The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-31
MR.. SINGLET0N'S MODEL.

"What is it guides my hand, what thoughts
That have drawn her facep"
y y "Oh, sweet dreams,
That through the vacant chambers of my
heart
Walk in the silence, as familiar phantoms
Frequent an ancient house, what will ye
with me?"
-Lonafellop.
When Cissy Denzil came Of age (she
was an orphan) she determined that
she would indulge her own caprices to
the fullest extent She sent for her
aunt, an inotfensive old lady of sixty,
to chaperone her. aud rented housein
Bryanston square, not for the sake of
the commanding situation, but because
1t was dull neighborhood, respectfully
fashionable and calculated to exercise
a soporiiic effect on her lively imagina-
tion. The agent declared the house to
be thoroughly well-drained and up
holstered, and, as it happened to please
her, in less than week she was as
much at home there as if she had
llNtu Ill tOWu III dill HtI lllt.
Cissy Denzil undoubtedly possessed
a dangerous originality. Without
intending it, she was constant thorn
in her aunt's side. No sooner had Miss
Webster recovered from one moral
shower-bath than she received another.
Now, Miss Webster did not like shower
baths; they gave her cold and inter-
rupted her in the pursuit of the whole
duty of woman, which was, in her
case, to eat, drink and dress well, to
60 to church regularly, and to awaken
Cissy to sense of her many short
comings.
But Cissy merrily refused to be
reused. She was not at all over
whelmed by her iniquities. Il do like
TO see things for myself" she would
say. "What is the use of living if /
am to be always wrapped up in cotton
wool, taken cut for an airing, and then
brought back again like those impossi-
bic dolls which children buy in the
Lowther arcade? How can l live my
life if | do not know what existence
really is like? Owing to my ignorance
of the world l shall make some dread
full mistake, and then it will be all
your fault, aunty. viii 1t not, Mr..
Singleton?"
Mr.. Singleton was an artist who
readily commanded large price for
his pictures. He was an old man, and
had known Cissy Denzil from her
childhood. TO him she was won't to
appeal when Miss Webster became
plaintiff. Cissy amused him; he abetted
her vagaries, provided that he saw
they were harmless.
al did not know that you had such
taste for realism" he replied. "Evi-
dently Miss Webster will have a bad
time of it, unless we can cure you.'
"Poor aunty," said the girl, crossing
the room and kneeling caressingly at
the old lady's feet. al am sure that
shall some day give you fit
"Ify you want to get a little insight
into what human nature really is"
said Singleton, jokingly, "come to my
studio any morning and study the
models. Put on plain dress and bon
net, and get there early. Ten o'clock
will be soon enough. You can easily
reach Holland Park road from here. If
you will come, I'll have some of the
litter feared away, and you can watch
me paint, sit, or do what you like.
often see twenty or Thirty models in a
day. Patient Griselda, Cardinal VOL
sey, Fair Rosamond, Lucrezia Borgia
and other well known characters come
TO me by the dozen. If | don't want
them, they try the next studio. Artists
are clustered as thickly together up
there as lawyers are in Bedford row.
That bareheaded, disguised - very
much disguised, sometimes-a man
with a history-French nobleman who
sold papers in the strand was fire.
puent sitter of mine; he's dead now,
poor fellow"
"I am to 'sit on the usual terms?"
asked Cissy. "What are the usual
terms, Mr.. Singletonp"
"a shilling an hour, and luncheon
found" said Singleton. "In your case,
Cissy, the luncheon shall be unexcep-
tionable."
agreed" gayly cried Cissy. "Do
not groan, aunty." Miss Webster al
ways made sepulchral noises when she
did not approve Of anything.) "There
Is nothing wrong in going to a studio,
especially if 1t be swept and garnished."
Singleton went away and speedily
forgot all about the matter. Cissy re-
membered.
The next morning Cissy started for
5alard Psrk road. intent upon view