The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-03-11

Let these tears my souls dark garments
Whittier wash than driven snow!
THE ROMANCE OF A STUDIO
In the everyday working world there
arc hot sunshine and rattle of carriages
tho ceaseless tread of restless feet and
the confused Babel of thousand differ
ont sounds. But In the very throns OF
it one can turn into long high hall
climb wide dim stairway, and enter q
totally different place and atmosphere
that is Don Lepel's studio.
-Four cascls are in the room, on each
an unfinished picture, and the whole air
of the place is that of still, thoughtful,
purposeful work. Lcpcl is painter of
the modern NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and
thoroughly respectable, with a fashion,
able visiting list, and q good credit in the
Second National Bank.
I am sorry to admit that he is not
handsome. People expect beauty of ar
fists; but Lepel is short and rather stout,
and has other deficiencies not worth par
Gcular mention. Still, as he stands be-
fore his easel with his palette on his
thumb, calling upon his canvas face of
exquisite beauty, there is a sense of pow
or about this ordinary man which almost
enuobles him.
lie has been working this warm June
LAY since early morning, and he is salts.
fed with himself: II will 50 to the
Park now" he says, approvingly; 81
shall enjoy stroll, and perhaps l may
take pull I'D the lake."
That was Lepel's very sensible idea OF
recreation; and had quite tired himself
with the first part of his programme
when he came to little rustic seat un-
der somepines near the upper boat.housc.
There was girl sitting reading at one
end Of the bench, but she was very young
and very shabby, and he did not in the
least fear that she would consider him
an intrusion.
At first he watched the boats, but grad
ually his companion attracted him. Her
form was faultless, and he found himself
dressing and posing it in all the charac-
tiers which then occupied his pencil. Of
her face he could see nothing at all, for
there was 4 little brown sun-shade be-
tween them. This was so far favorable
that it allowed him to take thumb-nail
sketch Of her attitude, which was extreme
ly natural and graceful; and he had
scarcely done it when fortune played him
apleasant trick; the girl, IN attempting to
tear open leaf, let her sun-shadc slip; 1t
tell to the ground, and Lepcl stopped and
lifted it tor her.
The next moment they stood face to
face, and Lepel exclaimed, in tones which
were strange mixture of pleasure and
annoyance, "Why, Bee! is it possiblo!"
Bee shrugged her shoulders and said,
petulantly, she supposed it was.
"And have been sitting beside you
twenty minutes and did not know you."
II knew you
"Why did you not speak?"
my dress was SO shabby-and my
shoes. I suppose you have grown rich.''
"Do you suppose have grown a snob
also, Bee? Sit down; want to talk to
you"
"Really3"
YES, really. Where is your father
now2''
HE died last summer"
"Poor child, what have you been doing
since2''
II can find nothing to do. During the
opera season sang in the chorus, and
made my money last as long as possible.
But l am very poor; you can see that"
"Bee, owed your father some money
for copying"
mo, you did not, Mr.. Lepel. You
cannot otter me charity on that plea. But
II you know any way to get me wo4k, that
would be great kindness; if not, I must
live as the birds do, from crumb to crumb,
till winter comes"
suppose you let me board you with
signor l.. he would prepare you for
better engagement, and you could pay
me from your first receipts-for your
fathers sake, Bce?'
"Why should you do this for father
sakca You were not friends; you had not
been to see us for four years. I heard
that YOU had rich patrons and had grown
proud"
"Well, Bee, will make yon another
offer. want model, say, from two to
four hours day. You will have to stand
in very fatiguing postures, and l shall
perhaps get cross and unreasonable, and
forget you are Beatrice Erling; but I will
give you the highest terms, aud paw YOU
every day as you earn the money"
what will you give mc?"
Fifty cents an hour
"That will do. When shall Gomez"
Tomorrow at ten o'clock
The conversation had fallen into a
purely business tone, and after these ar
fragments, Lcpel handed her his card,
and said rather cool ''good evening"
For now the thing was done, he was un-
certain AZ to its wisdom. In the first
place, he had offered Bee unusually high
terms; and in the second, he had vo;un-
tarilC connected himself again with a
class OF artists, for whom he had no re-
spect nor sympathy. He knew that he
had been influenced by Bees beauty.
and that if she had been ugly or ill form
ed, his remembrance of her would not
have led him to any such active sympa-
thy;
ut is bad plan.' said the young man
to himself, Ito analyze ones good deeds.
have not bit of self.complaisance in
what hive done for Tom Erline's daupl,.
ter tonight, and suppose now she will
be q great nuisance to me-
THIS rencoatre compelled him, even
against his inclinatlen, to recall the CAV
clever, idle fellow whom he had so long
forgotten: "What an infinite genius thai
= man had!" he muttered there was moth.
ing he couldn't turn his pencil to; and Of
- for music, it was his native tongue
But, for all that, Tom Erling had been
failure and a broken promise. He
worked irregularly, he never kept his
word, he fell into debt, borrowed money
and by continue petty imposlions sinned
away his most faithful friends. And
: yet the man had some excuses; for he had
been set to fight battle for which mature
had provided him no weapons. Time
money! obligations! Tom knew the val.
ne Of none of these things. He ought to
=, have lived in some sunny Italian city,
and been cared for as the ravens are.
- Lepel had at first been charmed with
his eesy good humor, his song and wit,
nd 1oe-haaded generosity. But men