Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-27

same. At times he would look at the
portrait and try 10 realize the change
that must have come over her as well
as himself. But 1t was impossible.
Until he could see the changed orig
inal the same young, smiling face was
the face Of the woman he loved.
His father died when Renwick was
thirty. He WAS now independent. But,
though the blood in his veins was still
that of young man. 1t was not the
blood of a grown boy. He still yearned
Cor the love OF his youth, but he did
not know what that love now was.
whether the woman in her growth had
kept the same pace as himself either
in respect TO physical or mental beau
ty or whether he should find her in
a sphere with which he would have
grown away from. He had made an
agreement with his father that he
would not communicate with her. and
except for the past she was a blank
to him. Nevertheless, that past-as 1t
was-was as real as 1t had ever been.
Meanwhile he had passed the point
where he was ready to take for he
partner a Partisan artists model with
out thoroughly realizing the objections
OF such a step. At his fathers death,
instead of Fastening across an ocean
with a view to doing that which a
decade before he would have done had
II seemed possible, he delayed. He
dreaded to see a woman who had
grown out OF her youthful beauty. He
feared that she had grown fat or that
she was skinny. Possibly those brows
that at nineteen were like the arched
stroke of pencil might have grown
thick and bushy. Then, too. would
not her associates shock him? And,
lastly, might she not have grown
coarse1
He delayed going to seek his love for
nearly a year after his fathers death
and his coming into possession Of a
fortune in his own right Then, after
making an attempt to forget her, he
suddenly came to q resolution to go to
Paris, find her If she still lived and
learn what effect she would have upon
him.
On the steamer going over he met
a young lady of his own class, Miss
Marion Rutlidge. Most OF the girls
whom he had been on intimate terms
with had shown so great a desire to
catch him that they had repealed him
Miss Rutlidge showed herself above
this Indeed, she did not show him
any preference over other men about
her. When the voyage ended Rem
wick felt a twinge at parting He did
not quite understand it, but 1t did not
deter him from doing what he had
gone abroad to do.
He found Paris much changed.
| He made inquiries OF Estelle and aft
er some difficulty learned that she was
still living and that she had not mar
| ried He discovered an artist who
knew her and who told him that some
ten years before Estelle had met an
/ American to whom she had given her
heart and that she had been faithful
to that first love. She still retained a
! shapelineSs about her bust that en-
! abled her TO earn an occasional fee for
sitting as model. but nothing like
the amounts she received formerly.
| Renwick. no longer moved by the i'm.
! pulses ef boyhood. determined to get
| a view of her without being seen him
self He dare not call upon her I'M
/ disguised, realizing that she would be
! likely to recognize him, so he donned
a Frenchy costume and put on a full
beard Climbing to the rooms where
she lived with her mother, an old wo-
man, he knocked at the door.
Estelle opened it.
The vision Of decade crumbled like
a body that has remained shut up for
a century on being exposed to the air.
| Mademoiselle was not ugly, she was
! not old, but she had become a common
place woman OF thirty. Her surround
! lngs and her clothing We're dingy, and
instead of the happy smile OF a decade
before she looked wan and tired and
disappointed.
can you tell me-" Renwick asked.
III Nine. Brisson lives in this build
ing"
At the sound of his voice the wo-
man started, looked into his eyes for
a moment, then. lowering her own,
said:
Il do not think such a person lives
here. At any rate, have never heard
of her"
Thank you am sorry to have
troubled you"
Renwick went away, aud the door
closed softly behind him.
This was a meeting he had longed
for during ten years. He had seen his
love; she had recognized him. but upon
setAag his disappointment had 80 con
trolled herself as TO deceive him into
thinking she had not done so.
Renwick left Paris the same even
ing for London, where he knew he
would find Miss Rutlidge. and before
his return 20 America became engaged
10 her. He sailed for America before
her, and on going TO his room. where
hung Estelle's portrait. he stood gazing
at IL. The girlish smile. the dImples.
the laughing eyes. were still there. but
since his departure something else had
come upon It that had never been
there before
There was look Of sad reDroach.