Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-12-03

Begun long ago, on day when mod
ell failed her, and carried out incon-
secutively, "when she felt in the |
mood" the painting now neared COM
pletion; a little more work on drap- i
cries and background and it would be |
ready for exhibition. Inspecting it |
critically, with fault-fnding eyes, she |
saw that her work was good, almost |
as good as her fathers. The figure on
the canvas lived; its striking pose was |
instinct with almost insolent vitality;
the face was aglow with zest in life,
the eyes seemed transiently arrested
in an instant of gay impudence alto
gether charming.
Her troubled gaze turned back to
the mirrors faithful presentment of a
slender, modishly gowned young
wording, the finished product Of a
fashionable upbringing, a little proud,
reserved, thoughtful, exquisite :.
| Priscilla Maine.
But the girl on the canvas was Leo
nora. And in her self both lived. But
which was which? Which false, which
true? Was the life she knew, the life
of Park avenue and Fifth, of teas, din
ners, theaters, dances-relieved only by
these days in the studio, her happiest,
when she was painting-was this life
reality or illusion? And that dream
life of which she caught only fugitive
glimpses, fascinating, tantalizing, ter.
rible, and related to nothing within
the scope of her experience-was the
dream life perhaps the life of fact?
She shook a head baffied, bewildered
and faint with wondering.
The doorben interrupted. She an
swered, finding as she had expected
that the chauffeur was waiting to es-
cort her to the town car which he was
obliged to leave at the mouth Of the
alley. She was glad of his company,
when she had put out the lights and
locked the studio door, for the alley
was indifferently Illuminated and
seemed rather grimly desolate at that
hour. She knew a moment of SYM
pathy with Aunt Esther's distrustful
| animosity toward shat dreadful stu.
dio life"
If Aunt Esther only guessed how In
finitely more dreadful that other life
which Priscilla knew in dreams /.
But no one guessed. Instructive reti-
cence, jealousy of her privacy, reluc-
} tance to be thought different, and fear
: of having her sanity questioned as she
; herself too often questioned it, had
guarded the girls secret and kept II
1 inviolate.
: She had long since made up he1
q mind she must never marry while this
q dream life continued to exert its oc.
J. cult influence upon her. To risk trans
!, mitting to her children a mental taini
d or lesion was unthinkable.
= Now Of a sudden she remembered
8 the man Mario Cor was he merely 8
shadow?) and in a poignant turn o.
l. compelling eyes, the potent magnetism
d Of his presence, and felt anew the pres
d sure of his lips on hers.
g On hers? Or Leonora's?
n She cringed low in the corner of tn
t. seat, as If fearful lest curious eyes de
IS tect the waves of color that burned he
v cheeks. For in the memory of that kis
she found a sweetness ineffably pre-
IS cious. And III the knowledge that hi
love was dedicated to that other Sci.
Priscilla suffered the first bitter pang
of that torment which spares not bod.
mind or soul, and which is jealousy.
But how should she be jealous c
Leonora, if Leonora were herself?
Was it to be her fate to love on
shape of dream and hate another? ?.