The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-12

CAL me the Cheap Jack parson. They have
nickname for every body"
shall you speak to-nightr
No, or | would not have brought a
stranger with me. You might have got
hustled and robbed, and can't protect you
very we'll now that 1 cannot see. Well, how
does it strike you?'
The fun seems to be at its hight" said
George, gravely. "There are naphtha
lights haring at all the stalls, and the faces
OF the men and the old crOnes bending over
them would form a study for Rembrandt.
Not in my line, exactly. The faces are
strong enough, but they are ugly. prefer
something moro idyllic-something pleas
anter."
You say the faces are strong. Is there no
charm for you in their individuality! The
mark of sin and passion sometimes make a
face terribly interesting to the observer of
human nature
YES; but you mistake me-" said the
younger man. II am not an observer, or
student, or lover of the dark side of life
at all. l want pretty faces, picturesque
effects, sunshine and fiowers.n
Helmont looked disappointed.
ITO me-" he said, rather wistfully,
when could see, this place on a Saturday
night seemed always wonderfully fine as a
bit of scenic effect. The lights and
SA"uO"os Oh0 OlO uOuS6S, WIFI iuelF DlbS OF
quaint masonry, the varying faces-you no.
tice how the jew element predominates-
seemed to me to form an admirable subject
for picture. You might call it Rag
Fair And the faces alOne-what a
splidid moral study you could get out of
them.n
The young man laughed.
II don't want moral studies" he said az
want beauty-aud love-"
Mr.. Herbsrt seemed to think it advisable
to change the subject.
Shall we walk Ona Tell me if you see
old Mother Flint; she generally sits under
Meath the lamp-post, with flowers and ap-
ples.n
81 see her. You don't advise me to paint
hers A drunken, leering, bloated face,
blowsy figure all out of shape, gray elf
locks, and a bonnet put on crooked"
Poor old thing! She has been drinking
again, said Francis Helmont, with infinite
pity in his manly tones. Take me to her,
George. l am afraid she is falling into bad
habits again, and her granddaughter will
suffer If that is the case"
lam sorry for the granddaughter, )" said
George, with little laugh, which sounded
unpleasantly flippant in Francis Helmont's
ears, land would advise her to keep out of
that old woman's way. Ha! by Jove!
There's a pretty face"
Helmont felt vibration of the young
mans arm, as If he would have started off
in pursuit of the pretty face but for the
curate's infirmity, and he experienced a
moments annoyance.
rs 1T anyone you wish to see more closely?
| can go in any direction you choose" he
said, after short pause
"No-at least-this way" said George,
who was making his way with some diff
Guilty through the pushing crowd of silent
women, and half-drunken men, by whom
the two visitors were surrounded. "She is
beside your apple woman; girl with large
eyes and rather frightened look--pretty
for all that-do you know herF'
81 expect you mean old Sarah Flint's
granddaughter, Jess. Is she pretty?n
"At distance" said George, with a little
smile.
belmont could not see his face. The
young artists eyebrows were lifted. half
whistle had been formed and arrested upon
his lips; his whole aspect expressed wonder
ment
by Jover' he muttered to himself, so
low that Francis could not hear: ga new
type-quite new type-why, Titan might
have painted her! She's got hair of
Titian's colorp"
The girl at whom he was looking GER
that moment, though it remained to be seen
whether her beauty were not in part the
result of certain striking but adventitious
effects of color, light and shade. She was
leaning against the lamp-post and looking
down with sort of careless grace of atti-
tude at her old grandmouher's stock-in-
trade. Her clothing was 80 thin that the
graceful lines of her figure were quite visi-
bic, and the foot that could be plainly seen
through the burst seams of her Old boots
was prettily shaped, although red and
swollen from the cold. Her hands were
coarsened, too, by toll, but they were not
large, and the features of her thin face pos
sessed look of unusual refinement. The
color of her cheek and chin was indeed too
sharp for beauty, and her skin seemed to be
quite colOrlesS. In itself it was hardly a
face that you would have looked at twice,
except for the beauty of the long dashed
gray eyes, and the masses of ruddy hair
which waved low upon her forehead and
were gathered into a rough knot at the
nape of her neck. The gaslight fell full
upon this natural adjournment and brought
out strange golden lights in the tangled
ripping waves. In happier circumstances
that marvellous hair and white skin might
have created a sensation in the artistic or
the fashionable world; but in Baldwin's
Court the girl was widely known as ''red-
haired Jess,n or "Carrots"-the inhabitants
of that neighborhood not being possessed Of
esthetic tastes. The girl had rather wide
mouth and strong chin. She was not con-
sidered good-looking in Baldwin's Court
and Mil street. To the eyes of George
Eastwood, who thought he saw her ''capa-
bilities, she was superb.
"Wait minute" he said to his friend in
a changed voice; 81 see subject before me
I'll lot down the attitude on my cuff If |
can get light enough. | shall call it "A
Daughter Of the People, Do you think l
could get that girl to sit to meP
"Do you mean jess Armstrong! Why.
sheis nothing but shock-headed, pale-faced
child, is shei That is how l remember her
two years ago."
''She has developed since then," said
Eastwood, decidedly. "Come along, Hell
mont. | want you to talk to the old woman
while see the girl little closer"
Helmont assented with a smile. He was
rather amused by Georges sudden en-
thusiasm. That he should ever really ad-
mire a girl of Jess Armstrong; station end
training, never entered the clergyman'S
He allowed himself to be led forward to
the old woman's side, and while he spoke TO
her Eastwood turned his eyes upol Jess,
who had altered her position when soc
saw MIR. belmont advance. She stood
erect now, aud looked gently and jnnocently
at the stranger who was cycling her so in
tently.