The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-03-30

her deliberately as she stood, hei
slender shape outlined against the
curtains. They were burlap curtains,
which she had painted dull brick
red ("Pompelian red, +" she called IT.
and which she had ornamented with q
Greek border in yellow floss and hung
in the doorway herself in spite OF his
scofiing and ribald protests.
They were pretty bad, those cur
tains, but whatever their limitations
from an esthetic point OF view they
certainly made an effective back
ground for the white robod figure,
and his eye fingered approvingly on
the picture q moment before he said
severely:
What have you been doing?"
why, the ideal" she exclaimed in
dignantly, flashing protesting glance
al him from under her long lashes.
II notice that you generally take it
for granted I'm going 10 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 selec-
ton il contained. This she filed
with practlced fingers from battered
tobacco jar that stood near, and then,
crossing to the easel, offered il 30 the
man with the most bewitching little
air Of coaxing humility.
INV dear young woman" he cried,
waving the offering away sternly, edo
j look like a man who would accept n
bribe? Do my features bear the i'm
print Of vulnerable virtue, that you
should thus seek to gain my favorable
judgmentfor your nefarious goings on
by such palpable-"
He said no more, for jnst then the
stem OF the pipe was dexterously in
serted between his teeth, and, deftly
striking q match on the broad side OF
the shoe, conveniently presented to
her by the careless attitude OF its
owner, the girl applied il TO the to-
bacco in the pipe bowl.
In spite of himself he closed his
teeth on the stem and drew long
breath, and as the first cloud Of
aromatic vapor arose to his nostrils
his features relaxed.
"Well, who is it?" he asked, as the
girl seated herself on hassock and
fixed her eyes on him appealingly.
"1t's-it's-Hinsdale," she replied,
dolefully.
"Hinsdale. Why, / thought we
disposed Of Hinsdale three weeks ago,
and since then--let me seo--there
was Smith and Devereux and-how
many others?"
ooh, never mind the Others" she
cried. petulantly. 'It's Hindsdale
now. We did dispose of him-or at
leaet ! thought we did-and I'm sure
that letter i wrote"
"Ah, did you write TO him, toop"
he asked, puflinga big cloud of smoke
over his sunset and watching the ei-
feet of its vivid hues shining through
the clouds of grHyish vapor with an
artists delightful appreciation of
color.
ooh, well-tho letter you wrote,
then, she said. Though I'm sure
you didn't do it all. You only helped
me-"
ooh, yes" he answered indolontly.
"But Hinsdale-he's broken out
again?"
Eyes, worse than ever" and sho
sighed dismally, "and want you to
help me writo him another letter--one
that will fix it so that he'll understand
there's 10 hope-no possibiIity-I
mean-of my ever being anything
more TO him" Here she floun-
dered and broke down.
Cant do il to-day" he said, de-
cidedly. 'I'vo got to get this picture
done order, you know
and it'll be scratch if ! manage to
60 it. 1t means painting oil night as
il is.
"Oh, John, you must" she cried,
eagerly. I've just got to send it to
him this afternoon by n messenger
boy, or he'll be sure TO como up to-
night and make scene or something
besides"
''No, it's no CO." he said. cruelty,
taking up his brush. You'll have TO
get rid of him somehow and come to
morrow"
But, oh, john" she burst out.
tears coming TO her eyes, II can't
come tomorrow. Aunt Maria has is
sued her communicative fiat has gone
forth-Tm forbidden to come here
any more"
THE deuce you are" And he laid
down his brush aud faced quito around
In his astonishment.
"Yes," she replied, furtively drying
tear on one of the ends of her mus
lin sash. Jean never could find her
handkerchiefs, being always without
pockets.l 'She says it's ell we'll
enough for me to take painting les.
sons of you, though everybody knows
j could nevor learn TO paint. Aunt
Marin is so ignorant about such things,
you know"
"Yes, know" Blowing n ring OF
smoke ceilingward to hide little
smile.
''And she doesn't mind my having
a studio il I'll fix mp one at home. bu
she doesn't think il looks we'll for m,
10 have one in this building aud rur
in and out of here all the time--Gnt
30 I've got 10 move tomorrow.
This time she forgot TO dry the tear
and il ran forlornly down her ckeel
md fell with a splash on a study o.
the head Of John the Baptist that la,
on the floor.
For n moment there was silence
Then John suddenly pushed back hi