Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-06-16
k6N0AY 1 come inW
M The curtains from


appeared.
The man at the easel painted away
,ndustriously, putting in a sunset Sky
with strong even strokes.
"When our forefathers signed the
declaration of Independence 120 years
ago." he began.
"PleaSe-
face made its appearance at the
norting of the curtains, face framed
in dark, wavy hair, with big, shining
ewes. made soft by long curling lashes,
and red red mouth, just now droop-
ing pitifully at the corners.
"They made all men free and equal"
nroceeded the man, never once look
inc I'D, "and since then a lot Of ladies
with abbreviated hair and petticoats
have been struggling to make their sex
also independent-and with considera-
bic success
Don't be horrid," pleaded the red
mouth, seconded by the shining eyes.
"Therefore, l was about to say" he
went on, calmly, II don't see how l
in. if you choose to do So"
She stepped inside, but did not ad
vance into the room.
81 know you're going to be horrid,"
she said, plaintively.
He laid down his brush, and, turning
at last, surveyed her deliberately as
she stood, her slender shape outlined
against the curtains. They were bur-
lap curtains which she had painted
dull brick red C"Pompeian red" she
called iO, and which she had orna-
mented with Greek border in yellow
floss and hung in the doorway, herself,
in spite of his scofing and ribald pro.
tests.
They were pretty bad, those curtains
but whatever their limitations from an
esthetic point of view, they certainly
made an effective background for the
white-robed figure, and his eye lin
gered approvingly on the picture mo-
ment before he said, severely:
"What have you been doingW
"Why, the idear she exclaimed, in
dignantly drawing her figure up to its
full height and flashing a protesting
glance at him from under her long
lashes.
81 notice that you generally take il
for granted that I'm going to be horrid
when you've been particularly horrid
yourself" he observed blandly.
She did not reply to this daring re-
mark, but, crossing the room to the
mantel, carefully selected an especial
ly ugly bulldog pipe from the collection
1t contained. This she filed, with
practiced fingers, from a battered to
baccO jar that stood near, and then,
crossing to the easel, offered it to the
man with q most bewitching little air
of coaxing humility.
MY dear young woman" he cried,
waving the Offering away sternly, edo
look like a man who would accept Il
bribe? Do my features bear the i'm
print of vulnerable virtue, that you
should thus seek to gain my favorable
Judgment for your nefarious goings-or
by such palpable-"
He said no more, for just then the
stem Of the pipe was deXterously in
serted between his teeth, and, deftly
striking match on the broad sole Of
his shoe, conveniently presented to her
by the careless attitude of it's owner,
the girl applied it to the tobacco in the
pipe bowl.
In spite of himself, he closed his
breath, and as the first cloud of aro-
matte yapor rose to his nostrils his
features relaxed.
well, who Is itT" he asked, as the
girl seated herself on a hassock and
hxed her eyes on him appealingly.
"lts-it's-Hinsdale," she replied,
dolefully.
"Hinsdale. Why 1 thought we dis
posed Of Hinsdale three weeks age,
and since then-let me see-there was
smith and Devereux and how many
others?"
"Oh, never mind the Others" she
cried, petulantly. "It's Hinsdale now.
we Gid dispose Of him-or at least,
thought we had-and I'm sure that let
ter | wrote"
"Ah, did you write to him, too?' he
asked, putting big cloud of smoke
over his sunset and watching the ef-
rect Of Its vivid hues shining through
the clouds of grayish vapor with an ar
usts delighted appreciation Of color.
"oh, well--the letter you wrote,
.nen, she said. Though I'm sure you
uldnt do it all; you only helped me-.
-oh, yes" he answered indolently
HRnt