The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1898-12-22

by dodgers and mealers OF various ages
and cOlorE and conditions Of heryitude
In Intervals OF inspiration. and they
were not infrcquent with Hillhouse, he
fell, between whifrs Of his pipe, to spec,
ulating on the daily occupation and the
heart stories Of bis heterogeneous
beiRhbors. One Of his studio windows
looked almost imPcrtincntly into q
ballroom OF the most imposing house
In the row. To 1Illihousc's surprise,
his mirror one day reflected lis occu-
pant, who rtvtted his attention with
fascination almost as irresistible as
that which wrought the ruin Of Paul
Pry." Hetram paused. The interest
in his auditors eyes urged him on.
''She was frail little woman" he
said, AZ length, with certain faded
spleBdor, the spicndor Of n brilliant au-
tumnal flower that dchcs drough;
aud frost, and with color and perfume
OF its own, holds away long after It's
garden companions lie wlthcrcd and
dead. She rarely went out save In the
flush of the morning or late IN the twi.
light Her room, like herself, bespoke
faded splendor, disccruihle even from
Hillhouse's studio. A window.garden
of old fashioned bloom and plentiful
ly-stocked bookcase that crowded the
small apartment almost to suffocatlnns
absorbed her days.
Certain hours she was wont TO Eit
in the window, on open book In her
lap. her heuvily-fringed gray eyes lost
in invisible worlds. know not whether
II was the style Of her dress--ihc white
null fiehu, closed on the low bosom 10
fall In graceful folds to the hem Of her
yolumiuous dark skirt, or the uutline
of the coiffure, 20 like the mode preva.
lent when HillhouSe was the Beau
Brummel OF his world--thn; attracted
his attention.; but the sculptor soon
found himself modelling her delicate
profile. llillhouse, u goes without say-
ing. was a bachelor, In whom the wine
of youth was scarcely less beady of so
than In the flush OF youth"
"Just such n chap as our own Be.
TRAM" interpoked Peutlnnd.
"HIllhousr's faith, devotion may say,
20 the ideal In life, rs an art, ;" continued
Betrem, has survived the gross mate.
rialiKn OF the times with which ad.
vnneing age found him curiously In
and out of tune. Away back In the
golden youth lay his romance--a ro-
nance that uncodsciously shaped and
colored his life, lending a perennial
freshness 10 the man, which he E,roye
TO impart TO his work. As the delicate
features OF his unknown neighbor grew
under his deft tonch the chords OF mem
DRY invoke. and IiiIlhousc had begun
to revel again in that golden past, when
suddenly his psodel moved.
"a carriage with the livery ri ~
exclusive world had drawn up at her
door. A lady muiiied In sable allghted,
and soon IIillhousc beheld his little
neighbor in the arms Of a stranger.
IL was She first visitor TINT had come.
In Hillhouses time, 10 that modest
door. The next day II showed steadily;
but about three in the afternoon his
neighbor surprised him by appearing
at the street door, honneted. With
rapid strides hhc disappeared down
the avenue-to appear before he had
smoked three pipes at her favoriie seat
In the window. The Iigh. fell strong
~ on the profile. which now seemed
rejuvcnated by some inner glow. HILL
house saafehcd the clay and made haste
to finish the interrupted Sitting, He
had not worked long, however, until
he wss sharing his models quiet mirth.
"A street fakir had evidently in
weighed her int buying mechanical
toy. xuch an abousd In the streets Of
our large cities during the holiday sea-
son. Far into twilight this stately an.
tumns, flower sat playing with the
trivial thing; and the footprints OF
time nsgicaiiy yHhiab-ss fr9m her
sweet face, ne she repeatedly pulled tie
string, and the Erntesque wooden
with its muiti-colored jacket,
hid up and down the yellow pole.
Through the yaiI AZ knowdakes Hill.
house continued 10 Khtch his reiEhhor.
md a. her smiles nf the monkeys an-
ties hrcadcned bis erifnws flIlst the
|onxiS sfxdIn With auicEahle
rcko<s. suddeniy therp was = riff In
- irts. The issorleibls mOnaef