The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-04-20
HONORA'S HIT,
She Tried Cooking and Literature
at the Same Time With
Singular Result.

The strong sunshins which poured
through the ssvlight @-thc big studio
was tempered and dfS3Sfd by a whit,
muslin screen painted ufAl blue dragons
while tall vases, plaster bric-a-brac, bit:
Of old tapestry, a palR tree or two,
brass tea urn and Luxurious divan will
pillows three deep gave the room an ali
at once artistic and feminine. Five
young women were sitting or standing a
the easel. some Eourishing charcoG
sticks, others with palettes on thcil
thumbs. all intent on mastering the diff
6culties Of perspective values" OF
"planes," while a sixth. with her hail
unbound and wearing II flowing red robe
represented their idea of n Moorish her
Dine. Outside the buzz and roar of New
York throbbed OH the afternoon air, elc
waited trains shriekpd and whizZcd by
street calls rose and fell. and Il hurdy
gurdy ON the next corner ground out /;
once popular tune, but no one noticct
these noises any more than the country
plowboy notices the wind signing all day
through the pines on the hill.
Thine to rest, Nora" announced Miss
Havilund, and. while the worshipers OF
u
changed theories. praise and criticism
with the frunkncss of the cult, Honor:
also stepped down and took carclcS.
look at the scmcirclr of, more or less
realistic likcresses. What she saw was
a young, dark haired woman with wistfu
gray eyes, hands claspcd before her and
II sad and almost carewOrn expression
This Moorish girl was clearly Il captive
pining for home, and unconsciously {
fash Of her old spirit came back int
Honora's face. Goodness. do | lool
like that?" she thought, slightly straight
ening herself. Dick. dear Dick, what
would you say il you knew"
You pose very well. You've done il
before, no doubt" observed one of the
girls In tone Of serene patronage, but
Miss Havi!aud broke in kindly before
Honora had time to reply. "Oh, TO,
she said. Mora isn't Il regular model
She just came to oblige US, didn't you
Nora?'
"Posew cried Grace Hunt in n clear
high voice. consulting her watch. The
captivc's dimple disappeared. She has
tily resumed her station and attitude
and the sOrrowful look again crcpt over
her face. The young ladies returned t,
their stools. and for some moments moth
ing was heard but the squeaking Of char
coal and the Scraping of palette knives.
The line Of the neck is good, but she's
distinctly too thin, and her arms are un
satisfactory" declared Mrs. TremaiEe
selecting Hat brush and squeezing SOME
raw sienna out of Il tube. She was q
young widow, matroni: cd the apartment
and spoke exactly as if the girl had beel
a lay figure or block of wood.
"Your nose is too long, and you're ar
Ill hammered iceberg besides" thought
Honora vindictively, with such n rush OF
bloed to her checks that severely height
ened the tint Of their portraits with 8
touch Of rose madden.
Honora went home that night with 5:
in her pocket and insulted pride in hel
heart. Home for her now was mere
closet under the roof Of d neighborine
apartment house.
"Who is she, anyway" asked Grace
careiessly as the friends compared can
vases after the models departure. "Sh'
has a stunning head Of hair. You 50!
she's not a professionals
"Oh, no; she's n girl who has done
plain sewing for Mrs. Lawrence, on the
ifth floor. | happened til see her there
and thought she looked paintable. She
needed the money, euess, to judge by
her hollow eyes" answered Miss Havi
land half remorsefuly.
A month passed before the picture!
were finished, and the fair students Of
the Iveraess did not see Honora-neyel
thought Of her. Early one January morn
ing, however, the private bell rang, ant
Elizabeth went to the door.
"Why, how do you do-ah-katy; no
Nora, isn't it?" she said, with her kind!
smile. "Se you want to pose for III
again, do you? But you look thin. Hav'
you been ill?'
"No, thank you. I'm quite well. II
rather not pose. but | thought you nigh
have some sewing for me-possibly-on'
of YOU ladies'" stammered Honora.
"Nvell, sit down, and I'll speak to tn
Others" The girl sank into chair in tn
dark little corridor, for her limbs trenl
blcd under her. Miss Haviland when sh
came back appeared somewhat at a los
for the right word herself.
1--WE don't seem to have much in tn
way of sewing" she began, ''but ! sus
pect that Providence may have sent yo1
us girls-the four that you saw-live her
with Mrs. Tremaine in Il suit of rooms
and we've been housekeeping by turns
getting our breakfast and lunch and tax
Ing dinner at the cafe. But were a
tired of the arrangement, and we've bee
thinking that il we could get some nice
Miss Haviland hesitated - "reiine
young woman to cook the meals and kee
everything comfortable it would be
coed idea all round. Can you cook?
EYES" Honora's tongue really wouldn
say ma am" and she made it mis-
Haviland" instead.
Then whRt do you say to trying 1t
We put out the laundry work so it woul
be easy housekeeping" and the youn
artist went on to speak of wages and tn
| usual Saturday afternoons"
The candidate asked for an hour
| consider the matter. She walked up t
the park and sat down on one Of th
| wooden benches near the Eifty-nint
| street entrance. Honora thought ho'
| she had come to the city only fou
months ago fired with dreams of Il large
| life and utterly ignorant of lis diiilcn
| ties, disappointmcnts and perilS. 81
| thought of the brave start she had MAD
her confident courage and high hopes an
the succeeding bitter diScouragcments, i
pulses and failures. pcliquagamas, Nc
was the meiodious name of her brit
place. She shut her eyes and saw II
prim village street, her old aunt's me-
cottage and herself, u restless, impetu0'
girl, growing up under the good spinster