Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-17
THE RULING PASSION.

q refuse absolutely" said Mrs. Jack
Rostrevor.
But
There is no question of but"
If"
"Or if I positively refuse.
Then | shall have to get another
model"
You will" She looked at her watch.
Heavens. | must be off. I've got
some shopping to do in Bond street
before get home, and we're going out
to dinner at Hemstead. Why people
want to live at sucn an unget-at-able
place l can't imagine. 1t will take us
three-quarters of an hour to drive there
at least and with the frost on the road
up that hill, it's as likely as not we
shall have one of the horses down"
She put down the dainty little Sevres
teacup she had been holding on the
bamboo table and began drawing on her
| long black gloves
It's great pity" Claud Seton NUT
tered TO himself, "a great pity. | could
have made capital picture Of you-a
really excellent picture"
Mrs. RostTevor held out dainty
arm
You can button that for me-" she
said.
He buttoned the glove mechanically,
You know perfectly well" she said
as she rose, and, standing opposite the
long glass, adjusted her big hat, cor
rected the set" of her sealskin sack
back jacket and pushed away from
her forehead a recalcitrant brown curl
you know perfectly we'll that you
can get a dozen women tomorrow for
your picture. Why, any of the chorus
girls from the ambiguity would be only
too delighted to sit for you, and they
, could bring boys costumes with
them"
Very likely" he said. "but that's
not the same thing. | want you.
IT'S a very great deal better thing,
and you can't have me- she answered.
But you didn't mind sitting to me
/ for 'Cassandra, he replied. His eyes
| turned instinctively to the corner Of
/ the room where, in a plain white frame,
| hung the original chalk sketch for the
| picture which had been the sensation
of the aristocratic season.
Cassandra' was classical she an
swered with dignity. Besides, she
didn't wear any tights. Between sit
! ting for Cassandra,' who, after all, was
I a most respectable young woman
: even if all her tips didn't come off,
/ at least none of her clothes did-and
sitting for, what do you want to call
the thing. The Principal Boy?'-is all
the difference in the world
But the dress of The Principal Boy
is eminently proper" he pleaded.
why. in a week or two, when the pan
tomimes begin, there will be- l should
/ think. about 10000 women in England
wearing the costume that you have
such objections to. And, besides,
tights have the sanction of the gov
eminent; you surely do not mean to
/ impugn the discretion of the Lord
/ Chamberlain
Tights don't have the sanction of the
| government in this case she said,
turning round with a shake of her
\ skirts that was accompanied by the
| rustling of an obviously expensive silk
| petticoat. My husband-Mr. Rostre-
| vor-has strong objections to them
But have seen him time after time
/ at the Ambiguity
IF you would let me finish my sem
| fences before you start interrupting
/ them" she said. Il was going to add
! in the case of his wife. If l sat for
] The Principal Boy he would never for
! give me. But, after all, she continued,
/ holding out her hand, 'all this is really
/ quite beside the point | am not going
| TO do it. and there's an end of it.
Goodbye. then" he said, holding the
/ hand at least five seconds longer than
was necessary.
"Good-bye!" she echoed. ''Shall we
] see you on Sunday
Il don't know" he said. 81 have n
! lot to get through if this picture is to
be done in time for the spring exhibit
ton. You see, l was relying on you.
| l really ought to have begun before
Captain Harrington is coming she
said. not taking her hand away.
Il will certainly try to come, he
said eagerly.
And little Jack Vassour!'
'You may depend on me-
"TilI Sunday, then" she said. smiling
Eyes, till Sunday he echoed.
He went to the door of his studio,
hailed a cab, saw her into it, and then
came back and lit his largest pipe.
For half an hour he pulled away fero-
ciously. He really was exceedingly
annoyed. He had counted on her sit
ting for this picture and it was quite
true that by the time he had got an
other model he would be hard put to
+ it to get the canvas through in time for
the spring show And, besides, he
hated the professional models. Their
talk wearied him; their presence, in
stead of inspiring, seemed to XIII ms
ideas Something must be done, but
how was ne to do it? He knocked out
the ashes of his pipe and filled another.
When that was finished he knocked the
ashes out again and once more reflled
it,
The more he thought over the matter
the more he realized what nuisance II
was. Though Mrs. ROstervor had never
been on the stage in her life. her trlends
were never tired of telling her that her
figure alone would have made her for
time in burlesuue. if she had but chosen
to trv her hand at it. The manager Of
the Ambiguity had been heard to eX-
press on more than one occasion the
opinion that, as far as physical gifts
went. Mrs. ROstervor was the Ideal
principal boy; he was even understood
to have offered her. through the medi-
I'm of that energetic patron of the
lighter forms of theatrical art Lord
Westminster, an engagement at his
theatre at a salary only inferior to that
which he paid his principal comedian
with the special provision thrown IN