Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-09-05

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and, looking UP mechanically when the
CLEAN caught his eye, Adrian saw Jas.
per Farrell.
"Oh, there you are! Jasper cried
rather boisterously. what! Worship
ing ut the shrine, eh? Let me have
look" And he stationed himself be-
hind Adrian.
"Well, she's beauty and no mis-
| take / congratulate you, old man.
Don't you feel grateful to me? You
could never have done that If hadn't
found YOU such peerless model"
"Havc you come to explain? Has
she told you?" Adrian asked. speaking
for the nrst time. There has been
some vi!!ainy ut work. Make haste
and explain if you don't want me to
choke ii out of YOU" His voice was
scarcely raised above a whisper, but
his hands were twitching, ana Jasper
moved a little farther off.
what do you mean? / don't under
stand you. | give myself some trouble
to help you OFT Of difficulty and in re-
turn you abuse me. l think it Is for
me to demand an explanation"
"T am waiting" Adrian said hoarsely.
II shouldn't advise you to play with
me too long. I asked Miss Kerr to be
my wife, and she turned from me In
horror and Hsmay-not because she
does not love me; Of that I am sure.
She asked me to forgive her, but she
would say no more. She said you
would explain. Now do So"
"Her conscience is too tender" Jas
per said, with sneer, but he did not
seem quite at his ease. II suppose she
was worrying over little deception
q harmless little joke-we practiced on
you, all for your own good"
He waited a moment; his lips were
uncomfortably dry.
"You want the little mystery cleared
up-thc little mystery that has been
of such benefit to you, which has pro-
duced this beautiful picture-far the
best thing you have ever done, by the
way. II / were not such generous
man l should he inclined to be jealous.
Very we'll, by all means. Miss Ber
nice Kerr fills quite distinguished
role at night, almost as distinguished
as the one she filled with you by day,
and far more famous. To be brief,
she is living picture ut the Palace
theater. Her 'Ariadne' has been much
admired, also the 'Will-o' -the-Wisp.'
Her strange beauty and admirable
figure make her eminently suited for
this form Of entertainment"
Adrian gave a stitled cry; it was as
though knife had been plunged In
his heart. His st. Margaret poised
aloft in the eyes of the multitude; her
grace and loveliness at the mercy OF
their brutal gaze-of their coarse lips!
For the one that would see merely q
beautiful picture and admire it as that
there We're hundred who would see
the woman behind 1t. He shivered as
he thought Of it. He looked upon his
art us a sacred thing. He would have
raised her high above the crowd, he
would never have cheapened her In
any way, however much it might have
been to his advantage-and now he
had done this thing! He had given to
his st. Margaret the form and face
Of woman who made public show
of her beauty night after night.
"You seem distressed. l was afraid
you would be; your ideas are so ultra
refined" Jasper continued in a more
confident tone. "This Is why l asked
Miss Kerr to conceal her identity; II
you had known who she was you
would not have had her, and as she
was so eminently suitable, that SEEM
ed pity. knew there was no danger
of your recognizing her, as you never
patronize music halls. She was very
hard up some time ago, giving few
lessons at starvation prices, and per-
suaded her to 60 in for the tableaux
vivants, which are much better paid
and not nearly such hard work. She
didn't like it at first, but her mother