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Show Let's leave compliments, and come to business. You don't know how sick of compliments I am, Mr. Stippler," I blushed. I felt like a fool and I know I looked like one. "Mr. Melchizedeo said something about twenty guineas," said Miss Vivian, "I shall only be too delighted," I burst in. "Then we may consider it as settled, Mr. Stippler," said my fellow lodger. "When shall I sit to youf" I made an appointment and the thing was done. Of course I expected that she would want to be painted in character. charac-ter. Nothing of the kind. "You see, Mr. Stipplar," w)m said, "I must take you into my confidence. I intend in-tend this portrait as a present as a sort of surprise. I wish to give ii to a gentleman gentle-man whom 1 am about to 'fiarry." And then she blushed and gar a little sigh, and 1 would have groaned aloud had I dared. . , - So she sat to me in a little simple peignoir peig-noir of French muslin tea gowns weren't invented then and when I had poed her she said to me: "Lord Wallsend tUat Is the name of the gentleman to whom I am eng.iged. and I tell you in confidence, Mr. Stipple.-has Stipple.-has seen nie in 'Cordelia,' He thinks a great deal of my hair. You won't think me vain, Mr. Stippler, if I ask you if I may let it down?" Of course I said that it was a caphal idea. She pulled out half a doren hairpins, hair-pins, and a great glory of molten gold fell in luxuriant waves upon her shoulders. rain in open mouthed astonishment. In a few moments the gas was turned up in the first floor, and then it dawned upon me at once. I am not a curious man. I knew that an actress lived on the first floor, and that a teacher of languages lived on the second, but I, the third floor loder, had never troubled my head about them in the least. I had never even asked their names. I went up to my rooms and flung myself into my easy chair, nnd I thought of the strange fatality that the woman I admired above all living women wom-en should be actually dwelling with mo under the same roof, and that we were separated only by a single floor. But though I was ia love I had a ceitain amount of common sense left, and I remembered re-membered that there was a great gulf between Lottie Vivian, the popular actress, act-ress, and the painter of pot-boilers on the third floor. ' We are still cannibals, Groperandl, and fast friends. It was from Groper, by dint of pretending that I had never heard all his old stories before, that 1 ascertained' the true history of Lottie Vivian, of the Portico Theatre. "She was a pupil of old Jack Slider's most of the successful ones have been pupils of Slider's," said Groper, "at some time or other. It's a strange thing," he went on: "she came out at the Port ico, and she has had a constant engagement engage-ment thero ever sinoe for the. last eight years. Every farthing she earns goes to her family to her old father, who was a big man on the Stock Exchange once, miml von." said Groper. "and to a whole "Way 1 come InT" "Good heavens! it's his lordship," cried Lottie Vivian, "and I am ruined!" But I saved her, though if I hadn't been prompt she would never have married mar-ried him, and she might yes, by Jovel perhaps have become my wife after alL Stranger things have happened. But I reassured her by a glance, and she took her cue at once. She was an actress, remember. I flung off my coat, I whipped out the front board of the piano, I buried my face among the hummers, nnd began striking single notes upon tho keys. "Como in," said Miks Vivian, and his lordship entered. "I hope I don't intrude," he said. And then I, too, thought of Paul Pry. "You are always a welcome guest, Wallsend," said Miss Vivian. And then they bcg.in to chat in whicp-ers. whicp-ers. "Faugh! how tho fellow smells of to-btccol" to-btccol" croaked Taul Pry I mean his lord.ship. "Man," he said, addressing me, "you can go." , I put on my coat . . ' "Where's your hat, man?" said his lordship, suspiciously. "In the 'all, sir," I replied, carefully dropHr!K the "h." "I've put it nt concert pitch, vAet," I said; "it'll be five shillings, please," and I held out my hand. There was it grateful grate-ful twinkle in her eyes as she gave me two half crowns. I have them still, those two half crowns. I went up to my rooms and shaved off my beard and mustache. I have never spoken to Lottie 1 mean Lady Wall-send Wall-send from that day to this, but she always al-ways notices me, nnd her husband is one of my stanchest patrons. Lady Wallsends carriage passed. She bowed politely to me and off went my hat. "She's a stunner," said ray nephew. "1 hope she is happy," said I, with sigh. London World FIRST COMMISSION. ronderfuLy handsome woman r must have been very beautiful (suppose the queer old fellow at i lier husband. Looks for all lid lite Paul Pry." Fas what my nephew said to me prriaRO turned into the park at Per house corner. fitful!" I replied