The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-11
CHAPTER w.

she said lightly You may talk-f
you can talk cheerfully. not unless
And your" he asked.
Well If l find your conversation
interesting 1 shall listen. If not,
have plenty to think about" she an
swered, leaning back In her chair, and
watching the smoke from her own
cigarette curl upward.
For instance7"
She smiled.
my dinner to-morrow-or failing that,
what can 1 sell?"
His face darkened.
And yet" he said. you bid me
talk cheerfully. or not at ALL"
why not? Your spirits, at least,
should be good: 1t is not you who
runs the risk OF going dinnerless to-
morrow"
He turned upon her almost fiercely.
You know" he muttered, you
know quite we'll that your troubles
are far more likely to weigh upon me
than my own. Do you think that I
am utterly selflsh?"
She raised her eyebrows.
Troubles. my friend" she ex-
claimed lightly. But I have no
troubles"
He stared at her incredulously, and
she laughed very, softly.
What a gloomy person you are!"
u.
artist-but you have no temperament
The material cares of life hang about
your neck like a milestone. A doubt
as to your dinner tomorrow would
make you miserable tonight. You
know call all that positively wicked.
1t is not at all what expected, either.
On the whole, think that have been
disappointed with the life here. There
is so little abandon, so little joyous
ness
"And yet" he murmured, lone Of
the greatest of our writer's has de-
clared that the true spirit of Bo-
hemianism is denied In your sex
HE was probably right" she de-
clared. "Bohemianism is the least
understood word ever coined do
not think that I have the Bohemian
spirit at ALL
He looked at her thoughtfully. She
wore a plain black dress, reaching al
most to her throat-her small, oval
face, with the large, brown eyes, was
colorless, delicately expressive, yet
with something mysterious in its
sphinx-like irnmobility. woman
hard to read, who seemed to delight in
keeping locked up behind that fasci-
sensibility which had been revealed TO
him, her master, only in occasional
and rare moments of enthusiasm. She
reminded him sometimes Of the one
holy and ineffable Madonna, at others
of Berode, the great courtesan Of her
day, who had sent kings away
from her door and had just an
nounced her intention Of ending
her life in a convent. Courtlaw
himself, plain of feature. rugged, but
a man of many emotions and a great
artist, found in her presence some
thing akin to inspiration. The faces
of most women are like open books.
This girl, young, eriendless, unsuccess-
full, met misfortune with jest, re-
vealed herself to no one, not even to
him., maintaining side by side with
the utmost freedom of de0ortment a
delicate aloofness which seemed to
trace with fairy fingers a line imper-
ceptible yet wildly real and efficient.
II believe that you are right" he
said softly. 1T is the worst of in
Guiding in our vocabulary words
which have no definite meaning, per-
haps I should say of which the mean
ing varies according to ones personal
view. You, for instance, you live, you
are not afraid to live. Yet you make
Bohemianism seem like a vulgar
thing"
She stirred gently in her chair.
MY friend" she said, IT have been
your pupil for two years You have
watched all the uncouth creations of
my brain come sprawling out upon
the canvas and besides we have been
companions. Yet the fact remains
that you do not understand me at all.
No, not one little bit. 1t is extraor-
binary"
iation of my life. My opportunities
have been immense and my failure
utter. If had been your companion
only and not your master, / might
very we'll have been content to accept
you for what you seem. But there
have been times, Anna, when your
work has startled me. III drawn
! without method or sense of proper
, ton, you have put wonderful things
on to canvas, have drawn them out of
yourself, Notwithstanding your me-
chanical inefficiency. God knows how
! you did it. You are utterly battling"
) She laughed at him easily and
mirthfuIly.
Dear friend" she said. do not
magnify me into physiological prob
lem. l should only disappoint you
terribly some day. / think / know
where 1 am phzzling you now"
Then for heavens sake be merci-
full he exclaimed. Lift up one cor
ner of the curtain for me-"
VERY we'll. You shall tell me if
am wrong. You see me here, an adj
mitted failure in the object to which
have devoted two years of my life.
You know that 1 am practically des-
tltuLe, without means or any certain
knowledge of where my next meal is
coming from. l speak frankly be-
cause you also know that no possible
extremity would induce me to accept
help from any living person. You no
tice that IThave recently spent ten
francs in a box of the best Russian
cigarettes and that there are roses
upon my table. You observe that
am as usual fairly cheerful and mod
eratelv amiable 1t surprises YOU
You do not understand and you would
like to. Very WE'LL 1 will try to help
you"
Her hand hung over the side of her
chair nearest to him. He looked at it
eagerly, but made no movement to
take 1t. During all their long COM
radeship he had never so much as