Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-23

u ~ AOAN
lem had been settled for him. The
Gordian knot was cut.
Sally and his uncle alone had his
address. This letter, casting him out,
must have been authorized by them.
Brother Spicer acting merely as
amanuensis. They, too, had repudi-
ated him-and, If that were true, ex-
cept for the graves Of his parents. the
hills had no tie to hold him.
Sally Sally!" he groaned, dropping
his face on his crossed arms, while
his shoulders heaved in an agony OF
lheartbreak, and his words came In the
old, crude syllables: Il lowed you'd
believe in me If hell froze!" He rose
after that, and made fierce gesture
with his clenched fists. "All right"
he said, bitterly, Pm shet Of the lot
Of we. I'm done!"
| But it was easier to say the words
Of reputation than to cut the ties
that were knotted about his heart.
With a ranking soul, the mountain
eer left New York. He wrote Sally
brief note, telling her that he was go
ing to cross the ocean, but his hurt
pride forbade his pleading for her con-
fidence, or adding, Il love you" He
plunged into the art life Of the other
side of the Seine" and worked vora-
ciously. He was trying to learn
much-and forget much.
One sunny afternoon when Samson
had been in the Quarter Latin for
eight or nine months the concierge OF
his lodgings handed him, as he passed
through the court, an envelope ad-
dressed in the hand Of Adrienne Les
colt. AS he read it he felt a glow Of
pleasurable surprise, and, wheeling, he
retraced his steps briskly to his lodg-
ings, where he began to pack Adri-
enne had written that she and her
mother and Wilfred Horton were sail
ing for Naples, and commanded him,
unless he were too busy, to meet their
steamer. Within two hours he was
bound for Lucerene to cross the Italian
frontier by the slate-blue waters OF
Lake Maggiore.
A few weeks later Samson and Ad-
rienne were standing together by
moonlight in the ruins Of the Coli
semum. The junketing about Italy had
been charming, and now in that circle
Of sepia softness and broken columns
he looked at her and suddenly asked
himself:
Just what does she mean to you?"
II he had never asked himself that
question before he knew now that 1t
must some day be answered. Friend
ship had been q good and seemingly
sufficient definition. Now he was not
so sure that it could remain so.
Then his thoughts went back to a
cabin in the hills and girl in calico.
He heard a voice like the voice Of a
song bird saying through tears:
Il couldn't live without ye' Samson.
. -. I jest couldn't do hit!"
For q moment he was sick Of his life.
1t seemed that there stood before him,
in that place Of historic wraiths and
memories, a girl, her eyes sad, but
loyal, and without reproof.
You look" said Adr;enne, studying
his countenance in the pallor Of the
moonlight, las though you were see
ing ghosts"
II am" said Samson. Let's CO."
Adrienne had not yet seen her por-
trait. Samson had needed few hours
Of finishing when he left New York,
though it was work which could be
done away from the model. So it was
natural that when the party reached
Paris, Adrienne should soon insist on
crossing the Pont d'AleXandre iii, to
his studio near the "Boule Mich" for an
inspection of her commissioned canvas.
For a while she wandered about the
businesslike place, Uttered with the
gear Of the painters craft. 1t was, In
a way, a form Of mind-reading, for
Samsons brush was the tongue Of his
soul.
The girls eyes grew thoughtful as
she saw that he still drew the leering,
saturnine face of Jim Asberry. He
had not outgrown hate, then? But
she said nothing until he brought out
and set on an easel her own portrait
For a moment she gasped with sheer
delight for the colorful mastery Of the
technique, and she would have been
hard to please had she not been de-
lighted with the conception Of her
self mirrored in the canvas. 1t was
face through which the soul showed
and the soul was strong and flawless
The girls personality radiated from
the canvas-and yet A disappointed
little look crossed and clouded her
eyes. She was conscious Of an in
definable catch Of pain at her heart.
Samson stepped forward, and his
waiting eyes, too, were disappointed
You don't like it, Drennie?" he
anxiously questioned. But she smiled
in answer, and declared:
Il love it,"
He went out few minutes later tc
telephone for her to Mrs. Lescott, ano
gave Adrienne carte blanche to browse
among his portfolios and stacked can
vases until his return. In few min
utes she discovered one Of those eff:
forts which she called his ''rebellious
pictures"
These were such things as he paint
ed, using no model except memory
perhaps not for the making Of finished
pictures, but merely to give outlet tc
his feelings; an outlet which some
men might have found in talk.
This particular canvas was roughl!
blocked in, and it was elementallJ
simple, but each brush stroke hao