Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08


Mabel was so disagreeabe, but she soon absorbed
in her own thoughts. Meanwhile, Mabel had quite made
her plans. The agent who was to tetch the picture
would not send his to the Moores farm until be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock the following day
Mabel knew everything She at six 1t was broad
daylight Carrying her paint-box palette and brushes,
she ran downstairs She let herself out OF Rosyn lowers
by side entrance. No saw her go.
The Moores were quite careless people They had an
old dog half blind half deaf. Even if he did growl at
Mabes approach she had already made friends with old
Rover and bone which she had slipped into her pocket
would draw his attention from / or. She knew the old
studio which was away from the house She knew also
that the hasp of of the windows was broken. She
raised the window lightly, and entered. Having done So
her first action the and lock the door
The great picture stood in its against the wall
1t screwed up securely. But Mabel had turn
with the aid of which in five minutes time she
had removed the front of the packing case The picture
exposed to the full view. She stood step or
two away looking at it.
1t represented girl in summer dress. She was
standing in garden. Her whole graceful young hgure
was seen In her hand she held a large marguerite
daisy which she pulling to pieces Scattered petals
of the flower cung her pale blue dress and lay round
her feet The psychological moment had arrived She
was looking up Delight filling her eyes. The
words seemed almost to fall from her lips, He loves
me-" The last petal of the marguerite lucky one
and the whole happiness of the girls young heart was
revealed in her radiant face.
Studley had called the picture "He Loves Me-. The
name address and full particulars were all written on
the back and also on label which hung the front
of the picture Mabel had this picture before, but
since its completion. She stood back in dismay
There was doubt it would be accepted. There was
shadow of doubt that it would be popular 1t was
the sort picture that would be bought and then would
be reproduced in hundreds and thousands OF prints 1t
delightful with its amc 7phere of youth and love
and spring. and beauty AS portrait of Betty it was
ideal 1t represented the girl at her best Nothing
could be charming than the expression in those
young eyes, and the haf-open lips which seemed to
form the words "He loves me- were exquisite.
Mabel knew that she had not minute to lose. With
great dficulty-for the picture heavy one-she
M ped it from its On the back square of white
paper was pasted containing the of the picture,
the artists name and his full address She now, in
imitation of Studleys writing, added the word
not" The old name was, "He Lo0es Me- Mabel had
introduced another word, and "He LoVeS Me NOT was
the inscription the back of the picture
She slipped it back into its made the same al
eraton the front label, and then quickly, and with
considerable skill began 20 her brushes and paint
She made the smiling face full "f DESPAIR and the lips
indicative of anguish The picture still represented
young girl but it girl whose spring had de-
parted, whose brightness changed to DEPTHS OF
gloom. That which made the picture so ideal that
which would have insured its popularity altogether
removed 1t seemed now scarcely in touch with its
sprngke surroundings.
Mabel was just about to put the front of the case
back the picture when shadow passed the window
She looked I'M in momentary alarm but there was no
visible She completed her work put back the front
of the packing screwed it firmly into its place and
returned to Rosvn Towers little before breakfast
She had scarcely done so before came up to
the window noticed the broken hasp, flung up the win
dow sash and entered lie looked carefully all round
the room: he observed that the door locked He
took screwdver out of his pocket removed the front
of the from Studleys picture and gazed
it attentively. This Lugard He had
watched the growth of this picture and had loved it
for the sake of the girl represented Now curse
fell from his ins the whole expression of the face
changed The picture representation of Stud
lev's original work, destroyed; and yet He
smiled grimy to himself.
"She has done it, thinking to win" thought Lugard
"Let her work go won't interfere He loves me not
is greater and more pathetic picture than He loves
me- Miss Knross has defeated her ends