Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1900-01-05

nut no one appeared.
The man al Che easel painted away
lndusiriously, putting 10 sunset sky
N1th strong, even strokes
When our forefathers signed the
declaration Of independence 100
Vsurs ago he began
-Tlease-"
"A face made its appearance at the
parting Of the curtains, face framed
sndark, wavy hair, with big, shining
seyes, made soft by long curling lasbes,
and q red, red mouth, just now droop-
1ng pitifully at tho corners.
-'They made all men free and
equal," proceeded the man, never
once docking up, "and since then a
Got Of ladies with abbreviated hair
and petticoats have been struggling
30 make their sex also independent
and with considerable success"
Don't be horrid," pleaded the red
mouth, seconded by the shining eyes.
"Therefore, | was about to say"
he went on, calmly, 81 don't see how
Z can hope to prevent you from com
1ng in, if you choose TO do So"
She stepped inside, but did not adj
vance into the room
II know you're going to be hor-
md" she said, plaintively
lie laid down his brush, and, turn
ing at last, surveyed her deliberately
sas she stood, her slender shape out
lined against the curtains They
were burlap curtains, which she had
painted a dull brick red (''Pompeiian
ned, she called i0, and which she had
,ornamented with a Greek border in
yellow floss and hung in the door
way herself, in spite of his scofing
sRnd ribald protests,
They we're pretty bad, those cur
itains, but whatever their limitations
from an esthetie point of view, they
certainly made an effective back
ground for the white-robed figure,
and his eyes fingered approyingly on
the picture a moment before he said,
severely:
What have you been doing"
"'Why, the ideaw she exclaimed. in |
s5ignantly drawing her figure up to 4
Ills full height and flashing a pro-
testing glance at him from under her
dong lashes.
y - notice that you generally take
at for granted I'm going to be hor-
EideWhen you've been particularly !
hOrrid yourself" he observed, |
Bandly. /
} She did notreply to this daring re-
mark, but, crossing the room to the
smantel, carefully selected an especial
" ugly bulldog pipe from the collec-
lion it contained, This she filed,
with practiced fingers, from a bat
aered tobacco jar that stood near, and |
then, crossing to the easel, offered it
TO the man with a most bewitching
.slittfe air Of coaxing humility.
= 'My dear young woman" he cried,
rwnxing the offering away sternly, "do
Il look Gke man who would accept |
a bride? Do my features bear the
imprint Of vulnerable virtue, that you
should thus seek to gain my favorable
Judgment for your nefarious goings-
,son by such palpable-"
lie said no more, for just then the
stem Of the pipe was dexterously in
serted between his teeth, and, deity |
striking a match on the broad sole |
OF The shoe, conveniently presented |
80 her by the careless attitude Of its
owner, the girl applieditto the tobac-
90 in the pipe bowl. ,.r
In spite of himself he closed his
Geeth on the stem and drew a long
breath, and as the first cloud Of arc
anatic yapor rose to his nostrils his
features relaxed.
-rWell, who is it?" he asked, as the
girl seated herself on hassock and
Fixed her eyes on him appealingly
sIt's-it's-Hinsdale" she re-
piled, dolefully.
1HinsdaA, Why, l thought we
disposed Of Hinsdale three weeks ago..
and since then-let me see-there
was Smith and Detereux and-how
anahy others?"
"Oh, never mind the Others" she
cried. petulantly. ~1fs Hinsdale
~ - .SAAAS
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