The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1901-05-25


found Pounds putting the finishing
touches upon a woman's head She
was a somewhat startling creature,
gray eyed and thin Tipped, and she
stared straight out Of the canvas with
the expression Of one who would say,
"You know why am here"
y. That's all right" said Earle Dean,
to whom 1 communicated my idea of
the head, 'but why is she here? What
is she going to say or do? What is in
her mimi? l couldn't guess"
- Divergent views upon this subject
were expressed by the company, and
we agreed upon only one p0int-that
Pounds had painted q fascinating mys-
terry.
l. .Ewas driven to itr' groWlcd Pounds.
'"The rent is two months overdue"
81 would like TO produce 4 similar eff
feet in Il story" said Dean, "and large
ly for the same reason"
"Thcrc is only one way for a man to
portray woman in fiction" said Lang
don, who writes book reviews. "He
must tell precisely what she does and
must say no more about her. Then wo-
men will understand what she is, and
she will make the same impression up
on men that she would in real life
that is, she will he entirely incomprc-
henSiblc to them, for it is the Oldest
and the truest truth in the business
that n Woman's mind is forever and
always Il sealed book to man."
81 can tell you story" said Pounds,
staring gloomily Mt his picture, chat
will throw Il great deal of light upon
the mystery OF woman"
Pounds is the coolest misogynist
that ever grew out of the ground as
the result of some ones having planted
n piece of ice. lie had smooth, pc
lite way of relocating women to Il
place In the scheme of nature Il little
lower than the domestic animals.
which has led some of us to suspect
q romance in his life. 1t could not be
possible that lie was going to tell us
about it, yet there was something quite
unusual in his manner rs he sat glow
ering Mt the picture, which all of us
knew must be Il portrait
"a good many years ago" said he,
"when l had more money and less
sense and was in every way better off
than l am today, | knew Il woman who
was just like every other woman, /
suppose but she seemed different to
me. She was slender, nervous, active
creature, and she had gray eyes and 4
firm, strong, earnest face.
s'Slp 1iynJ n tltn ponnrnrt y,-1,nr, 7
had my studio then, and let me re-
mark in passing that it is the best
studio building ever put up in this
country. The little suits there are COM
Portable beyond belief, and the light
ing has been managed wonderfully
well. But the rents He threw up
his hands with gesture of despair.
"The woman" continued Pounds,
couldn't have afforded to live there,
but she happened to be the niece of
the owner, and he gave her fine
studio for nothing. She seemed to be
q true Bohemian, who appreciated the
delights of living like a bachelor.
say seemed because in those days |
bothered my head Il good deal trying to
understand her. and the failure that
made was Il notable failure. even Cor
one so gifted as | am with the faculty
of not being right about anything.
"My suit WAS directly under hers
and exactly similar in design. The
door from the hall opened into the
larger room. On the right WAS what
was intended as the sleeping apart
ment, and on tie left bathroom.