The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-03

view Of critic. VIII you intrust you
picture with me until tomorrow
Stammering out his gratitude, Re,
ME withdrew. His last memory VI
Of the old mans kindly smile and tn
warm shake Of the hand. All tina
afternoon he trod upon air.
He hardly slept that night, and tn
next morning waited feverishly 70
/ .ue pus.nAa.. D.. E.Air had promises
to write him . note as soon as he hal
examined the picture. OF course th,
letter could not by any possibility a
rive till afternoon. but Rennie was II
that state Of citation when the impos
sible seems certainty.
He paced the streets after the post
man had gone. waiting for the mex
delivery. At the news stand he pickes
up his morning paper. On the from
page he read the news of st. Clair
death. The old man had had . strok.
Of apoplexy the evening before.
Rennie let the paper fall from hi,
hands and tears of modification
streamed down his face. His las,
hope gone! st. Clair dead. ON whom
all had depended!
II was three days before he recov
cred sufficiently to 60 for his picture
But, to his amazement. he was refused
admission. The butler referred him
to st. Glars lawyer, who listened to
bis story with q quiet smile.
You must realize, Mr.. Rennie, that
unless you can bring some proof that
the picture is yours have You
any proof? You did not sign 1t, you
say"
But it was not finished" cried Rem.
ME.
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders.
"All Mr.. st. Glars paintings are to be
Sold" he said. You will have to take
legal action In the matter. And,
frankly. young man. no Jury will be-
lieve you unless you have some evil
dence to bring forward. More than
that, you will run the risk of . prose-
cution for perjury"
Rennfe went out in daze. He saw
the truth Of the lawyers words. There
was nothing that he could do.
A week later the auction came. Crit
les were enthusiastic over the large
number of paintings that was to be
put on the market. But of them all
none excited greater enthusiasm than
the unfinished work to which the crit.
les gave the name The Wild Horses"
Rennie attended the auction. The
bidding quickly passed the average Of
five thousand dollars, at which the
other pictures had gone. A dealer
from the West offered seven thousand.
Finally, after q spirited competition
between him and Rennie's own dealer.
the picture fell to the latter for twelve
thousand.
And MacDrew had paid Rennie an
average Of fifteen dollars apiece.
Rennie went out of the auction room
and wrote = letter to one Of the m.
pers. The newspaper refused to print
1t. 1t had no doubt that Rennie was
An impostor. and. anyway, the editor
felt that such . case should be aired
In the law courts.
Rennie waited another day. Then
ne sat down and wrote long letter to
Muriel. 1t was the hopeless letter OF
man who has been bowled over by |
the buffets OF fate. He told her the |
facts Of his struggle. eliminating in |
the loss Of his painting, and released |
her from their engagement.
But before he had risen from tho
table there came = knock at the door.
Hennie opened It. to find an elderly
woman. attired in black, standing be-
fore him.
II am Mrs. st. Clair" she said. "Mr.
Rennie, a terrible injustice has been
done you. and 1t would have slipped
from my mind had not our lawyer told
me about your claim. He thought You
were An impostor. but AZ soon a he
told me remembered.
"Mr. Rennie, my husband was tho
best and justeet man in the world. On
The night he died-the stroke came
very suddenly, you know-he was try.
ng to speak to me. He was paralyzed
md he could only humble, but man.
ICED to make out what me was tryinx
% say. He said that picture In his
studio had been painted BY couldn't
latch the name, but 1t was yours-.nd
hat. In case he died, he didn't want
to be sold as his. especially since
'ou had left no address. and he had
yfven you no receipt for It.
L have written a letter to the news.
'apers. and meanwhile the money for
he painting must go to YOU"
Rennie did not know how he replied
lie remembered taking her hands In
lis and thanking her a thousand times.
md when she left 1t was with the un.
that Rennie was to con.
ider her his friend-always. she said
Hardly mad she gone before tie
'ostman brought a letter-from Mn.
lei this time. Opening 1t, Renn,e
cad that she loved him, he must
ever think otherwise, and she would
Walt dozen more years il necessary.
only | hope TO see you. dear. al
most as soon as YOU get this letter"
he said because my uncle has left
ne five hundred dollars, and | am
aking the morning train to New YORK.
nd want you to meet me at seven
o'clock in the evening at the station.
md, dearest, remember that five hun.
red dollars will go far. and what is
nine Is yours"
Rennie had never been SO happy as