Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-29
BY HOWARD FIELDING.
Copyright, 1899, BIZ charles n. Hools. 8

%s-@a-a-..sa.ssa!-@a-&449r3 1.-3is33.:19IY
her mistake at later day. Meanwhile
/ treated her with the Difference appro-
pirate to my humble station, and let
me remark right here in parenthesis
that no Difference could show to her
II l We're the sole ruler of the universe
would be more than her due.
However, l could not help cherishing
petty resentment against her for the
estimate She had made of mo, and so
4 was willing to let the little joke run
on. There was good sport for few
minutes, and then 1 positively had to
leave.
knew that should meet Alice-I
hadn't caught her last name-again in
Lorrimer's studio. and, as q matter of
fact she was there the very next time
1 called. That day Lorrimer got us to
pose together for a society picture,
something sweet and sentimental. l
had the pleasure during almost an hour
Of gazing into the softest brown eyes
in the world, while / maintained a
loverlike attitude that nearly broke
my neck.
That evening Carleton King came
round to see me at my rooms, and from
him I learned some facts about Lori
mems model. Alice Gray was her
name, and she was well liked in all
the studios because she posed SO well
for society stuff.
She had three swell dresses that
were her business capital, and by
means.of them and the personal charm
that gave them grace she earned from
81 to $40 a week. And she had to
take care of little sister who was an
invalid.
l reflected quite seriously upon this
information, and the more I reflected
the less easily could reconcile any de-
ception practiced upon such girl with
my idea of gentlemanly conduct. How
ever, couldn't bring myself to tell her
who j was, for was afraid she would
treat me differently if did, and was
more than satisfied with the situation
exactly as it was.
We met frequently at Lorrimer's stu
| NAos AAoSSh we pOSSu LUZ I'LL Tie uR-
ures in that long series of illustrations
that he made for Benton Ives inter-
minable magazine serial. In half a
dozen sets Of characters she was the
| loved and the lover.
was on my knees before her until I
wore q hole in Lorrimers hard pine
floor. posed with my arm around
har Iyiccod how LopJ r ,,-o, ,,aa,4
ed with maidenly reserve. was re-
jected with scorn. In fact, I passed
one half my time pretending to be in
love with her and the other half try
Ing not to be, for it really wouldn't do,
you know. I was fully aware Of that.
Williams" said Lorrimer to me one
day. you make great lover. You
look the part
And Alice laughed and said I was
the most realistic man in that capaci-
ty that she had ever met.
had made up my mind that the
thing had gone far enough. Without
allowing myself to be an idiot about it
couldn't help noticing that Alice was
becoming interested in me. I couldn't
let that go on.
Then there was another aspect Of the
case. wanted to help her. I learned
from King that the poor little sister
was worse, that she needed everything
that the rich can have and others can't
and that there had been some talk of
subscription among the artists. Now,
Of course 1 could have fixed that whole
matter, and my pocket would never
have known the difference, but 1
couldn't do it in the character Of q so
cents an hour model.
/ had decided Just how and when I
should tell her all about it, and then.
of course, did 1t exactly as wouldn't
have planned to do. We had left the
studio together and were walking up
Notwithstanding, Of all places for