The Irish standard., 1893-08-26

"'Pray don't touch the paint I suq-
gested, approaching her in some alarm
1T is wet and comes off,
"She drew back cautiously; and then
as preliminary to further converse
ton sat down on the grass, giving me
further occasion to remark her length
and shapeliness of limb. There was q
free-and-easiness, not to say boldness,
about her manner, tempered though it
was with gusts of bashfulness, which
began to amuSe me.
"'Can you paint faces?' she asked,
obviously.
81 replied that could even aspire to
that accomplishment. by which l I'M
derstood her to mean portrait-paint-
ing, if need were. She gave quiet
nod of satisfaction.
"'There was painter chap who
came to Aberglyn last summer. and he
painted William Jones'
"'Indeed?' I said, with an assump-
ton of friendly interest.
''Yes. wanted him to paint me,
but he wouldn't. He painted William
Jones father, though, along O. William
Jones'
'"This with an air of unmistakable
disgust and recrimination. I looked
at the girl more observantly. 1t had
never occurred to me till that moment
that she would make capital picture
Just the sort of study which would
fetch fair price in the market. I
adopted her free-and-easy manner,
which was contagious, and sat down
tn
"'Il tell you what it is, Matt /
said, Familiarity, I'LL paint you, though
the other painter chap won't
.'tYou will?' she cried, blushing with
delight.
Certainly; and a very nice portrait
] think you'll make. Be good enough
to take off your hat, that may have
a better look at YOU
"She obeyed me at once and threw
the clumsy thing down on the grass
beside her. Then saw that her head
was covered with short black curls,
clinging round a bold white brow un-
freckled by the. sun. She glanced at
me sidelong. laughing. and showing
her white teeth. Whatever her age
was, she was quite old enough to be a
coquette.
promptly as possible I put the
question: You have not told me how
old you are"
'Fifteen,' she replied, without hest
tation.
"I should have taken you to be At
least year older
''She shook her head.
"'Its fifteen year come Whitsun-
tide she explained, since l come
ashore
"Although I was not little curious
to know what this coming ashore
meant, felt that all my conversation
had been categorical to monotony, and
I determined, therefore, to reserve fur
Their inquiry until another occasion.
Observing that my new friend was
now looking at the caravan with con-
siderable interest, asked her if she
knew what it was, and if she had ever
seen anything like it before. She re-
piled i'm the negative, though think
She had tolerably good guess as to
the caravans uses. l thought this
good opportunity to show my natural
politeness. Would she like to look at
the interior? She said she would,
though without exhibiting much en-
thusiasm.
~ thereupon led the way up the
steps and into the vehicle. Matt fol-
lowed; but, so soon as she caught
glimpse of the interior, stood timidly
on the threshold. What is there in the
atmosphere of a house, even the rudest,
~ o. o1xyor
tage as compared with the owner?
Even animals feel this, and dogs espe-
cially, when visiting strange premises,
exhibit most abject humility. But
must not generalize. The bearings of
this remark, to quote my friend Capt.
Cutie, lie in the application of it.
Matt for moment was awed.
"'Come in, Matt; come in,' said.
"She came in by slow degrees, and
noticed for the first time-seeing how
near her hat was to the roof-that she
was unusually tall. ! then did the
honors of the place. showed her my
sleeping arrangements, my culinary
implements, everything that thought
would interest her. offered her the
armchair, or turned-up bedstead; but
she preferred stool which some
times used for my feet, and, sitting
down upon it, looked round her with
obvious admiration.
"'Should you like to live in house
like this?' asked, encouragingly.
''She shook her head with decision.
"tWhy not?' demanded.
''She did not exactly know why, or,
at any rate, could not explain. Wish
ing to interest and amuse her, l
handed her a portfolio of my sketches,
chiefly in pencil and pen and ink, but
. few in water colors. Her manner
changed at once, and she turned them
over with little cries of delight. 1t
was clear that Matt had taste for the
beautiful in art, but her chief attrac-
ton was for pictures representing the
human face or figure.
Among the sketches she found q
crayon drawing of an antique and
blear-eyed gentleman in skull cap,
copied from some Rembrandtish pic
ture had seen abroad.
6 ~,,1,~> <1:e se1s ~ S,,no<7