Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-02-26

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into a corner of the cab with his eyes
dull and lifeless, but his lips still NOV
ing.
"What-what did he say" he asked,
TREMENDOUSLY, his face working.
Tit does not matter what he said,
dear" she said, soothingly.
do not think of it. Try to forget
it. Lean against me, my dear"
But he put her from hin-not with
his old impatient irritability, but with
a gentleness that was quite new with
him, and lying back in the cab, stared
at the floor, his lips moving, and
Leslie could hear him still repeating
the wOrds-the words they had heard
! from Mr.. Arnheim.
! 1t seemed an age before the cab
| reached Torrington Square, and when
it did so, the man Leslie helped out
was an older man by twenty years
than he who had left it that morning.
She helped him up to his room and
tried to cheer and comfort him, but
for the first time in her life her loving
iattery proved of no avail.
He listened with vacant eyes and
wan, helpless face, and at last he sud
denly flung his hands before his eyes
and uttered low cry of despair and
awakening.
God help mel" he cried. ''I am
a fraud, and lie! see it all now
fraud and a lie! The man was
right! l can not paint" He caught
up a canvas that lay against the wall
and gazed at it. ''It is hideous daub,
as he said. 1t is the work of a mad
man! have been mad! Oh, God! if
could have remained SO"
MY dear-my dear!" she MUIR
INJURED, kneeling beside him and gen
tly drawing the picture from his weak,
trembling hands. Don't think Of
what he said"
Not think of it, he cried, shaking
with emotion Il must think of it, for
| he spoke the truth l have been
mad-mad! But my eyes are open
now! Take them away from mel"
He motioned to the pictures. Take
them away! l can not bear the sight
of them! And-and yet have been so
happy-so hopeful" and he hid his
face with his hands.
Leslie watched beside him, till he
fell into deep, deathlike sleep. Then
she stole downstairs and sent for a
doctor. A young man from one of
the neighboring squares came, and
though he was young he was not
| foolish A glance at the sleeping
man told him the sad truth.
Have yOu-has your father any re
lations-any friends who-whom he
would like to see?" he asked, gently.
Leslie, kneeling beside the bed,
looked up at him with sharp and sud-
den dread in her eyes.
DO you-do you mean? On,
what is it you mean?" she moaned.
THE truth is always best-always.
Your father has suffered a severe
shock The heart" He stopped.
For his sake, try and be calm, my
dear young LADY,
Leslie knelt beside him all %lrough
the night, and all through the long
hours her conscience whispered accu-
singly, 'It is you-you-who have
have done this! But for you, he
would have gone on dreaming and liv-
ing; but for yOu-and Yorke.'
Toward dawn Francis Lisle awoke.
The doctor was standing beside the
bed. Leslie on her knees. He raised
his wan, waste face from the pillow,
and seemed to be looking for some
thing; then his eyes rested on her
anguished ones, and he knew her
and forced a smile.
Isis that you, Leslie?' he said, in
so low voice that she had to lay her
face against his to hear him. rs that
you? 1 have had a singular dream
most singular"
"What-what was it, dear?' she
said, at last.
Il dreamed that my picture had
been refused by the Academy. Absurd,
wasn't it? Fancy them refusing one
of my pictures! Mine-F'rancis
Isles! Ridiculous as It is, lit
upset me. Il must be out of sorts.
There is only one thing tor that kind
of complaint-work. Get-get fresh
canvas stretched for me. Leslie, and
I will commence a new picture. Let
me see! What did we get for the
last? Three thousand pounds, wasn't
it?"
Yes, yes, dear!" she murmured.
"a large sum-a large sum, but not
half what we shall get. Fame-fame
and fortune at last, Leslie! / always
told you it would come"
He put out his wasted hand and
smoothed her hair lovingly, and, alas
patronizingly. always knew 1t
would come, Leslie. Art is long, and
land life is brief. must work hard
now. Fame and success have brought
me the victor's laurels. How dark it
iis''-the sunlight was streaming
through the window-"how dark. Too
dark TO commence today, but tomor-