Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21
BRANDT, THE JANITOR
WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE EVENING
STAR BY JULIA sCHAYER.

window. The studio was a big, bare suite
Of rooms the fourth floor of a ram
shackle old building in Southwest Wash
lngton. From the window toward the
south, away beyond the sordid foreground
of roofs and chimneys. away beyond the
tawny Potomac, could be seen the low line
of the Virginia shores; nearer, to the left,
the inevitable monument rose in solitary
beauty against the pale blue sky.
A well-built fellow of five six and
twenty was Muncaster, with a dark aqui-
line face that was meant to be handsome,
but was not so just now. Suffering may
ennoble, but it does not eeautify, and the
past month had told on Muncaster.
1t was not that he was poor with two
dear old people on barren Maryland farm
looking to him for support, for Muncaster
delighted in his work, believed in himself
and had the courage of his convictions.
No, it was not that. 1t was the old story
of the moth and the star-of youthful love
and parental tyranny-and in this way it
had come about.
Among other expedients for keeping the
pot boiling in that old farm kitchen Mum
caster had arranged a class in painting,
composed of society girls who came three
times week to his studio for what they
lnnocently called serious work" Among
them was Miss Drayton-Miss Beth Dray-
she was the daughter of a very wealthy
widow and moved in the highest circles.
To him she was only a student-an ele-
giant, refined girl with spirtuelle face
and hands small and frail that it seemed
absurd to him to see them handling maui
stick and brush-and he had acted toward
her as toward the other members of the
claSS-Secretly Indifferent, outwardly civil
and attentive.
1t was a great surprise to Muncaster
when he one day discovered in Miss Dray-
fnD drny tNtr foil tod
inality and feeling, and the look of eager
delight in her face when he said some
thing of the kind to her went straight to
his heart.
Poor girlr he said to himself in his
grand masculine way, how pleased she
seemed! Strange-people are never salts
fled with their lot! Always want a lot
more,"
One day Miss Drayton fingered after the
other students had gone. She had been
everywhere, seen everything-ths girl Of
twenty and Muncaster listened to her
bright talk with the hunger of his soul
plain to see in his dark southern eyes.
But you have genius" said Miss Dray-
ton, guessing his thoughts. and Muncaster
thrilled at the words and then burned with
shame that he should place any value upon
the sweet speeches of a society girl.
But he was led to talk of himself more
and more and to confide to her his hopes
and plans, and at length to show her the
sketches he had made for the great pic
ture" he wanted to paint.
ne had cai!ed TINS picture in his mind
already In the Midst of Life" 1t was TO
represent Death wrestling from the feast
OF life woman in the bloom of youth and
beauty. What with the sketches and Mum
casters dramatic description, Miss Dray-
ton seemed to get remarkably clear idea
of what he wanted to do and was very en-
thusiastc and sympathetic. 1t was an
ambitious attempt: Muncaster admitted
but that did not daunt him in the least.
What did trouble him was the lack of
suitable model for the womans figure.
There was not professional model in
washington who would do at ALL
Miss Drayton listened with diated eyes;
then. with blush spreading all over her
fower-like face, timdly asked: would I
do?" And Muncaster, overwhelmed with
delight and gratitude. accepted the prof
fered kindness honestly, if thoughtlessly
After all, 1t vas no unheardsof thing
beautiful women of high positionhad thus
thousands of times.
The posing began at once, at such hours
as Miss Drayton could snatch from the
many distrac lions of her social life She
was generally accompanied by a friend
upon whose discretion she could rely, for
at her request the sittings were to be kept
secret until the figure was finished
You understand, Mr.. Muncaster" she
na1Vely explained, Il never disobey man.
ma. and as she probably would object to
my posing IT would be a pity to cause her
to issue a command it would be so painful
to obey"
And Muncaster, amused at this display
or Mac hiavelism In SO unexpected quar-
ter, Joined the girls laugh and offered no
protest.
or course but one result might be ex-
pected from this propinquity of two young
and ardent beings. Haeckel explains the
origin of love the elective affinity of
two cells" but Muncaster would have re-
1ected with fierce contempt any such cold
blooded, MISUNDERSTANDING theory applied
70 the feeling that had sprung up between
himself and beautiful Beth. 1t was a pure
ana exalted passion, born of mutual sym
pathy and understanding, an attraction
mysterious and irresistible holding within
itself suffcient proof of it's divine origin
To love Beth gave herself with the same
unhesitating frankness and devotion with
which she had lent herself to art, and in
sisted upon the same secrecy. to Muncas-
ters intense annoyance.
Abhorring deceit, he would, for his loves
sake, nave faced a regiment of tyrannical,
purse-proud parents and begged to be al
lowed to see Mrs. Drayton at once
What can your mother do to me, any,
way?" he urged. You see I cannot bear
this sort Of thing much longer. 1t is a
humiliation to me and a wrong to You.
dear,' ~
Beth was silent. She could not confess
10 her lover the fear he seemed not to
share, that her mother would try to sep
arate them, nor that other lurking fear for
which she despised herself-the fear that
she would succeed in doing this. Mum
caster looking into her troubled face, half
guessed what passing in the girls
mind. His dark cheeks burned.
you are not afraid-of your own
mother?' he exclaimed. You would not
let her separate us, merely because 1 am
Bethr' 'n'
Beth tried to smile reassuringly
My mother Is the dearest mother in the
world to me-" she answered, but 1 have
never opposed her. There has never been
any occasion to. before! But something
tells me that 1t would be better to wait
for the sake Of the picture. If for no other
reason" she added. coaxingly. Don't
let's think of the future, Phil! Isn't the
present enough?
And the smile she gave him disarmed
Muncaster, as 1t would have disarmed any
man in his place, and though secretly un-
easy, he ceased to protest.
So matters drifted along. Beth came as
often as she could and the picture pro-
crossed rapidly, and though Beth seldom
came alone, there were always some pre-
cious moments of solitude a deux, for a
studio with its screens and draperies lends
itself happily to lovers uses
Meanwhile. poor young ostriches, thanks
10 doubt. to the friend upon whom Beth
knew she could rely their secret had