The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-27

tesy.
Perhaps the young man lives too
much alone" she said. Martha, tell
James to harness the pony to the dog
cart"
When the invalid made q decision
she acted upon It. In little over an
hour she had driven up to the manor
house, and at the gate found herself
confronted by a young man with wild
eyes and tousled hair-and yet unmis'
takably gentleman.
"Mr. Gurney1" she asked Il an
Mrs. Epping." And seeing that he
made no move to ask her in. she
added tactfully:
II have heard about your paintings
and thought / would ask you to lei
me see them. We are so much alone
here, my daughter and l, and It Is Z
real pleasure to meet any one out
side the village society"
In half an hour she had completely
won his heart. She departed. carry
ing his promise to pay her call al
no distant date. But when Quincy
was alone again the sense Of the dead
woman came overpoweringly upon
him. He loved her, wildly. passion
ately, this Epping lady who had been
laid to rest SO long before his birth
No human society could atone for the
loss Of her. He spent the night be
fore her picture.
His work was now completely for
gotten. The fixed idea had become
the center Of his life: he knew that
life was worthless without that love
that could never be his.
In the morning old Mn. Smith
found him lying In Z delirium in the
hail.
brain fever" pronounced the doc
tor. 1.-THE cause! Well. I should say
overwork, combined with solitude. per
haps. It 10 not right for man ID
live alone. especially . gifted younl
man whose proper p,ace is in tho
world OF men,"
Il shall never forgive myself
never" said M1. Epping. James
harness the pony to the dos-cart."
This time she had come to stay. a
two well.nlled trunks that accompa
MED her attested. She and Sylvia
took up their residence at the Manor
and for two weeks they assiduously
nursed Quincy through the crisis Of
his malady.
when he wakes said the doctor
he will be in his right mind again.
Now whether Mrs. Epping had
shrewdly guessed the source Of the
disjointed mutterings, which escaped
the artists lips during his delirium
and made her plans accordingly OF
whether it was kindly chance, nobody
can say, but when Quincy opened his
eyes again to reason he saw bending
over him the face Of the woman in
the portrait. But 1t was the living
face Of a young and charming girl
and blushing red under the young
mans earnest scrutiny.
WELL" said Mrs. Epping, entering
the room, you two are looking at
each. other as though you had never
seen a person Of the opposite sex be-
fore. Mr.. Quincy, this is my daugh'
ter, Sylvia, whose portrait you may
have seen in the hall, in fancy dress,
representing q lady of the last cen
tury."
Quincy lay back on his pillows. ut
terly content. 1t was a miracle, the
doctor said, which brought him back
to health so swiftly. But Sylvia knew
differently.
"You gave me back my life." he
said softly, as they left the parish
church together. man and wife. three
months later. land l am going to de-
vote my life to you"
It Is Sylvia's face which forms the
central panel Of Gurney's great paint
ing in the Museum of Edinburgh
his masterpiece.
Copyright. 1918. by W. g. Chapman.)