Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-02-24

''Not ~! ALL answered katharine,
coolIy. "lt interested IN. because it
has an idea and is we'll painted. No one
would think i, great"
''ln tla! you are mistaken. am the
artist, and ,hink it great. =
There was - dead pause.
After Il dozen years experience as an
hciresS Katharine li;s, formed the habit
OF speaking but occasionally. and Of
never TALKING Young men generally
talked to her. Howard was puzzled. He
pridcsl himself upon reading character
upon lavi:lr no Illusions no cnthus;sms,
upon never losing his tempcr--in fact,
upon: innumcl:,'',r qualities. He was a
woman halcr. and cared nothing for
money. III the choice lrrl rested with
him he never would have met Miss
Strong III the conversation had opened
differently he would have closed il
as soon as possible Now it
seemed rs il Katl,iisi. lind closed it,
She .oo. lookins at him. no si.sns of
lille IN her face. 1t WAS the coolest face
hr had eve, sen. Even the eyes. deep
set aad sri,,!. hat! n"i t!,c redecmin@
quality oi cc,or. They were light
Gray; the I:,siies amounted to moth
Ing: line eyebrows aa,l hair. how
ever. Were dark. 'rhi, scrutiny kathc-
rinc bore with complete Indifference.
Howard MIGHT .s;,.:c al her rs long rs he
c'iose OF III least until her ci,rriasc were
called. And Howard did g;izc ut her.
Something lay behind that cxtraor,lina-
rily inexpensive face.
"iiisS Strong" hr said, abruptly. "you
have givca me an idea. We artists can
not ailnri To throw away such gift.
Will Nua sit i,r me-.
Katherine moved slowly toward the
door
'"I,o YOU carry your realism to that
extreme, Mr. lloward9" she asked. He
had Thought her cold: now she was icy.
ii am considered blunt, Miss STRONG:
my enemies even call me rude. \ great
deal oi time is wasted in convcntionaii-
ties. don't believe i'm them. Why
should ! wait until have known YOU IL
year before | ask you To sit for me! My
idea would be lost. May expect YOU
ut my studio by ten tomorrow morn
ing."
NO. answered katherine; "this week
is fully occupied. Next Monday vou
may call upon me and will appoint the
sittings to suit my convenience. Good
afternoon"
Her carriage had been found. Onc
cavalier ontrunning the others, breath
cssiy lr.s;cnc,l TO offer Miss strong his
arm. Howard turned away smiling.
"Evem y sphinx has vanity. No wo-
man ever refused to sit for her portrait.
III read the riddle before pain. the
sphinx my picture will he Il failure. She
will intcrss, nic only until fathom her.
She must, therefore, interest me until
the sll,ings are ovcr.'
This calm way OF regulating his inter
cs,s had given Howard wears OF selfish
ease. He ,llough; little about sliss
Strong until H. ca.lc, upon her on Mon.
day TO arrange Tor ihc siii;ngs i!ut at
the first one lie found that, say or do
what llc would she did interest him IN
| tcnSeiv.
This j. not 10 he Il conventional por
trait Miss Strong" he cNpi;,i.e,i. II
shall Want You In take tiresoinc posi-
ton. and warn you that aln a SLOW
worker. 70 l,,gin with. lct Inc tell yon
my idea. l.eok Il. this photograph. .N"w
loul. into this !iiyal. DO soa sre the
| lilsc,csS'
Tic photograph was Of Il ii'.iux the
ordinary sphinx every child sees in its
geography. Bn. liile for inc, feature
/ for feature, the face WAS katherine
/ S!rcm.'S.
/ .Nftct that morning, Howard trans
4 teyrcd his interest from Miss Strong 10
I his canvaS. He knew That wha, lie had
done was Great. and he workcda as he had
never workcd before.
"Son're doin. a portrait for Katherine
Strong. hear said friend, meeting
him one day. II didn't know that sort
of ,li;ng WAS in your line What can
You make oi her.
"Make al Ie'..' repeated Howard. 81
Gun do -nytln@ with her; never have
had s'.,h Il model: she's Il lpcrirc, lay
figure. size holds Il position without
moving !, ,am,clc. aud don't have to
talk a string OF nonsense to Keep her
good humorrd. Now that think OF it.
don't bclicNc She ever WAS good hum
cred
He laughed am,usadly. Good -humor
did sccma ri,licilous expression to apply
TO Katherine Strong.
.loure an extraordinary fellow, said
HIS lilcIiN, lpI downright uNtllicSS MISS
Strong has no equals but do you think
she will like oncoi your realistic studies.
You don't know human nl,rc. \ plain
woman is vaincr than IL beauty
"Nel!. whatever She is, the picture is
uppcrmost my mind. stake my rel,,,-
tation on ii. i didn't know could get
up so much enthusiasm over anything. .
Howard was in Il prcdicamcnt when he
next SAW Katherine. For some reason
or other he could not settle down to
work. 1t was absurd that thinking about
katherine should make it impossible to
paint. by alolislling her individuality
from his mind, he had made great strides
with his picture. Now that he had be-
gun to notice her again, he could do
nothing
"Pslmw!' he exclaimed, throwing
aside his brush. "Miss Strong. it's nc
use, my mind is occupied with some
thing else. and perhaps you'll he glad of
Il rest to-day.'
katherine rose composedly.
''.lus, as you please, MIR. Howard