The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-05-16
THE PORTRAIT.
BY EVELYN THORP.


there was color in plenty and movement,
and an animated hum Of voices. 1t was
an artists reception. All the studios
were open and in all there was crowd.
But il none was there SO great . crowd
as in Roderick Koth's studio. For Rod
erick Roth was talked about; talked
about necessarily. There had been ne
such original work shown as his had been,
that year or any year 1t had the touch
| of genius. Roderick Roth was IA star OF
the first magnitude Just breaking upon
/ the horizon. People wanted TO see him.
Of course, his studio WAS besieged.
There were those who looked 1T him
| quite as much as they looked at his two
or three exhibited pictures: and quite as
admiringly. He was like the figure of
some youthful Viking, with eyes as blue
as seas in Summer and yellow name
against his velveteen coat collar
Some of Roderick Roth's fellow artists
arched their lips at the yellow name.
| They pronounced it, among themselves,
apose. But prejudice alone could not have
found Roderick Roth guilty of any pose
| whatever. once it had seen one of his
frank smiles. This young man, who
| measured six foot two and was so athletic
ally deep of chest and wide of shoulder,
had most disarmingly sunny, and
honest, and good tempered, and gentle
smile. 1t was quite free from any arti-
| fee. 1t was the sort of smile that on
| mans lips causes the mothers of
daughters to wish that they might have
| such u sOn-in- law
1t was quite surely with no such SEN
timent, however, that Mrs. Ritchcy now
stood, smiling also on her side. and be-
nignly, in front of the young man
| THE sittings may be arranged to suit
| your own convenience, of course, Mr..
Roth. l should like them to begin as
! soon as possible. however, as the por-
trait is destined for certain purpose, at
q certain time. BY the by, you have not
seen your sitter yet. Ethel"
Mrs. Ritchey turned seeking at her
elbow the daughter who, however, had
become little separated from her in the
| crowd
Ethel, this is Mr. Roth. He is going
to paint your portrait"
| Roderick looked at the Young girl and
| caught his breath little. She must
| have been quite accustomed to such ad-
miration ere now, yet she changed color
! slightly. Mrs. Rltchey saw that Ethel
had made profound impression and
was amused and gratitied OF course,
an artist, of all men, would be struck
With Ethers beauty. lie would appre-
ciate 1t at its full worth. The mother
| felt that she had presented this rising
Nelasquez with amodel magnifccntly lit
| to inspire his art
Gle seems a nice unpretentious young
| - SaI1 che tbau n hnr,,a
Not spoiled by his success at all
| And his work is certainly very fine
| wonder who the prim, elderly woman
was who sat near him and out of the
crowd little. She appeared to belong
to him, somehow. She didn't look old
enough to be his mother. An aunt, or
an older sister, perhaps. But there was
no resemblance, certainly, He is won
derfully good looking young man. And
| he has quite an air"
"'Yes,' said Ethel Ritchey.
Meanwhile the afternoon had come to
a close, the crowd had dispersed and
Roderick Roth, finding himself restored
to privacy, had turned to the woman
whom Mrs. Iitchev had noticed She
had been sitting very quietly for a long
| time and she looked little pale and
tired. She was not in any sense pretty
ano probably had not been even in her
youth. She was now thirty eight or
forty.
I'm afraid you've been dreadfully
bored, Lavinia," said Roderick cheerily.
| .'Oh, no. I've been looking and-and
thinking. I think I'll go now"
''Wmt until | get my coat and hat"
! He disappeared in an inner room and
when he reappeared they went out to-
! gether. He took her TO her 'home,n
| which was boarding house on quiet
block
There was fine mist in the air and the
street lamps twinkled, blurred and sal
| low, through it. They walked along.
both rather silently. When Roderck
| had rung the bell and while they were
waiting for the servant to answer it Rod
erick's companion said:
care you going to paint that young
girls portrait, Rodcrick, the one with
| the large hatr
Miss Rltchey2 Yes Croft was tell
ing me about her the other day. lie la,
| known the family since she was child
1t WAS he who suggested to Mrs Ritcney
that perhaps | could paint the portrait
she wanted of her daughter. He said she
was the most beautiful creature in the
world. And she is, she is. Did YOU see
| her we'll Lavinia? She is perfect. per
feet" He stopped with glowing eyes
: Yes, ! saw her" answered Lavinia.
The door opened and she went rather
| quickly in.
| She did not usually take leave of him
thus abruptly, and as Roderick retraced
his steps along the moist, black pave
ment he wondered little Had he Of
| Tended Laviniat Could it be that she
was hurt at the enthusiasm with which
he had spoken CT that beautiful Young
| girl! lmpossible Lavinia was the
largest hearted, the nobest of women.
! She was incapable Of small, suspicious
or a Jealous thought.
| Several times during the evening, al
though his studio was again in
vaded by 8 coming and going, a
| pushing and talking throng, a vision of
the faultless face under the brim of the
/ large hat rose up before Roderick's men
| tai eye. and his fancy busi!y worked at
| the pose he 81 outa give it, the light he
| should bring to bear upon it.
When everyone had gone and the
studio was dim and quiet he chose a can
vas and placed 1t on his easel and for
moment stood lost in thought.
He aroused himself from his reverie
with light sigh.
eyes" said Croft, g You have made
great success of it, Roth, great success.
Its your best portrait. don't know
but hat tits your very best work" He
glanced from the canvas on the easel to