Show I i Ui Sort Short Sor of tb Da Day ttE GEORGE GEORGE VERNEYS VERNEY'S PICTURES 2 I BY DOROTHY DOROTH MAYNARD MAYNAD gome ome me twelve months after the purchase I Henr Henry B Bellamy lamy of ot 01 young Verneys Verney's Verey's plc- plc rp The Tho worship of ot Th Bacchus the arad ar- ar t had ad been ben asked to dine at the bankers banker's 1118 U e and had ha met Grace Grac Bellamy Belamy That t meeting in which tho the sympathy of ert WO ro young people was Instantaneous af athe the prelude to many others others to to duets duet the twilight to long discussions I on rt t and pictures and finally nally to 10 a a. and answer In the tho conservatory u uder der the fronds of a 1 large arse ge palm George Verney Vomer had hadIn 4 In a accents cent which trembled despite despie ls effort to control them of his love and anti with wih one Quick crimson blush from neck to blow look of trust and love from the t t blue 11 eyes eyes eyes- Gra Grace e Bellamy's I fair head It tS K 0 had nestled 8 to the young u paint paint- t cr's r- r s 's f Wider and their lips had met in one ions loy kiss Ten minutes later e i eNt George r 11 Verney Geprge rg left the e house e R after a short but stormy Interview with wih his loves love's a fath father r r I J have ha other views for m my daughter a Mr Vere Verney Vin Henry Bellamy BElam said firmly but It not unkindly Sand and and it will wi be better for you youa OU a not to visit here a again aln until she marries For some time sifter after this there there was waa aj- aj 1 most a i t quarrel between the banker and add th the rau daughter whom he loved so passionately passion passIon- at I for Jor many days the girl who had never pr known what it was to have a single ungratified treated her father as I a harsh and cruel tyrant and refused reused al alO almost at- at most to speak to to- him hen Then one after after- t O I j l. l H noon she had apparently thrown off ol her sense of injury had conversed converse with wih him on topics w which interested both of them and had he thought with pleasure forgotten for for- gotten Verney Verey He lie was wa mistaken She had nad married him For man many months they kept their secret seret well wel and the married marrie lovers ers met meLby by stealth stall without the knowle knowledge knowl knowl- e edge of the banker One One day Mrs Verney left his house went vent to her husband once all al and ad wrote to tell tel her father that she had done so Four years r later Grace Verney d died at p Perugia l of typhoid y 1 fever and the young gui painter was left let alone In the tho world with one cne little girl to remind him him constantly constanty or of rt the s sweet c companionship h which I ho had fl rr lots so soon During the four u short years or of that sweet intercourse George Verney had worked but little and his work had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been good The pictures picures he had ha painted three in number had all al been purchased purchase b by a New Yorker After Ater his young younA wife died Verney Verey worked hard and almost desperately He sold his work to a dealer and this man alone of or all al the tho art world knew that the thereal thereal thereal real buyer buer of George Gerge Verneys Verney's work was wa Bellamy Belamy the anker banker The dealer thought as Verney Verey himself might have perhaps believed be be- if it I he had known the purchasers purchaser's identity that the pictures picture were bought up by Bellamy Belamy not so much as an investment as os for the purpose of providing his little grand grand child with wih the necessaries of life But even so it came as a Surprise r t to pic plc- lovers ture-lovers when te Bellamy day ey eyt threw hr open ODen his gallery galen to the public for an hour or two a week and it i was found that George Verneys Verney's pictures e with the exception exception g rn i r l tion of the three Inferior works which I had been bought by the New York collector were all al upon its Is walls wals Then came the reconciliation How the two men had met nobody knew but meet they did and it was a great gret surprise to all al who knew the stern item te unbending character of f Henry Ballamy Ballamy Bal Bal- lamy when ho he took George Verney erney erey and his hi little lite daughter into the great lonely house and to all al Intents and purposes made mado a son of ot him Ease and comfort unfortunately were not good for the tho te young artist artst Never a strong character the actual need nee of work had spurred him to great effort efort and the double necessity of providing p for his little girl and of working to forget torget his sorrow had urged him to paint After his return however his work fell fen I off considerably The rhe few pictures which I he of produced while he was wa living at his laws father produce were good god In their way but laws law's they lacked the tho vigor igor igor of bt hiS earlier earler efforts and one after arter another he ho destroyed destroyed de de- de- de them I I want he said to Bellamy Bellamy Bellamy Bel Bel- I lamy one day when the tho old man had asked aske I him with wih that grim smile of his why he destroyed detroye work that although below the standard standard of his best bet he could undoubtedly have sold I want the name of little Grades Grade's father to be remembered only Tor br his finest work I shall never paint again as a I have ha e painted that I know but until I can do something worthy to rank with what I have already done I shall destroy etroy my pictures Then Illness came George Verne Verney grew languid and dispirited dis dis- and gradually although the doctor doctor doc doe tor could put no specific name to his disease dis dis- ease ce sank into a decline delie Before the last lt great weakness grew upon upon up up- on him l he had painted 0 one great r picture It r was a portrait arta of t his s dead wife as cst she 1 had been in tho the days of her Joyous girl girl- hood The day after it i was finished George Verney took to his bed be and the ther doctors warned Mr Bellamy that 1 his S sonA son- son r r rn laws law's s last day was a drawing near a A few days ds later while Henry Bellamy Belamy sat bv by