The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-02


her heart is breaking. Moreover. she { id
not mean TO know that she cared. Tut
even II it were quite true that he had
ceased TO love her. she had fancied
that in the moment Of losing her he
would care And this was the crucial
moment. when she held out 10 him the
ring-the ring whose sweet significance
she had hidden from her friends. that
the secret Of their love might lie be-
tween her heart and his.
He took the little symbolic quietly.
His face was white. but that was from
anger. she thought.
You are sure you know what you are
saying. Floyd2" he asked quietly.
II quite understand" she Sid the
fingers Of her nride gripping the sobs
in her throat And I am not blaming
you in the least You would not be the
artist you are II you did not love beauty
And if you should marry a woman who
was not beautiful. it would not be your
fault II you repented it. But it would
be your falkland hers-if you married
her. We viii not make that mistake.
you and l."
4 had thought" he retorted sharply,
that you were above being Jealous Of
another woman's face" There was
disappointment in his voice that hurt
her, even while she flushed angrily I'M
der the insult
You may call it that if YOU like"
she replied. 1t is not because you have
/ painted her portrait I am above being
| Jealous OF your models. but I am tired
Of hearing you praise her-that is all:
/ tired Of seeing you look at her from
| the moment she enters room until she
/ leaves il: tired of sitting by while you
| sketch her, and being asked TO admire
| her eyelashes and the curve OF her
chin. ] am tired of all this-I who am
not a beauty, who can in no way appeal
to your artistic instincts"
II did not want you for model" he
| began.
mo. you have shown ME that often
| enough.
And I have told you that I am no5
at all in love with Miss Erwin. and that
I am very much in love with you But
I can't promise that when I marry you
shall close my eyes theneeforth to
| beauty IN women. I shall always ad-
nire a pretty woman"
II know that" she said quietly. and
that IS why your model would be always
happier than your wife"
Leopard reached for his hat. You are
impossible, Floyd" he said impatiently.
| Tomorrow I'll come up again BY that
time YOU VIII see things more clearly
That win be quite useless" she re,
turned. 4 would rather you did not
come again. And perhaps Floyd had
never broken an engagement before. and
her ideas Of the process We're largely
traditional" perhaps you will be good
enough 10 send me back the-the let
tiers have sent your"
Something that might have been a
laugh in Lespard's eyes was drowned in
lapprehensive pity
My dear girl" he said apologeticalIy.
you know what sort OF a fellow I am.
1T really never occurred to mel was
seeing you every day. you know-to save
lyOur letters"
The next day, when Floyd met Rus
lselI, who shared a studio with Lespard,
he greeted her warmly. and asked her
In she was on her way to the fete-
the studio fete she had helped Leopard
Ito plan and which she was trying to
forget II was in honor OF the Lady in
Blue" who was to be unveiled. When
she told Russell she was not going to
the studio, he gently chided her with his
honest critical eyes, as well as with
his voice, in a way that made Floyd
hesitate.
With womans grasp Of details in
the face Of a crisis she reviewed the
fact that her gown was appropriate for
the occasion. and that her last covert
glance into a plate glass window had
been not unsatisfactory And if Rus
sell suspected, he might fancy she was
afraid-afraid OF Miss Erwin. She
turned the next corner with him.
'I was entertaining a belief in a
headache" she told him conhdentialIv.
But for your sake, Mr., Russell"
For my sake" he said gratefully:
and they went together.
Leopard shook hands with her grave
~ His cold, dignifed reproach fright
ened her, and she felt very small and
; lost in the thronged studio filled with
technical criticisms and low laughter.
She was only one OF the rest, but the
Lady in Blue" was supreme The pic
ture. the painted proud face with its
! insolent knowledge of itself. faced the
model across the room. ana Floyd look
ed from one 10 the other, and hated
both fiercely.
My head is so bad" she told him
; Her voice shook piteously.
Il am sorry" he said gently. Per.
haps if you sit here quietly il will be
! better The rooms are overcrowded.'
He came back presently with a we'll
, worn portfolio in his hand
Would you like to look IT these
. sketches?'' he asked. They're mostly
r Lespard's. I make 1t a point TO lose
mine"
! He went away laughing. Floyd opened
, the portfolio. turning the pages of I'M
pressionistic daubs iistlessly. And then q
/, thin sheet Of paper fiuttered out. She
picked IT up and looked at II hungrily
pitifully, for the line at the top wa.
I in Lespard's handwriting, and she read
/, Il through a mist of tenderness.
My dear mother" it ran, and ther
, stopped abruptly. The rest Of the shee
4 was covered with sketches-pen and inl
q NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
Floyd gave a half articuiate little sol
Of rapturous assurance. They're me!'
she whispered ungrammatically. Me
n all OF themr'
Y n face shadowed by a droopin.
y Gainsborough. a face tipped upward Il
/ the light a face in profile, with tn
e loose hair falling about II, face hal
- finished. only the eyes distinct-and al
3 the faces hers.
MY dear mother and then a
e tn, name of the woman he had live,