Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1905-06-23
A Sepia Sketch


~Gooa uighl, Harry"
Nj Ia iwick's coat fell on Ia
she floor. and, bending forward IN
her shimmcrimg satin gown. she
kissed the pictured face before her.
Ii was ceremony gone through
every night, a. il had been FOR the
last ten wears. In the early days,
with silent tears, in lavender
scented attic. now electric hight
was switched on in the blg studio IN
Washington. where Harry lawton's
picture hung in It's silver frame 10
inspire the pastelS and dainty mina-
lures which had brought isobei
EaStWick fame.
Ten year, ago Young i.awi"n had
sailed for South America, N"wlnG
As soon as he had home 10 oiier
her to return and claim lSobei :
promise TO wait for him.
Miss EaStwick was nothing II not
notwithstanding If not fahclful.
her friends said. though they did not
guess at the romance of her life. and
Size had cherished the memory of
those promises and the nope that
one day her lover would return.
Paul Naitland was one OF the few
people who knew the whole story.
and in spite of that he had asked
her to marry him.
The question had grieved Miss
Eastwick's soul. 1t seemed TO be a
reflection on her constancy, and she
was not little afraid that this UNI
expected development might end
their friendship.
But he had spoken strongly, a
great deal too strongly, on the sub
ject of wasted affections, pink and
white boys, etc.-he who was really
impossibIy ugly. And yet
KS though to convince herself of
his impoSSibility Miss Eastwick
picked up a sepia sketch of mans
) hcad-it was an ugly face, with the
determined jaw and deep set eyes
, and laid it for a moment beside the
water color in its dainty silver
, frame. She laughed. The contra.,
, was too funny.
Miss Eastwick stood painting in
2 her studio before an easel. making
the most of the earl Y spring sun
shine. The many successful por-
= traits at last years exhibitions had
: brought her more work than she
| could do, and she rose early and la
l bored hard for love Of her art.
4 Paul Maitland had sometimes
brought his fiddle and played to her
+ in the afternoons when her visitors
had departed, but today he had no;
| come, and she missed his dark, ugly
= face, his deep, refined voice express
| ing her own half formed, wholly III
= exprcssible thoughts.
!, All, There was a knock. 1t must
be he. He would not stay away
;. simply because she could not marry
t him. a faint, becoming blush rose
y to her check. Yes, it was a man,
tread coming upstairs, but not Matt
6 lands surely. This was heavier
5 and this red faced, red bearded man
with meaningless light eyes. Who
could he be? Who: And then in ,
moment she knew.
+ "IIarry.'
"My gracious! What elegan
: quarters. Belle, you are a peach'"
u a twang that might have been Gu
;, with a knife!
Il Miss Eastwick was speechless
She glanced from the uncompro
" missing figure on the hearth rug t,
the water color on the wall, an,
u only a sickening dread that he ha,
II come to claim her promise kept he
, from bursting into uncontrolled
: laughter at the SCATTERING of he
. idol.
~ I've times and times seen you
y name in the illustrated papers we'v
. had in Lima" he was saying, paint
g ing daughters and wives of million
. aires, duchesses and lords and eyel
a royal princess. Haven't the boy
stared when I've told them how yor
, and | were going to be marie,
when my shi p came in"
you spoke of me like that!
~ Miss Eastwick thought. "And
H. H. was for you that | sent away Paul
y And | thought it mattered what
u, u man looked like!'
u = "Iou're an elegant little woman
", enough" Mr. Lawton continue,
~ y condescendingly. Eliza, now, is
y different build of a woman. WoulC
~ make three of you!"
! Who could Eliza be?
y 'She was a bit jealous of you,
~ can say. I've often laid it on how
~ pretty and dainty you were to ril
her, but Id always bring her aroun,
by telling how, if I'd married YOU
we'd have been sitting on spindl
legged chairs reading In Memoriam
II or some such twaddle, and Eliza'C
- feel mighty pleased with herself"
~ A great content had come upol
III Miss Eastwick.
d eliza is your wife. Is she no