Year: 1871

ed it a castle in the air.


cit seems to me you were out a good
WHILE" said Aunt Jane, when she went
down stairs. "Mr. Hurst was up here to
see you. guess he'll come again this
evening. suppose you know that the
rent is due, and there's no way that l
know of to pay it. 1t isn't very pleasant
to be dependent on anybody that you
treat as you do Derrick Hurst ~


"We are not going to be dependent on
Derrick Hurst. l have way to pay the
rent, and l don't think he will have to wait
for it more than month, at the most"


Aunt Jane opened her eyes wide.


go, you expect to earn the money by the
exercise of your talent, I suppose ~ she
said, scornfully.


eyes" said syl, with provoking cool
ness.


''Well," said Aunt Jane after pause,
making feint of wiping her eyes with her
handkerchief, "If John had only lived,
your mother and shouldn't be obliged to
depend upon silly heartless chit of a girl
like you. Talent, fddlesticks ~ she cried
removing her handkerchief as her wrath
began to rise again"Td rather have COM
mon sense enough to see which side my
bread was buttered on, than all the talent
in the world ~


Syl withdrew from the contest then, for
however long it might last Aunt Jane was
always sure to have the last word.


Derrick Hurst made his appearance that
evening, with his black brows little un-
bent from their usual frown now that the
coast was clear he was sure Of winning.


But the reception Syl gave him was an y
thing but promising. "We shall ask you
to wait only a little while longer for your
your rent, Mr.. Hurst" she said, with some
thing of grand air, and tone that said,
"of course, you could have come here only
on business ~


"Rentl don't talk to me of rent - said
he, impatiently. "You know I am glad
and happy to have you live here as long as
until you come to live in my new house,
with me, Sylw


The angry blood mounted to Syl's fore
head, and her eyes flashed. "That will
never be p she said, and left him for heI
mother and Aunt Jane to entertain, while
she went to her own room, and tried to for
get her anger in tho delights of carmint
and cobalt.


While Mr.. Derrick Hurst, taking hi
homeward way, said to himself, with an ex
clamation which he would not have careC
to have Syl hear


"It will be it shall be and soon, too ?


Syls first picture was soon finished, 70
she put her whole soul into it, and worked
night and day. She sent it to an art deal
er in the nearest large city, and waited in
anxious suspense to learn its fate, on whicl
all her hopes depended. Stephen Law
renee had asked her to send it to him tC
to sell it he would by it himself to save he
from disappointment, and let her think sh
had been successful. So she determined t.
win her way without help. 1t seemed al
age to her before she heard from her pic
ture. Then n brief discouraging lette
came. Her picture was bold and some
what original, but showed an unskille
hand BY years of study and practice sh
might win success, but now the marke
was filled with pictures like hers, which


could find no sale.


So Syrs castle crumbled, before her eyes
utterly into ruins, soon, for Stephen Law
rence's letters suddenly ceased. Syl wa
was sure at first that that he must be ill O
dead, and kept on writing to him, in vain
Aunt Jane and her mother were loud i
proclaiming that they had known, all tn
time, he was only flirting with Syl he wa
on the lookout for rich wife there wer
girls enough who could be fooled into maj
rying him, by his handsome face and hi
soft speeches.


1t was long before Syl doubted him sh
conjured up thousand things, probable
and improbable, that might have prevent
ed his writing. She never quite lost fait
in him. But what was she to do? Lie
''mither pressed her sair," as in the oil


song; disappointment and suspense ha
made her pale and i'll, and the village pee
} pie began now to shake their heads, an


say that Syl Shepard was in love with thi
! artist, after ALL and was pining away on h
account, and Syl was proud, and that WI
hard to bear and, more than all, they wei
dependent on Derrick Hurst for shelter
: by-and-by what would keep them frol