Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-03

eve haven't had much practice" said
the lady.
We've got to do something, and we've
| thought that an artist in your line might
perhaps make something of u.s." her hus-
band threw off. He further mentioned that
they didn't know many artists, and that
they had gone first, on the off chance Che
painted views, of course, but sometimes
put in hgures-perhaps I remembered), to
Mr. Rivet, whom they had met a few years
before at place in Norfolk where he was
, sketching.
eve used to sketch little ourselves"
the lady recalled.
'1t's very awkward, but we absolutely
must do something" her husband went on.
"Of course, we're not so very young" she
admitted, with wan smile
With the remark that I might as we'll
know something more about them, the nus
band had handed me card, extracted from
neat new pocketbook (their appurtenances
were all of the freshest), and inscribed with
the words. 'Major Monarch" Impressive
as these words were they didn't carry my
knowledge much further, but nv visitor
presently added: s1'ye left the army, and
we've had the misfortune to lose our money.
In fact, our means are extremely small. -
Its an awful bore" said Mrs. Monarch
They evidently wished to be discreet-to
~~->>
gentlefolks. Ipreeeived they would have
been willing to recognize this as something
OF drawback, at the same time that
guessed at an underlying sense-their conso-
latlon in adyersity-that they had their
points. They certainly had; but these adj
vantages struck me preponderantly social;
such, for instance, as would help to make
drawing room look well. However, draw
ing room was always, or ought to be, a
picture.
In consequence of his wife's allusion to :
their age Major Monarch remarked: "Nat-
urally, it's more for the figure that We
thought of going in. We can still
hold ourselves up" On the instant 1 saw
the figure was indeed their strong point.
His naturally" didn't sound vain, but it
lighted up the question. ''She has got the
best" he continued, nodding at his wife,
with pleasant after dinner absence of cir
cumlocution. could only reply, as if We
were in fact sitting over our wine, that this
didn't prevent his own from being very
good, which led him, in turn, to reicin:
1--WE thought that if you ever have to do
people like us, We might be something like
it. She, particularly-for lady in q book,
you know. :"
was so amused bv them that, to get more
OF 1t, 1 did my best to take their point of
view; and though it was an embarrassment
to find myself appraising physically, as if
they were animals on hire useful blacks,
a pair of whom 1 should have expected to
meet only in one of the relations in which
criticism is tacit, looked at Mrs. Monarch
judiciously enough to be able to exclaim,
after moment, with conviction: "Oh, yes,
lady in a bookp' She was singularly like
a bad illustration
"We1l stand up if you like," said tho
Major and he raised himself before NE
with really grand air.
I could take his measure at glance-he
was feet 2 and perfect gentleman. 1t
would have paid any club, in process of
formation and in want of stamp, to engage
him, at salary, to stand in the principal
window. What struck me Immediately was
that in coming to me they had rather missed
their vocation; they could surely have been
turned to better account for advertising
purposes. 1 couldn't, of course, see the
thing in detail; but could see them make
some ones fortune-I don't mean their own.
There was something in them for a waist
coat maker, a hotel keeper, or a soap ven
der. 1 could imagine "We always use it'
pinned on their bosoms with the greatest eff
feet; 1 had a vision of the promptitude with
which they would launch a table d'hote.
Mrs Monarch sat still, not from pride,
but from shyness, and presently her hus-
band said to her: Get up, my dear, and
show how smart you are." She obeyed, but
sh e had no need to get up to show it. She
walked to the end of the studio, and then
she came back blushing, with her huttered
eyes on her husband. I was reminded of an
incident I had accidentally had glimpse Of
in Paris-being with friend there,
dramatist about to produce a play-when an
actress came to him to ask to be intrusted
with part She went through her PAGES
before him, walked up and down as Mrs.
Monarch was doing. Mrs. Monarch did
ing. 1t was very odd to see such people ap-
ply for such poor pay. She looked as if she
had S10, 900 a year. Her husband had used
The word that described her; she was, in
The London current jargon, essentially and
typicalIy ''smart." Her figure was, in the
,ame order of ideas, conspicuously and ir-
'good." For a woman of her
lge her waist was surprisingly small; her
elbow, moreover had the orthodox crook.
She held her head at the conventional angle;
,ut why did she come to me? She ought to
lave tried on jackets at big shop. feared
ny visitors were not only destitute, but
artistic would be great compl-
alton. When she sat down again thanked
Ter. observing that what a draughtsman
most valued in his model was the faculty for
:eeping quiet
"Oh, she can keep quiet" said Major
Then he added loosely: I've
lways kept her quiet."
"I'm not a nasty hdget, am II" MrA
fonarch appealed to her husband.
He addressed his answer to me. 'Per-
APPS it isn't out of place to mention-be-
ause we ought to be quite business-like,
ughtn't we-that when L married her she
Ias known as the Beautiful Statue"
"Oh dear!' said Mrs. Monarch ruefully.
"Of course I should want a certain amount
f expression" rejoined.
"Of course!" they both exclaimed.
"And then I suppose you know that
QUILL get awfully tired"
ooh, we never get tiredP' they eagerly
ried.
"Have you had any kind of practice?''
They hesitated-they looked at each
ther. "We've been photographed i'm
lensely," said Mrs Monarch.
"She means the fellows have asked us,
dded the Major
81 see-because you're so good looking"
81 don't know what they thought but
lev were always after us"
"We always got our photographs for moth
lg," smiled Mrs. Monarch.
"We might have brought some, my DEAR,
er husband remarked.
81 m not sure we have any left. We've
wen quantities away" She explained to
with our autographs and that sort of
ling" said the Major
..Are they to be got in the shops?" T in
1ired, as q harmless pleasantly.
'Oh, yes; hers-thev used to be"
"Not now, !" said Mrs Monarch, with heB
res on the floor.