The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-08-31
CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER X.
Aloysius Brangwyn, all unconscious
of the net which was being drawn
about him, spent his days chiefly in
the retirement of the riverside villa
he had taken over from Truscott. He
was rarely seen abroad, and did not
often walk for exercise till after night
fall. He made no acquaintances and
paid no calls, and mainly occupied
himself In small room which he had
converted into a studio. where he
painted, modelled, wrote or read, as
the fancy took him. Some half-dozen
of the village children knew their way
to this small room, and sat to him as
models. He was generous paymas-
ter, and very patient, gentle, and un-
exacting with his sitters, but he was
curiously taciturn, and they were a
good deal in awe Of him at first But
since It was his plan to have two or
three OF them together and to set
them to play until he could sketch
them in some unconscious group or
happy individual pose. their fear Of
him gradually wore away, and passers-
by would sometimes hear peals Of
childish laughter issuing from his
workroom.
He was swift and dextrous work
man, but he seemed to have no heart
to finish anything to which he set his
hand. The shelves which he had had
fitted to the wall were Uttered with
dozens of sketches in wax or clay,
most of them extremely minute, but
scarcely one had been carried to any
thing like completion. Sometimes he
would sit for an hour quite motionless.
save when he flicked the ash from the
end OF his cigar, looking at the romp-
ing children who had grown unmind-
full of his presence. Then some at
titude would strike him and he would
draw his materials toward him and
work in sort OF silent fury until he
had roughed out his idea. Then the
children always were silent for time
and watched his broad-tipped, supple
fingers as he built the figure into life,
and they seemed to find in his work
an unfailing source of interest and
~
over he would fall into an oblivion of
their presence until knock at the
door heralded the arrival of the maid
who attended to his wants, with news
that the midday meal awaited him.
That was a signal for his sitters to
dispense, and for days together, ex-
cept to smoke or eat or drink, he did
not open his lips.
He had lived this strange life for a
month or more when an accident took
him back to the world again. Two of
his young models were brother and
sister, and on a certain morning they
presented themselves with traces of
tears upon their cheeks. He took no
note at first, but sat in one of his alb
stracted fits until the sound of a
smOthered sob reached his ear. He
shrank as IL 1t hurt him, and looking at
the children he saw that both of them
were crying.
Come to me-" he said, in that soft,
musical. rarely-heard voice OF his.
what Is the matter. dears?"
At this note of sympathy both boy
and girl broke into open weeping, and
for awhile neither could explain the
cause Of his grief He took them
both between his knees, and laid a
consoling arm about them. At last
one Of them sobbed out the news that
dadda had broken his leg since their
last visit, and mother was crying at
home because they were all going to
the workhouse. The children OF the
poor have precocious acquaintance
with the Ills Of poverty, and those
mites knew the errand OF the surly
stranger who was sitting by the
hearth at home. The whole story
came out. Mother and father had both
been III and the rent had fallen in
arrear, and father had been out OF
work Tor some weeks before his acci-
dent And II you please, sir" said
the girl. who was the elder of the two,
1--WE haven't had any money for fort
nit but what you've given lis for COM
Ing to play here"
dear me-" said Aloysius, In pity
Ing tone. "Take me home, you poor
little things. and let me see II can
help you.
Such Of the villagers as were abroad
saw sthe hermit" as they had begun
to call him. With a childish hand In
either Of his own making his way to
the scene ok distress. He walked
Rapidly, and the children trotted at his
side.
AThis = our house. sir." said the