Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-10

In awestricken silence, but with a
feyerish eagerness and dread, they
searched the grim place from room to
Jack led the way to the garden, fol-
lowed by the trembling old woman ut
termg inarticulate cries of terror.
Jack stepped before the heap of
leaves and stopped down.
Get me a spade. some onet" he
said hoarsely.
Lord Ferndale brought one and they
stood round while Jack worked.
A suspense of a few minutes that
seemed ages, and then they beard his
voice, solemn as a knell:
L have found the answer; 1t is
here,"
Two years later the artistic world
was thrown into a state of excitement
by certain picture in the Academy
exhibition of that season.
1t was a landscape small one
but with two figures, lady and a
child. The lady was seated under all
apple-tree in most delightful orchard,
and the child was lying on it's back
vainly endeavoring to bite an apple at
least three times the size of its mouth
It was so fresh in treatment, so
delicately painted that the connois
seurs were unanimous in their APP
probations and praise, but the general
public who know little and care less
for compositions, were quite content
with being charmed by the exquisite
beauty Of the mother and the delights
fully hfelike youngster. 1t was the
picture of the year, and it was found
necessary to place before it the pro-
tecting rail and policeman which only
appear before the great event Of the
exhibition. Critics praised it, Tho
papers rhapsodized it, the public
crowded to see it, and for some days
after that on which the exhibition
opened everybody was asking who
and what the painter was, for the
name in the catalogue was evidently
an assumed one, and told nothing.
ut UyoICty OhAy hVi0htCiiCd VIZ
public and artistic curiosity and in
terest, and at dinner parties and in
the pauses of the dance one heard
people saying to each other:
'Have you seen the mother and
child in the apple orchard? Splendid,
isn't it? Wonder who on earth the
man is?"
The secret was very well kept-for
nearly a month At the end If that
time. however, the veil was lifted, for
a famous critic, who was sharper than
his fellow, happened to visit the gal
lery one afternoon, and found the
popular Countess of Arrowdale stand
ing before it.
AS he looked first at the picture and
then at her she happened to smile.
Now, the mother was not portrait of
Norah but Cyril had perhaps uncon-
sciously bestowed upon the painted
face a reflection, a hint of the smile
which was one of the charms with
which Norah worked her spells, and
the critic OWNED the truth.
Lady Arrowdale," he said, grow
ing red with the excitement of his
discovery, your husband painted that
picture"
"Oh. please dom tell. 1t IVES to be
a secret. and-and we have kept it so
we'll"
Eyes. you have returned the critic
who. of course, meant to rush off as
soon as he could and proclaim his Inn
portapt find. YES, indeed you have.
I know Lord Arrowdale's pictures
pretty well, I think, but, though they
are good. as I've said very often, they
are nothing compared with this. 1t is
such a sudden jump. How do you
account for it, Lady Arrowdale?"
Norah smiled, and looked at the pic
ture in silence, but some one spoke
for her.
Permit me. Lady Arrowdale," said
Jack, who had stepped up and heard
the little speech. This picture is so
far and away the best of my friend,
Lord Arrowdale, because ne mixed Ills
colors with the oil OF happiness, drew