the h bedside ed of the e dying man a a l ng I Ithe telegram I was a brought g to him He read a the A few words it contained and held It I crumpled in his hand a a moment crumple George he said the doctors tell tel me YOU vou are sinking Would oud you like while vou You have vet tho strength to t take ke one last I look lok at your pictures Ah All if I I could gasped gaped the dying man mn You can I have brought them all al All Al that is excepting three three the the three which you u would destroy s 1 if you U could d dIn as not in tie tieI tieu New being I York worthy r o of your gift tt g They da a are How How Mow how can cn I thank hank you murmured murmured murmured mur mur- Verney Verne the tho hot tears rolling roiling down his cheeks cheek Do not thank me Summon up all your 8 strength f for arl tills this I afternoon ft O na and g we will YI have you carried crrie on a couch cuch Into the galler gallery gallery gal gal- lery and Henry Henr Bellamy Belamy went from the ler room smiling It 1 was wa an ugly smile smie to see if any anyone one had seen It That afternoon the dying man was carried carried car car- ried ned carefully into the long picture gal- gal lery lerv and feasted d his eyes upon tho lifework lifework life life- lre- lre work which would soon be all that would Et be left lef to little lite Gracie acle of her al tether Again he turned to B Bellamy lamy to thank him It was wa a wondrous thing this gift gif of ot for- for I the rl sick k m man n thought In taking Grace roce race Bellamy Belamy from her fathers father's s house as he had done George felt th thA 31 he had caused the rich richman richman richman man hitter bitter biter sorrow W and ant knew that he had done him grievous us for father lather and hae daughter had never vCr ver met again Sir he said how low ca can I thank thank- But the last word faltered e cae Ion a his l lips as he saw s the theold t theold old r mans man's fec fac l for o he elg had i never e r rs seen n nt so diabolical a look before a Thank the millionaire with bitter biter emphasis Do you think the milk mik of h human man kindness urged urge me rae to buy your pictures to take you into my mv house and pamper you when you were ill 1 ill Remember t WOrdS you spoke to me before before be he- fore I turned Sou ou from my door Before you vou enticed iY daughter from her fathers father's fathers father's fath fath- ers er's house you told that father proudly and with wih head erect that there thee was one thing his m money ney could not buy buy buy- your buy your our name Well ell Yea b bought It Head that And we wee Verne Verney e a a. telegram I from w New NewYork NewYork York with wih th the words Accept Hoskins I do not understand he saidI saidI said I l will explain Here as a you see I have all al your pictures They are good I know th that t. t But painted three of ot which you are ahamed Those hose three I have Just bought paying more for tor them than the t best est here cost me Why d do you vou 11 For or my revenge Revenge R Reven e Yes s. s On n the day you nu die every everyone one of these thEse canvases canvasES of or which you are jare Jle 0 so proud will wi be cut rom rom its It frame and burned burne even n nI that I 1 lat a 03 one They shall perish rl as you vou nt t taught my y daughters daughter's g rS love for f or me 1 to perish Few people or comparatively few know of ot your work except by hearsay hersay After your death teth the world shall Judge of It it-by it I-bv I bv those three inree daubs daub which I have value from Hoskins at ten times their The dying nan man white to the lips looked looke his tormentor in speechless U un a a at spee agony Was Wa this to be the end After his years of toll toil tol after t the e hopes which he had formed that his hi little Oracle Grade Graco should g go into the world armed not only with her g wih mothers mother's or rather her grandfathers grandfather's millions mil mU- mi- mi lions but also with the name which h he would be es her father bequeath to her 1 w was that name to be a laughing stock to 0 the artistic world The he thing was too to diabolically cally caily cruel He could not believe beleve It And Andset yet set cly et he realized that Henry Bellamy Belamy in acting thus was taking a revenge which was wa an almost almo t just one He George Verney Vrey had the laughter daughter from the father The grandfather would take the daughter from her bet father too Good Goad night said the old man turning i O on his h heel I I will send t the s servants up g to carry you down to bed again I tOJ Just then a t patter t of toddling gd footsteps came down the long gallery galery and little i Grade eyed blue and haired golden d as h her Ir aa Jeth 1 mother had u- u been toddled toward them on her unsteady baby feet feet ly Kiss holding I Oracle Gracie ai up eh her she I Iste rosy ste demanded mouth 1 t to Imperiously Imperious Imperious- gr grold the stern old man Now kiss father she added Bellamy Belamy drew a step away from the cauch and the lines round 0 his mouth U tightened No 1 dear men never rh ls kiss he said f But Gacie will wil wil be he naughty if i you dont don't the child insisted What do you mean my child Before mamma went away to the carden it d It was thus that a George Verney h had described his wife's rf burial U I rf to her ee littie little lit lit- rr tie tle te daughter daughter ehe she she took me into her arms in 11 bed and said aid that I was to make malee you sake when to toh kiss kis papa pana for her we wo came cae see she h you made g d Papa him didn't too and want I I-I I to I r forgot promise g Sit it but till t this afternoon when Nursie said it i would be too late soon son And though she did not understand what she was saying the blue eves Eves filled fled with wih tears Henry Bellamy el answered no word r He placed ert ertel the child WJ down eb beside I her father t and gazed at them and at lc his daughters daughter's portrait overhead Is she not lIke her her sir air said Verney I brokenly The Te Stern stem old man burst Into uncontrollable uncontrollable sobbing and clasped the wasted hand convulsively I This time sir I may thank thank you A kiss to Gracie was the only answer |