The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-01-22
4 SUCCESSFUL PLAN

A SUCCESSFUL PLAN
">nd you refuse absolutely?"
II refuse absolutely" said Mrs. Jack
Rostrevor.
Out"
There is no question of but"
Iii"
>"Or If positively refuse"
'Thpn l shall have to get another
mclel."
You WILL" She locked at her watch.
"Hcavcns! / must he off. I've got
some shopping to do in Bond street be-
fore l get home, and we're going ont to
dinner at Hampstead. Why people
want to live at such an ungct-at-able
place can't imagine. 1t will take three
quarters of an hour to drive there, at
least: and with the frost OH 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 Scvrcs
tea cup she had been holding, on the
bamboo table. and began drawing on her
long black gloves.
Its a great pity" Claud Seton NUT
tered to himself, "a great pity could
have made Il capital picture of you-:,
really excellent picture"
Mrs. RostrevOr held out a dainty arm.
You can button that for me-" she said.
he buttoned the glove mechanically.
"1cu know perfectly wcll,' she said,
as she rose, and standing opposite the
long glass, adjusted her big hat. cor
rcctcd the set of her sealskin ''sack
e,n< al.
forehead rccalcitrant brown curl
You know perfectly we'll that you can
get dozen women tomorrow for your
picture. Why. any of the chorus girls
from the Ambiguity would be only too
delighted to sit to you. and they could
bring bcys' costumes with them.''
Every likely" he said. ''but that's not
the same thing. l want YOU
Its very great deal better thing,
and YOU cant have me-" she answered.
But YOU didn't mind sitting to me for
'CasS4ndra:. " he, pleaded. His eyes
turned instinctiycly to the corner of the
hung the original chalk sketch for the
picture which had been the sensation OF
the artistic season
'Cassandra' was classical" she an
swered. with dignity. 'Besides, she
didn't wear tights. Between sitting for
'Cassandra.' who after all was most
rcsEcctable 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 cminently proper" he pleaded "Why,
in Il week or two. when the pantomines
begin: there will be: should think. about
10000 women in England wearing the
costume that you have such objections to.
And besides. tights have the sanction Of
the government, YOU surely do not mean
to lmDugn the discretion of the Lord
Chamberlain ?''
flights don't have the sanction of the
government in this case" she said. turn
ing round with shake of her skirts that
was accompanied by the rustling of an
obviously expensive silk petticoat. my
hushand-Mr Rostrevor-has strong OBJ
jections to them"
But have seen him time after time
at the Ambiguity -
IF YOU would let me finish my SEN
fences. before YOU start interpreting
the case of his wife. If sat for The
Principal Boy he would never forgive
me. But after ALL" she continued, hold
ing out her hand, "all this is really quite
beside the point. I am not going to do
it. and there's an end of it,
"Goodby. them he said, holding the
hand at least five seconds longer than
"Good;hy!' ST." echoed. "shall we sec
You on Sunday"
Il don t know he said Il have lot
to get through if this picture is to be
done in time for the spring exhibition.
You see, | was relying on you. l really
ought to have begun before
Capt. Harrington is coming" she said,
not taking her hand away.
II will certainly try to come" he said.
eagerly.
And little Jack Nassour"'
You may depend on me-"
Till Sunday. thcn." she said. smiling.
Eyes. till Sunday" he echoed
&c 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 puffed away fe-
roc'orsly. He really was exceedingly
annoyed. He had counted on her Sit
ting for This picture, and it was quite
true hat by the time he had got another
model he would he hard put to it to get
the canvas through in time for the spring
show. And. besides. he hated the pro-
fessional models. Their talk wearic,l
him; their presence. instead of inspiring,
seemed to kill his ideas Something must
be done, but how was he 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 rcfilled if.
The more he thought over the matter
the more he realized what nuisance it
was. Though Mrs. RUstrevor had never
been on the stage in her life. her friends
were never tired Of telling her that her
figure alone would have made her for
tune in burlcsque. if she had but chosen
10 try Der hand at it. The manager of
the Ambiguity had been heard to OK
press on more than one occasion the opin-
ION that, as far as physical gifts went,
Mrs. Rostrevor was the ideal principal
boy: he was even understood 10 have
offered her, through the medium of that
eNcGptic patron of the lighter forms of
theatrical art. Lord Westminster. an en-
gagemcnt at his theater at a salary only
inferior TO that which he paid his prin-
cipal comedian, with the special proviso
thrown in that he would not trouble her
to attend matinees. The manager of the
Ambiguity's opinion in the matter of
form admits. as everyone knows. of no
appeal. and though Mrs. RostrevOr de-
clined the offer. ostensibly with scorn,
she wax careful to mention it's terms to
all her friends, thus becoming ut once
the admiration more than ever of the
men, and the hopeless envy of the wonl-
en-.
OF all this Claud was aware, and to
lose Il chance so unique as that of Scc,,r-
ing such IL peculiarly suitable sitter for
the picture he had been contemplating
for some time was excessively irrita ting.
1t was true that she had never given
him to understand that she would con-
sent to sit; but. OH the other hand yari-
Gus, as he had thought obvious, infu-
ences that he had drawn from time to
time from chance remarks she had let
drop, had established in his mind the
conviction that her consent, though not
likely to be volunteered. was pretty sure.
if he went discrcctly enough about it, to
be eventually procurable. Now to the
annoyance caused by her refusal was
added the additional annoyance of hav-
ing TO confess that he had made mis-
calculation-:, thing which he prided him
self he never did.
Still. even DOW he was loath to admit
that he had failed. He set his brains
StICnvO1lSy tn work to cOnSidpr If tharn