The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-01-05

IL De nice
Mr.. King declared that he would give
half his fortune. II not the whole OF IL
for such picture.
would you kindly move aside a lit
tie. sir" said a voice behind them.
Turning, the banker saw young
man looking at him through Raphae.
eyes, who had come In with an ease!
and canvas and had planted the one
with the other on II before the lie Brun
portrait. The artist was Wlaston ano
on his easel was his finished copy Of
the portrait. He had been watching
for The father and daughter and soop
after their appearance had set up hi
easel and pretended to be putting fin
ishing touches on the canvas. Mr.
King turned and saw a duplicate Of
the lie Brun portrait. the copy having
the same living attributes as the orig
inal Indeed, II would have been I'M
possible for him to tell the original
from the copy.
Within half an hour the artist was
commissioned to paint the picture
upon which the widOwer had set his
heart One thing puzzled Mr.. King
the artist would not set a price on bis
work. declaring that the purchaser
might not be satisfied with It, But as
the banker could stand a pretty stiif
charge this did not trouble him. Be
sides. from the moment he saw the
specimen Of the artists work no
amount OF money would stand in the
way Of having the portrait executed
by one possessing such powers.
While this bargaining was going on
the girl who had brought It about was
looking NJ other pictures with APP
parent indifference. When her father
announced that Winston was TO paint
a portrait Of her mother she found 1t
difficult to restrain her excitement.
Her father had walked into the trap.
Would the lovers be able TO spring the
lde
The artist was invited TO call at the
Kings apartments that afternoon,
where the material for the portrait
was shown him.
Il see" he said TO Mr.. King. "a re-
markable likeness between your
daughter and her mother. That life
wLi.h Is IN the lie Brun portrait can
not be obtained from these photo
graphs. But it Is fortunate that Miss
King IS the Image Of her mother, for,
willie shall get the features from
these pictures, | shall endeavor to
draw the vital spark from your daugh-
ter"
And so the preliminary features Of
this conspiracy were established. The
artist was to have the girl he loved
sit for her mothers portrait For
hours during successive days he would
be permitted TO gaze on her beloved
features. This was but a temporary
pleasure. Winston intended 10 make
the effort Of his life to lnstlll the face
Of n living girl into the painted fea-
lures Of one who was dead
Every day Miss King visited the
studio Of the artist. accompanied either
by her father or her aunt Usually
her father was her chaperOn, for he
was watching the face and figure OF
his wife slowly grow upon the canvas
When Miss King was not present
Winston worked upon details he found
In the material furnished him, but as
soon as Lima appeared with the love
light in her eye he began to transfer II
To the canvas He did not need to
call II forth by his own lovers glances.
Two love stories were being intertwin-
ed. The picture growing up on the
canvas was rather a creature OF the
past than Of the recent present II
was rather the girl that had loved and
been loved n quarter Of century ago
than the mother Of a grown daughter
Yet so skillfully did the artist blend
the two that he produced both.
When the portrait was finished, TO
the bereaved husband 1t was priceless.
He drew his check for sum so large
that he believed the artist would be
surprised. To his own establishment II
was returned with a message stating
that the portrait could not be bought
with money.
Now came the most delicate part Of
this lovers plot Would all be lost in
passing from what had been accom-
pllshed to the ultimate object? The
artist left all TO the girl Her father
showed her Winston's note and asked
her what II meant She was prepared
for what was to come and responded;
HE wants me. papa"
Your
Yes And. what IS more, / want
him"
The banker looked at his daughter
with a greater surprise than ever.
MAY l ask" be said. "how long this
affair has been going onT''
Since soon after my coming to Flor
ence."
The matter could not be settled in a
The banker held 1t In abey-
ance, desiring to discover how far his
iaughter's life happiness was con-
served, and he loved her too well to
wreck It.
Two forces prevailed-the husbands
iesire to have his wife always with
him as Winston had depicted her and
he fact that Lina's heart was irrevo'
ably given. Besides, the portrait, hay'
ng been hung for q time IN a private
gave evidence that II seen by
the world It would make the artist
who executed It famous.