The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-25


s.ble. 10 keep The pose for many
minutes together. she tremoled' SIC
shifted her feet she showed her "hlte
teeth In a grin that did not az al resehoie
asr usual smile. and every time that she
Vas remonsirated with. her eyes hashea
angrily. 49,. last unable 70 e0ntro1 he1-
self any longer. she Jumped down from
the dais OF platform, and moved toward
r7e screen which vas drawn across one
cor,o- NJ the studio and formed a sort %
d,.gs.-g or 'tlr.ng-ro0m for the occasional
Use of models.
.Jrs no use" she cried, I'm off.''
And casting the shawl from her IN the
manner % one preparing 70 take header
into a swimming bath, she disappeared
behind the screen.
what the devils the matter with you?"
r~9wIed Belford. a bearded man Of nearly
forty with a black patch over his left eye,
a wooden pipe between his teeth, and
Turkish fez stuck rakishly on his bald
head.
Never mind answered Berinthia, now
hidden from sight
Come back, cOnfound you, won't keep
you another ten minutes" cried Be.ford,
bending close 70 q large block on which
as was drawing a black and white sketch
fo~ the wood enEraver. and inspecting Il
critically with his one available eye.
This time there was no answer. so Bel
FORD. whose manners lacked the repose
c..aracteTis,ic Of the caste OF We're de
We're glanced savagely round az his COM
p8GlOns and uttered an imprecation.
lie was the oldest OF the Three-;he old
est and the cleverest. His two compan-
ions in Art and Impecuniosity, who sat at
work with him In the studio. were Charles
Somerset a handsome fsir-haired young
fellow of five-and-tweRty. and George
Constable Leroy, man Of about thirty,
with q mild sood-humored face, fair hair
thinning already at the top, mutton
chop whiskers. and shaven chin. Be-
ing very short-sighted Leroy wore spec
,acles, which might have been literally
ss-c0lored so pleasant and so amiable
was the view which he took through them
Of all creation.
Belford Was al work. as we have said.
on a wood block which he was executing
for an illustrated magazine, and which
was set before him on a small table.
Somerset and Leroy sat before their
6asels the former dra 9Ing in crayon, the
latter sketching IN oils. Belford was not
only the cldes. and the cleverest, but the
Ehabbest. wearing, In addition TO the fez
already described, an old dressing gown.
raced. torn. and literally splashed with
paint Leroy wore very seedy tweed
trousers and painting jacket of velveteen;
his collar and shirt front were frayed and
dirty. and marked with coffee stains
Somerset. the swell OF the trio. had a
linen blouse thrown over his walking suit,
ana was smoking a cigar.
What's the matter with her. Billia2"
asked Somerset, laughing AID looking at
Bfl'ord.
How the deuce do I know" was the
reply. Internal little cat You fellows
have spoiled her by humoring her whims
and fancies."
'Foor little Berrvr' murmured Leroy
blinking compass'onatelv through his
snectacles. II suppose there's trouble at
home"
Then why doesn't she chuck it?"
rrunted Belford. glancing contemptuous-
~ with his bloodshot eve at Leroy
Fathers a drunkard. mothers worse
i she'd had anv sense she'd have left
Them long ago. the idiot" He added. as
n tired OF the subject. and addressing
Somerset. Here. youngster, cut out and
get some beerr'
The young man nodded. sprang up
i"htlv, and ran out OF the studio.
Scarcely had he disappeared when Ber-
iHthia arDeared in walking costume from
behind the screen. In her thin cotton
dress, very shabby cloth jacket. round
hat with faded feathers. and an old pair
Of
fereut from the shapely. Hss0me ereatur
who had recently been posing on the dals.
but even her unbecomng attire could rot
quite obscure her looks % elfu-like era e
and beauty. Her face. brown a s a ripe
pear with sun and wind was frqmed in
dark hair. cut short az the neck like the
hair or hoy. her eyes were bright and
keen under black eyebrows. her teeth
white as the milk of the cocoa-nut. her
mouth soft and fun IitA that of a child
Nnd indeed she was little more than a
ch'd In years, ha'ne only just seve-teen
years ot age. althoueh as old ard know
ln@ in The wavs and wiles of Bohemia as
Belford himself.
don't know what's the matter with
me to-day she observed anolo"eticsIly.
I've got the hdgets' / couldn't keen
stin" 'NP
You never can keep still" growlel
Relford You're Ike a monkey up a
tFeew
sh" looked up, and her face broke into
a sr~'le.
That's right Mr.. Relford scold away,
! pka 4; and what's more. | deserve it,'
Ihen drawi1r herself erect and straten-
Ing out her arms toward a shaft of SIM
Asht which broke in THROUGH the window
ar The studio she added 20 lor' 7 via,
] was monkey. or bird or sonz.h'nq
oi That sort I'm sick and tired Of being
only a girl"
She pronounced something 'somathinl,''
ana Girl gel" but these are details on
Insist 'N''''' y
We should have explained, perhaps tha,
H was a quiet morning In the early six
lles Christmas close at hand. with all
us merry sights and sounds. Outside in
smoky bloomsbury the snow was living
"A.iA on street and square. but In the
Great dismal studio. a cavernous apart-
Mr0' situated close to the news and ad-
.-.It a creary square. there was sense
'I s.Hitness and warmth. The place was
..niea ny the three men in common. All
N.'-.''ed or the studio itself and OF TWO
sm.L cuphoards or closets. which Belfo-a
ana Leroy had converted into sleeping
apartments. Somerset $ ept out in a ped
room over a livery stable.
A.l three were very poor. and were con-
siaHNy occupied in what is figurative.v
..i"h as dining with Duke Humphrv."
Joy DO was. as We have said. the cary six
.-1 as they have been called Bohemia
.'. existed, and neither art nor uterature
.'' yet attained It's present commercial
M..T'arce as a fashionable profession
although all the three were nominai'y
''He's William Belford alone was n
artist horn.not made: great and neelee;-
'e genius. doing job work Just then for
me small dealers and wood engravers.
aI' nainting pictures which We're destined
a.'.- his death 10 be regarded as masts--
pieces =, forty years Of age he was stni
L..Ir.Fibly eccentric and Indifferent to
worldly success. superfcial,y savage AMI
cynical, but IN reality the klndest and