Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-03-24

I dHUI
your type suits the subject matter betteri
than any other 1 have yet discoveredf
Very truly, VERA SHELDON. 4
Studio No. G. a Blank street.
1t is needless perhaps to say that <
McAllister accepted his singular in>I
vitation. staying over in order to CALL
the next afternoon. He had always
been u haunter of studios and had
many a friend among the artists.
This, to be sure, was an EXCEPTIONAL
case, being woman, but then She
was "only u little, white headed old
lady" he remarked complacently to
himself, "old enough probably to be
my mother"
So he sauntered on up Blank street.
looking for her number. When be
found 1t he entered.
The door he looked for stood open.
and he paused for half a breath
before knocking Through the rope
hangings Of small anteroom the large
Inner studio looked like picture in a
frame-draperies and rugs from the ORR
ent, luxurious pillowed divan and win
dow seat, a cozy 3 o'clock tea table,
statuettes and graceful bric-a-brac and
pictures, pictures everywhere. Near
the great north bay window she stood
at her easel, her back toward the door,
Simply gowned in black, her figure.
looked young in spite of its regal
crown of lovely white hair, which the
western sun touched softly with O
peculiar halo-like radiance. n singu-
lar little pain cutched at his heart.
She turned, and "Mercifu heaven, it
is Sadie.' he cried, springing toward
her
She met him with hands out
stretched placing them in his then he
would have caught her up to him i'm
pulsively had not an undefuable
something forbade him.
sadie! My wife, my wifer' he
cried, crushing her hands between his
mo, not that, Sheldon, any more,
butt wanted to see you once more
forgive the subterfuge-and-I had to
keep one of your names; Vera is my
middle name. 1t Is the name, Mrs.
Vera Sheldon, that l have gone by
ever since came here three years ago
to try to forget-that which is unfor-
gettable."
He stood there, looking at her In q
bewildered way. What had hap
pened? In one lightning flash he saw
1t all. What fool he had been-what
fool! There was no other woman like
her, and he loved her-yes, he loved
her; he knew now that he had loved
so impulsive so blind, so unrelenting.
He poured it all out to her-passionate-
ly, penitently, yearningly-all the pent>
up emotion of those five long, long
years. And she-she listened, very
gravely for a time; then she reached
up and laid her hands against his
broad shoulders and smiled
He caught her to his heart with n
long, low cry:
"Oh. Oh, can l ever forgive mysefF
And you-oh, of course, you will not
you cannot!'
You might at least ask and not
take every thing for granted"' she
| poutod, L. ing TO turn away from him.,
ever so slightly.
"And Laddie," he asked, few mo-
ments later, Our little Laddie, where
is he? Surely he
"Laddie is Mt school, but viii be
home presently. He is quite big
boy now, dear" And she smiled Up
| at him again. How very dark her
| eyes looked beneath her wonderful
hair, far more beautiful, hair and eyes
both, than ever before, though at what
grievous cost he shuddered to think.
Somehow as he looked at her he was
reminded of great purpleblack pansles
caught under an untimely snowdrift.
He touched the fluffy whiteness rever-
emily, almost fearfully, as if it might
chill his fingers. He could not speak
some way, but his eyes did it for him.
Yes" she said gravely, looking
down, sorrow has made an Old wo-
T man of me- l am sorry
Hush, sweet! 1t is not for you to
apologize"
After a little he espied over by an-
other window Il second easel, quite
small, upon which stood a very credit,
able ske,ca &. u handsome Scotch col-
lie dog. li's-...ss over, lie scrutinized
1t approvinsiv.
What have You herc-the work Of
some puph!'
"Yes," she answered proudly; that
is the work ot my fayorite pupil
Laddiew
Indeed" he exclaimed with Gu
thusiasm. "Wh t-our little Ladder
Why, the dear little fellow couldn't
have done anything that would have
pleased me more"
When Laddie came in from school
an hour later he found mamma. with
such happy look In her dark eyes,
pouring tea at the tiny table, and
yes, his papa standing by her with
his hand on her glorious white hair
and looking just as if he did not know
whether to cry or be happy or both
at once.
"The half hours sitting" was.
strange TO say, forgotten. but Sheldon
McAllister proved his "leniency to-
ward the eCCentricities of white
haired woman" by insisting on a flying
visit to the county clerks Office. and
when he came back he brought q
minister with him.
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0nAHETH1ME WrW I