrote her a hasty note, and
an hour later his messenger brought
her reply:
"Believe me, never dreamed Of this,
and you know what my answer must
be; but 1 do not need to tell you that
whatever honest friendship can offer
is already yours.
with deep regret, am, as ever,
CONSTANCE GREY"
The grim humor Of the thing
stunned him momentarily, and he
laughed harshly Then he flung him
self down in a passion Of grief. In
the morning he took pen and paper
again, after night Of sleepless dis
tress
''You cannot mean what you say
That white, womanly soul of yours must
wake to love me some day You have
stood between me and the depths, and
there has been no shame in the life
that l offer you since you came into it.
oh, you perfect thing, you perfect
thing you don't know what you are to
mel Constance, let me comer
The answer was promptly forthcom
ing;
Il cannot promise what you ask, but
you may come and see me II you
wish"
Pale with expectancy. Hayward
was only the ghost Of himself when
the servant admitted him. He had
waited but a moment when Constance
entered the room in the gown in which
he mad seen her first He rose to meet
her, but she came and sat down be
side him.
listen" she said, "and I will tel
you how feel ! am twenty-five and
I have never cared 1 do not believe
that ever shall care, for the love thai
we read of is almost lncomprehenslblG
70 me You cannot marry such w0
man."
II was very hard to say what she
must. With an effort she rose anC
drew away from him. Il must bs
true to myself and 70 you" she said
"and can say nothing but the old
bitter no"
White and wretched. he went away
leaving her, white and wretched, be
hind him.
For days and weeks thereafter Hay
.a.ra ,afnfa1 h,,efI,g Tonofnrr- NAN