j "beautiful Mpress it; she was an angeL P'MKel, a saint, and martyr, too, v I loved that woman!" ' " I of coursu, uncle," replied my P nephew, "Professionally, 1 "'ere isn't so very much dif-I dif-I in our ages, though I am his Fid we are more like brothers rleand nephew. I know you are a very bad lot, jtlie boy went on. "You goon p. till you put the last finishing laad then you start another can-I can-I oegin to love somebody else. I I wat 3 the secret of rour success lirait painter." I'-I'liew is always saying rude I" me. P' I said severely, "my success litirely t0 perseverance and the f i I never flatter." And then that I nephew of mine blew out his I Sot very red in the face and f hoked himself with laughter. I'uen we sat down upon two of f:i chairs. I m shout her, boss," said Jack, f 9 three pupils, including my fwyall smoko short pipes in pw, and they all three call me f 'he Countess of Wallsend, I be- :en years ago her husband, the f "7, as you call him and you LTftrn' Mr- Jack. t call him li ame a widower, and every I!1 young woman in society E'capathini, , At that time 1 I "is Tottenham Court road, and in iovo with Lottie Vivian. I'ihird floor lodger. I just I". ,5 tllPn. and no more. It F:! I had learned to flatter, Mr. Ir Photograph .struck me at f. gt the photo tho photo of Lwn,of the rol-ti theatre hm ny half crown at the pit Lj"'1" M 1 came out of the pie of ltd iovni that Jva3 raininS I but ruoner was scarce I .ami I walked home through I jauic. 1 couldn't afford a cab. f , "eared my own door a four f UP at it. a lady paid the y 3 then she opened the street I her latch key and disappeared I nonsa. (jreat heavensl it was I ,a! herself, and I stood in the She gave me twenty sittings for that portrait. I was madly, passionately, desperately in love with her, but 1 never breathed a word of it. We became great friends, we talked uureservedly to each other just as if we had known each other all our lives almost as if wo had been brother and sister. 1 suppose it was camaraderie. Once, and once only, I mado an ass of myself. "I must be finished by tho twentieth," twen-tieth," she had said; "the twenty-first is his birthday." "I wish it could never be finished. 1 replied passionately; "I wish I could stand here painting you all my life." The pretty smile faded from her face, and she pulled me up at once. "You mustn't say anything to me, Mr. Stippler, if you please, that you wouldu"t say if Lord Wallsend himself were here by ray side." I apologized; I felt that I was a brute. I had lunched with Miss Vivian: it was my farewell visit to her. The portrait was finished it was my masterpiece, Jack and it stood upon an easel in its bright new frame in the middle of the room. The table had been cleared; taant S3aven for that! "Play to me, Mr. Stippler," she said In a voice tliat went straight to my heart; "I'm terribly low spirited. Play something cheerful." I sat down to the little cottage Erard, and I did as I wa3 bid. I played nigger melodies; I played dance music; and j then, somehow or other, I drifted to "Home. Sweet Home," and then I felt so j utterly miserable that I broke dowiT. I turned on tbe stool towards Lottie, ai-d I j saw that her eyes were full of tear. 1 "Don't, George, don't," she said: "don t ; go on. I can't bear it." She called me by my Christian came for the first and the last time. And then there came a tap at the door, and a hoarse, croaking voice grated out: I family of little brothers and sisters, who are entirely dependent upon her. She is an ambitious girl, too," he added, "and they say she's going to marry Lord Wall- i send." "What! tho mad millionaire!" said I. "That's the man," said Groper. And then Groper began to abuse the dinner, and I beard no more about Lottie Lot-tie Vivian from him. I went on paving my half crowns at the Port co, and I got deeper and deeper in love with my fellow lodger, and my love interfered a good deal with my (vork. Then it was that 1 got my first commission to paint a portrait. That portrait made my fortune, and the painting paint-ing of it nearly broke my heart. It came about in this way: I got a note one day from Miss Vivian-1 have it still-requesting me to call upon her on little matter of business. I took a eood deal of pai witb m ,tollet,' ,t then I went down stairs and knock at th3 door of my fellow lodger. There was nothing fast about Miss Vivian. She was very quiety drewed, atd she came to business at once. "Sir Stippler," she said, "yju ll excuw mv 'asking you to come here in ton informal in-formal way, but the fact Is tUa-au to have mr portrait painted. I can t at ord to pavmtebforit. Mr. Melchedeo Commended me to you. Can you oblige i this matter, Mr. Stippler, and, here she blushed violently, "wdl .the -I Implied witb enthusiasm, vou do me too much honor in selectmg me If 'Sou permit me to paint your Jtini cost you just nothing at "".'.'li,'" she aKswerod. with a silvry S-3& , |