Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-23

the BengGLee ~checkmGted Mr.. Emblem,
self with his opponent. formed ingenious
combinations, watched openings, and gradu-
ally cleared the board until he found him
self as the hour Of half-past nine drew near,
able to propose a simple problem to his own
mind, such as, "White moves first, to mate
in three, four, or five moves" and then he
proceeded to solve that problem, and
checkmated his adversary.
No one, not even Iris, knew how Lala
Roy lived, or what he did in the daytime.
It was rumored that he had been seen al
Simpsons, in the Strand, but this report
wanted confirmation. He had lived in Mr..
Emblem's second floor for twenty years; he
always paid his bills with regularity, and
his long spare figure and white moustache
and fez we're as we'll known in Chelsea as
any relocated lounger among the old vet
Grams Of the hospital.
ut is quiet for you in the evenings" said
Arnold.
II play to them sometimes. They like to
hear me play during the game. Look at
them"
She sat down and played. She had a
delicate touch and played soft music, such
as soothes, not excites the soul. Arnold
watched her, not the old men. How was it
that refinement, grace, self-possession, man.
ners and the culture of a lady, could be
found in one who knew no ladies2 But then
Arnold did not know Lola Roy nor did he
understand the old bookseller.
you are always wondering about me-"
she said, talking while she played; ~ see it
in your eyes. Can you nottake me as / am,
without thinking why I am different from
other girlsl OF course ! I'M different be-
cause l know none Of them"
"a wish they were all like you" he said.
mo; that would be a great pity. You
want girls who understand your W life,
and can enter into your pursuits-you want
companions who can talk to you; go back
to them, Arnold, as soon as you are tired of
coming here"
And yet his instinct was right which told
him that the girl was not a coquette. She
had no thought-not the least ~thought-as
yet that anything was possible beyond the
existing friendship. It was pleasant, but
Arnold would get tired Of her, and go back
to his own people. Then he would remain
in her memory as a study of character.
This she did not exactly formulate, but she
had that feeling, Every woman makes a
study Of character about every man in
whom she becomes ever so little interested.
But we must not get conceited, my brothers,
over this fact. The converse, unhappily,
does not hold true. Very few men ever
study the character of a woman at all.
Either they fall in love with her before they
have had time to make more than q sketch,
and do not afterwards pursue the subject,
or they do not fall in love with her at all;
and in the latter case it hardly seems worth
while to follow up a first rough draft
"Checkmate," said Lola Roy.
The game was finished and the evening
over.
"Would you like" he said, another even
ing, ito see my studio, or do you consider
my studio outside myselfT'
81 should very much like to see an artists
studio" she replied with her usual frankness,
leaving it an open question whether she
would not be equally pleased to see any
other studio.
She came, however, accompanied by Lala
Roy, who had never been in q studio before,
and indeed had never looked at q picture,
except with the contemptuous glance which
the philosopher bestows upon the follies Of
mankind. Yet he came, because Iris asked
him. Arnold's studio is one of the smallest
of those in lite street. OF course 1t is built
of red brick, and Of course it has a noble
staircase and a beautiful painting room or
studio proper all set about with bits of
tapestry, armor, pictures, and china, be-
sides the tools and properties of the craft.
He had portfolios full of sketches; against
the wall stood pictures, finished and unfin-
ished; on an easel was a half-painted picture
representing a group taken from a modern
novel. Most painters only draw scenes from
two novels-the Vicar Of Wakefield and Don
Quixote; but Arnold knew more. The cen.
ttal figure was a girl, quite unf1nished-in
fact, barely sketchedin.
Iris looked at everything with the in.
terest which belongs to the new and unex.
pected.
Arnold began to show the pictures in the
portfolios. There were sketches Of peasant
life in Norway and on the Continent; there
were landscapes, quaint old houses and
castles; there were ships and ports; and
there were heads-hundreds Of heads.
~ said you might be a great a%rtist," said
Iris, II am sure now that you will be il
you choose"
THANK you, Iris. It is the greatest com.
pliment you could pay me-"
"And what Is thisT' she was before the
easel on which stood the unfinished pic
ture.