The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-12-30

Stntuette II 1t were only perfect. -
a perfect one would cost me 200 fras
and I have but 20 for the purpose"
But as n Photographic plate long ex-
posed will produce an image the IN
aided eye cannot see. so looking upon
the %statuette produced q determine
tion to follow the senora's suggestion.
At last lie told her to join the parts
and send the %statuette. Then he went
out, and. his better judgment rcassert-
ing itself, he returned and counter
manded the order. But the sight OF
the exquisite figure Of the child stand
ing where he had left 1t was too much
for him, and he told the shopkeeper to
do as he had said. She was to send
the marble OH Christmas morning and
would have a fortnight In which to do
the work.
Meanwhile Seymour painted and
dreamed Of the pleasure he would de-
rive from q visit on Christmas MORN
ing to Beatrice. The %statuette was 10
be there the day before. He would
call Mt II. He remembered how
much more attractive and beautiful
things appear when een by them
selves alone and pictured the dear
child as he would see her on a mantel
or a table. Beatrice looking at her IN
admiration. But his dreams were In
terrupted by painful f~orebodings. Sup
posing the rcstorer failed to perfectly
conceal the lines where the parts
Joined. Surprising In transmission the
parts should become detached. The
bare supposition of either of these
caused the hot blood to mount to his
cheek. his heart to beat. and he would
get up from before his easel and pace
the floor.
And at such times a great mis-
trust of his judgment would come to
him, and he would wonder If he was
not about to do something dreadful.
There was not a dishonest hair In his
head. He had gone over the matter
carefully, and his conscience was
clear. The statuettc was a thing or
beauty; that beauty would not be
married if the pieces were perfectly
Joined together SO that no n could
tell the marble from a perfect one.
DGiitIlCc WIS IhS hlAh Al Abio SSpS~
Her reverence for works of art was In
their actual beauty irrespective Of any
other value.
1t seemed a long period Of waiting,
made up of flashes Of anticipated
pleasure and dread lest his wish to
give happiness to n he loved should
be turned to a bitter fesult-a result
that might cost him his Beatrice. He
knew that II the secret came out.
could she know the feelings that
prompted the deception she would for
give him. but would not the bare fact
alone that he had sought to impose on
her be evident?
Christmas morning was rung In by
bells on cathedrals that had an
nounced the anniversary of the birth
Of Jesus for hundreds of years. 1t
was a bright morning. and the tenn
per of the people was in keeping with
the sunshine. Seymour could scarce
" wait for the time he had deter
mined that lie would visit Beatrice.
Indeed, he did not wait. for half an
hour before the clock struck II he
appeared before her home. She opened
the door for him herself, throwing her
arms about him and cxclaiming:
ooh. Winslow-it is beautiful"
II knew you would like it."
Like it! love it, and ! love you
for sending it TO me. You have tried
in the loneliness of your nature to give
me happiness. and you have succeeded
far better than you could have ex-
pected. And think how it will be a
pleasure to me long after this Christ
mas and other Christmases have pass
ed away!"
She led him into her boudoir and
there on a pedestal from which She
had removed Il bust stood the statu-
cite. 1t was certainly very beautiful.
Seymour went close to it and looked
for the lines where the parts had been
Joined. Not the finest hair mark could
he detect.
Then his simple heart was full Of
happiness. But happier than he was
the girl who had received his gift.
Before Seymour had visited her she
had gone to the church for confession.
And this was what she confessed:
"Father, l have been very wicked.
Satan has come into me and caused mo
to commit n great deception. ,Yester-
day a gift came from my lover. 1t
was a statuette and had been broken
in three parts. Each part was care
fully wrapped in soft paper and the
whole packed in excelsior. ! could not
/, understand 1t. had seer the statu-
cite in a shop. l went there and asked
the woman who kept the place for an
explanation. thought she would
swoon through modification. She adj
mitted that she had given my lover
the broken statuette, promising to
mend it. In the Christmas hurry her
man had pocked it and sent 1t to the
address written on its base without
consulting her.
"Father, l got from her the address
"a kEo -aA, sr,1r m Lfr vrSA1