The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-08


somewhat insolent curiosity. Helen
felt herself stiffening, her companion
drew himself up with soldierly rightly
For moment it seemed as if under
that banal influence they would part
with ceremonious continental polite
ness, but suddenly their hands met in
national handshake and with a
frank smile they separated.
Helen rejoined her companions. so
you have made a conquest of the re-
Gently acquired. but unknown Greek
statues? said Mademoiselle Renee.
lightly You should take up a sub
scription TO restore his arm. ma petite,
II there is.a modern sculptor who can
do it. You might suggest it to the two
Russian cognoscenti, who have been
lowering around him as if they wanted
20 buy him as well as his work. Mad
anne la Princesse is rich enough to in
dulge ner artistic taste 1T is a coun-
tryman of mine.'' said Helen, simply.
lie certainly does not speak French, -
SAID Mademoiselle. Inischievously. Nor
think II. responded Helen, with equal
vivacity. Nevertheless, she wished she
had seen him alone
She thought nothing more of him that
day in her finishing exercises. But the
next morning. as she went 10 open her
window after dressing, she drew back
| with new consciousness and then
making a peep hole in the curtain
looked over the opposite roofs. She had
! seen them many times before. but now
they mao acquired a new picturesque
ness, which, as her view was of course
the reverse of the poor painters sketch,
must have been a transigured memory
OF her own. Then she glanced curl
ously along the line of windows level
With hers; all these. however. with
/ their occasional revelations of the me-
mage behind them. were also familiar to
her. but now she began to wonder
which was his. singular interest at
last impelled her to lift her eyes
/ Higher in the corner house. and so near
the 1oor that It scarcely seemed possible
Tor grown man to stand upright be-
mind ii, was an oeil de boeuf looking
down upon the other roofs. and framed
IN that circular opening like Vignette
was the handsome face of Major Os-
trander- His eyes seemed to be turned
| toward her window. Her first impulse
was to open it and recognize him with
friendly nod. But an odd mingling
of mischief and shyness made her turn
AVA quickly.
Nevertheless, she me. him the next
morning walking slowly so near her
house that their encounter might have
been scarcely accidental on his part.
she walked With him as far as the Con-
servatoire. In the light of the open
street she thought he looked pale and
hollow-cheaked; she wondered if it was
from his enforced frugality. and was
trying to conceive some elaborate plan
OF obliging him to accept her hospital
lty. at least for a single meal when
ne SAID: I think you have brought me
luck. Miss Maynard"
Helen opened her eyes wonderingly.
The two Russian connoisseurs who
stared at us so rudely were pleased
however, to also stare at nv work.
They offered me a fabulous sum for one
of my sketches 1t didn't seem to me
quite the square thing to old Favel. the
picture dealer, whom I had forced to
take lot at one-fiftieth the price, so
l simply referred them to him.
No" said Helen. Indignantly, you
We're not so foolish."
Ostrander laughed Il am afraid
what you call my folly didn't avail. for
they wanted what they saw in my port
folio"
"Of course said Helen. why. that
sketch Of the housetop alone was worth
hundred times more than what YOU
- She stopped. She did not like to
reveal that she knew what ne got for
his pictures, and added. more than
any of those usurers would give"
Il am glad you think so well of it.
simply, yet with significance that
left her silent.
She did not see him again for several
days. The preparation for her exam
nation left her no time, and her earn
est concentration in her work fully
preoccupied her thoughts She was
surprised but not disturbed. on the
day of the awards to see him among
the audience of anxious parents and re-
lations. Miss Helen Maynard did not
get the first prize, nor yet the second !
An accessit was her only award She |
did not know until afterward that this /
had long been a foregone conclusion of |
her teachers, on account of some in
trinsic defect in her voice. She did not |
know until long after that the hand |
some painters nervousness on that |
occasion had attracted even the SYM
pathy of some of those who were near
him. For she herself had been calm
and collected
No one else knew how crushing was
the blow which shattered her hopes
and made her three years of labor and
prlvation a useless struggle. Yet,
though no longer a pupil. she could
still teach; her master had found her
q small patronage that saved her from
restitution. That night she circled I'D
quite cheerfully in her usual swallow
fight to her nest under the caves. and
even twittered on the landing a little
over the condolences of the concierge,
who knew-my God, what a beast the
director Of the conservatoire was. and
how he could be bribed-but when at
last her brown head sank on her pillow
she cried-just little
But what was all this to that next
the glorious spring morning
which bathed all the roofs of Paris
with warmth and hope. reminding en-
thusiasm and ambition in the breast
Of youth and gliding even much of the
sordid dirt below. 1t seemed quite nat
ural that she should meet Major Os-
trander not many yards away as she
sailed out In that bright spring sun
shine and the hopeful spring of their
youth they even laughed a the pre-
Vious days disappointment. All what
4 claque ii was after ALL For him
self he, Ostrander, would much rather
see that satin-faced Partisan girl who
lad got the prize Sinking at the critics
from the boards of the grand opera
han his cOuntrywomani The Conserv-
ltoire settled things for Paris, but
Paris wasn't the world America would
come to the fore vet in art of all
kinds. There was a free academy there
low. There should be a Conservative
If its own. Of course, Paris schooling
md Paris experience wern't to be de-
'pised in art, but, thank heaven, she !
lad that and no directors could take
t from her! This and much more, I'M ]
il. comparing notes, they suddenly !
oupd that they were both free for that {
lay. Why should they not take adj
Tantage of that rare weather and rarer
TO take a little suburban
EXCURSION? But where? There was
he Bots, but that was still Paris Fon- E
ainebleu2 Too far There were al