Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-26
COPY.
(BY JULIA TRUITT BISHOP.)

There were times when his inspira-
ton failed him.. When those times came
he went across town and sat down at
his ease in a certain quiet room, with
a grey-eyed girl opposite. She was one
of the few girls who were really worth
going to see, for she nae knowledge of
the times and seasons, and her readiness
for falling into touch with one was a gift.
His inspiration Jailed him today II
he went to see the girl.
This is one of your gray days. she
said as Soon as her eyes Leli upon his
face. "Sit down and tell me about it,
How quickly you see things-you wo-
men, he said; for he was man, II
the times and seasons We're beyond him.
Yes, l am at work on a new picture,
and today the colors have rebelled.
. Sometimes l think myself an artist, but
this evening l knew l was a mechanic.
So l came to you-as | alWyS 90 when
l want an Inspiration
You are improving!" she cried light
~, drawing an esy chair nearer the WIN
dow for him, and resuming her own chair
opposite. l never knew you to make
such a pretty speech before. 1t almost
reconci,es me to being used for COPY
You have been fraternizing with Poole
again!" he declared susp.ciously. II
don't know anything more odious than
the manner in which that little beast is
always using his friends for copy, and
boasting of it afterwards
Mr.. Poole has spared me so far she
replied reposefully. He and l are great
friends. 1t is pleasant to have at least
one friend among the newspaper men
one gets so much broader views of life.
You discover in his presence that the
conVentionalitieS are melting away: n
then you find that so many of them are
SO trivial, and We're not worth preServ-
ing, after all. One might even be made
copy of for that"
Her face had flushed a little, and he
earnestness:
Il hope you don't think I would be
guilty of the of using you to
further my professional work.
NONSENSE" she cried. turning to re-
arrange the curtains that the wind had
blown from their fastenings and drifted
across her fair, calm face.
Il always come to you when I am dis
couraged or out of sorts or not In a
working mood he said, telling himself
meantime that there was a liquid depth
in gray eyes he had never noticed in
eyes of any other color. Somehow, you
understand a man so-you appreciate
my moods-you know just. what to say
and how to say it. n
. do go on! This is beautiful she
murmured, with a smile-or was it a
smile, or only a swift quivering of the
lips?
Shall I go on? Well, we have been
friends for a year, now, haven't we?
And you are the very friend to bring
out the best that there is in a man. This
has been the most satisfactory years
work that I nave ever done. Think what
that means to me, to whom my art is
my life!'
She looked at him then, and there was
a sudden wistful look in the gray eyes.
1T is a good thing to have a friend,'
she said.
rs it not?" cried the man, whose eyes
We're given him for seeing mere outside
things. II have never known it before.
You will be surprised to know that I
led a rather solitary eXistence;-that 1
had gone about all my life feeling the
need of-of Just you;-that 1 had al
ways believed there was no possibility Of
a man being friends-mere friends-with
a woman. And now, what a difference
there is in my life! How we understand
one another! How we read one another's
thOughtS!"
She was holding up a paper to shield
her eyes from the glare of the light.
Yes" she said. steadily. "Our friend
ship has been very pleasant
Has it not?' he cried. with enthu-
siasn. why, o will positively never