The Marshall republican., 1908-03-06
rs w EET
SIXTEEN"
BY ANNA HE1LnAN

by Daily Story Pub. Coz

sweet face it is, 90 girlish, SO un-
touched by the sorrows and pas
sions Of lifel The look of pleased
admiration in the violet eyes gives
I him an odd sensation of pleasure.
He is glad that his work pleases
her.
"She is Just what I have been
searching for" he muses.. "The old
er woman's face looks strangely IA
nailiar--where have | seen her?"
"Oh, auntie," the girl is saying
to her companion, isn't this a love-
fly pictureY | like it better than any
] have seen here"
Y Mrs. Wilson starts slightly as she
looks at the canvas; then she rom
suits her catalogue. "'On the lro-
quois--John Weston | thought
there wal a familiar look about it,"
she said. "The iroquois river runs
through your grandfather's farm,
May. John Weston's father owned
the adjoining farm. You must
have heard your mother speak Of
him often. Yes, he's a famous ar
fist now. / noticed him just a few
minutes ago. | will introduce you
il you wish it,"
"Mother," begins May Avery, as
o as she reaches home that af-
ternoon, 81 saw such a beautiful pic
ture at the exhibition. ON the Iro-
quois,' your Iroquois, it is. John
Weston, the great artist, painted il.
Aunt Emma said you were great
friends, e so many years ago.
She introduced us, and he is coming
TO see you this evening, and, oh.
mother, he wants to paint me. j
have promised to pose for Sweet
Sixteen il you do not object"
Long after her daughter is
asleep that night, Mrs. Avery sits
before the open fire, her thoughts
busy with the past. In the leaping
flames she sees mirrored all the
years since she and John Weston
wandered together along the banks
Of the lroquois. She seems TO feel
again upon her lips the kisses Of her
young lover; never can she forget
the ecstasy Of hat unforgotten day.
But the picture fades from the
fire, and another replaces it. Her
marriage day, but the bridegroom ID
not the young lover, but a gray
haired, s~tern-looking a Her
beautiful face had caught his fancy
and she had sold herself for his
gold. From the picture Of her
stormy married life she turns shud.
deringly away. With the coming OF
her child something like peace had
crept into her heart. Financial re-
verses followed; then Mr.. Avery
died and she was once more free
OF her young lover she had heard
: nothing. She knew that he had left
the old farm and had gone abroad
to study art. Now, after all thes'
years, they met again. The farmer'i
son had become a well known artist
A gray-haired, worn faced man, re
placed the loversof her youth.
Time had not been kind to Rosl
Avery. Ten years. experience will
a brutal husband and ten subse
quent years buffeting with the worlt
had robbed her face of its fiower-lik'
beauty, her form Of its willow
grace. The wavy brown hair had
become 30 sprinkled with gray as b
make II a neutral tint; her eyes M
longer rivaled the early violsts
They we're now a subdued blue, lin
a violet washed by many rains.
How swiftly the days and weshl
glide by after that night. Westos
is a frequent visitor at the home o.
Mrs. Avery. During these week
he had lived as in a dresm-i
seemed that while he spoke aAd
1 moved in the ordinary way Of life
4 he really had his being in the pei
The blood of 26--hot, eager, am
reckless-was coursing through th
veins Of 40; the desire Of 26 to wo'
and win the woman he loved, tool
possession of 40.
"Sweet Sixteen" brings more fam
to the already famous artist; ID
little model is overwhelmed viii
congratulations and complainant
As summer approaches Nm
Avery has q fancy to visit The a