Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-02-10
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Copyright, 1920, by the Author.)
v. THE PORTRAIT AGAIN.

That week saw infatuated spring,
abandoning every show of dif1idence,
fastening with footsteps daily more
fleet to fling herself into the arms of
summer.
Mrs. Trowbridge had arranged to
take over the Southampton cottage of
a friend who was going abroad.
Priscilla. preOccupied with personal in
terests. her unhappiness and the work
that seemed it's only antidOte. was
careless whittier they went for the
summer, or when, or how, so long as
the change were not permitted to him
der her painting, and asked only to be
let alone till she finished her two latest
canvaSeS.
Twice she begged for postpone
ments, which were grudgingly conced-
ed, and ultimately, badgered beyond
endurance by her aunt's insistence
that she name definite day when she
would be willing to go, fatty declared
she wouldn't bulge a foot out Of
town before she had at least COM
pleted the portrait of Ada Meyer.
Mrs. Trowbridge heard the accent of
f1nality and gave in at discretion-but
with pursed lips.
Fosdick, observing Priscilla in a
threefold capacity, conceded the con-
quest of his admiration as a sports
man: the girl was putting up the gam
est fight conceivable, against crushing
Odds
The physician in him saw with sat
isfaction the seemingly successful
working out of his prescribed regime.
Even the sedative which. by his order.
Priscilla took every night on going to
bed, was doing it's work without any
apparent i'll effect: to the contrary,
indeed, since her dreams no longer
distressed the girl. Still, it would be
Over-sanguine to consider the case
already closed with cure.
And the lover remained in suspense,
hoping against hope with an uneasy
heart
Andrews turned up no trace of Le-
Onora after her departure from the
Walpole in company with Mario. If
those two had married, they had man.
aged the business with the utmost
circumspection and secrecy.
He reported no progress in his
search for traces of Mother O'More"
assuming that such a person had
ever existed.
There came at length a day of re-
laxing heat, when everything went
wrong.
Ada Meyer showed up in the morn
ing only TO announce that, much as
she adored her portrait, she hadn't
the slightest intention of going on
with the sittings or, for that matter,
of stopping on in town another day
in such weather. If Priscilla wanted
to finish the portrait she would have
to bring it down to the Meyer country
home and work on it there. This be-
ing manifestly unreasonable-Ada
knew quite well it would be impossi-
BILE to duplicate the lighting of the
studio-Priscilla felt constrained to
point out candidly how selfish Ada
was. And they bickered until they
parted, each huffed to the verge Of
tears.
Priscilla consoled herself, she had
shopping to do.
The shops were crowded, the sales
people irritable and irritating She
found nothing that suited her. Be-
tween three and four she gave up
trying and, thoroughly out of humor,
started to walk home up the avenue
In front of the Hardness gallery n
little knot of people had collected,
creating an eddy in the tides Of foot
traffic. Priscilla hesitated. then with
quickening pulses added herself to the
group before the show window, work
ing her way into its heart, where she
obtained an unobstructed view Of her
work
For it was true, what she had sur
missed: Hardness had already put the
portrait of Leonora on exhibition.
And already it was attracting a con-
spicuous amount of attention.
Enchanted, Priscilla stood before
her painting with eyes that shone
and cheeks aglow, an exquisite emo
tion yelling in her bosom.
Near by a man spoke in the Ian
guage of the studios, praising the por-
trait to a companion. And Priscilla
heard and was exalted.
When she dared trust herself to do
so. she looked around cautiously, seek
ing to identify that kindly critic whose
appreciation was so much the more
acceptable because he spoke with the
tongue of understanding.
A small chuckle was struggling in
her throat. She could not help won
dering what the man would think
cOuld he know how dangerously near
he was to being publicly kissed by a
strange woman.
But the chuckle expired in a stran-
gled gasp. The dancing eyes stead
led to q fixed stare The color in her
cheeks ebbed more swiftly than it had
come.
She began to wonder if her heart
would ever beat again. if she would
ever find strength TO move from that
spot where terror had transfixed her.
Her veering glance had been arrest
I'd almost as soon as detached from
the portrait by the sardonic and in
sOlent regard of one who stood at a
slight distance, though in the same
group; n32 whose face she had
never seen yet knew; the man whom
she knew only by the style under
which he passed among his criminal
Gind-"Harry the Nut"
And he knew her, as his meaning
Eneer witnessed.
Nor was this the worst; beyond his
shoulder a second face showed color
.ess and drawn with passionate NAL