The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-03-09

MeanWnlle ne arrayeu MS Snapely
figure in owboyish top boots, blue
shirt and slouch hat, which became him
immensely and made sinister impress
sion among the blazers and tennis suits
of summering Manitou.
Grace was absorbed and satisfied.
One day an idea struck Woodson.
''Grace," said he, 81 found little bit
down here the other day that I'd like
| to have you slsetch-to send home, you
know. You'll do it, won't you?"
"Why, of course. I'll speak to Mr.
| Fleming"
"Oh, hang Mr.. Fleming" Woodson
| broke in. "Fleming's ali right in his
way, but want you--your sketch, you
| know"
The place was quite distance away,
over the mesa. They set out for it the
next day.
Here it is," Woodson exclaimed,
after quite tramp, pointing over the
burning plain to where row Of cot
tonwoods were banked against the sky,
tremulous in the vibrant air.
"There. do that; call it "A Hundred
in the Shade or something like that"
at doesn't seem to compose very
WE'LL" Grace murmured, holding the
tips of her fingers together and inclos-
| ing the picture in rosy frame through
which she gazed, half shutting her
| eyes in truly artistic intentness.
"Well, never mind that; get the
character of it. You know Flem-
ing says the characters the thing
That's what / want--the character
the true character of this beastly coun-
| try"
So Grace donned her big blue apron
and set to work with her biggest
| brushes.
But somehow she had trouble. The
quality of that shy, burning with light
and yet deep in hue, did not seem to
reside in cobalt, however fresh from
the tube. The value of the stretch of
plain, tremulous under the haring
heavens, disturbed her, too, and when
she came to put in the airy wall of cot
tonwoods along the horizon the whole
thing ended in panty muddle.
'Oh, can't do anything to-day"
Grace exclaimed petulantly, wiping
her troubled brow with the back of
her hand and leaving a streak of blue
on her forehead that intensified her
puzzled look
"Why don't you put those trees in
green?" Woodson asked with serious
concern, as Grace renewed her strug-
| gle with the regulation blues and
| puppies.
But don't see them So" she niur-
INJURED, in a moment of absorbed
effort.
Grace" he blurted ont almost be-
| fore he knew it, II don't believe you
see anything. Excuse me, but 1 don't
believe you ever did. l don't believe
in your art; don't believe in your
career; don't believe in your inde-
pendence. You're simply spelling the
incest girl in the world with it. You
see things blue and purple because he
does; and newell, he sees things that
| way because some fellows over in Paris
do, anil don't believe in it. There,
now, I've said it; come"
But it was not arranged that he
should finish what he had to say. He
had looked down to the ground where
he sat as he spoke of Fleming. When
he looked up Grace was several feet
away from him, hurrying down the
hill with her head bowed
''pm brute--a miserable brute!"
Woodson remarked to himself with
considerable force as he watched her
striding toward the half-dry creek.
There was plum thicket along the
creek, and after watching Grace dis
appear within it Woodson set about
picking up her slfetching kit This
done, it occurred to him that it would
be proper pennance on his part to
wash her brushes-he had always hated
dirty brushes so. Gathering them up,
he started toward the creek.
When he got there he could see no
signs Of Grace. Could it be that any
thing had happened to her? The
thought made him catch his breath for
moment. He knew she was i'm
pulsive-capable of any rash move in
moment of excitement Then he
heard stirring in the plum thiclet
and came face to face upon her in
little opening, crying softly to herself.
"Grace" he called. ''Why, what's
the matter? know I'm brute, but
didn't think you'd take it SOY
''Oh, can't you help me?" she pleaded,
and began cropping about and feeling
aimlessly with her hands.
He saw that her hair was loosened
and that her wrists and face were
scratched and bleeding in dozen
places
"Why, what's the matterP" he
queried again, as she came cropping
toward him and stumbled against him
Can't you help me at ALP"
"Of course, l can, small girl; you're
all right. Nothing shall touch you,"
he reiterated as his arms closed around
her.
''Oh, silly, can't you see I've lost my
glasses?" she exclaimed, pulling away
from him and flushing red among the
greenery. But he held her tight.
"You don't want them; you see bet
ter without them, blue eyes. Confess.
row, you never really saw before.
-, L. 4