The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-10
NOT YET.
BY ZOE ANDERsoN MORRIS.

BY ZOE ANDERSON NORRIS. NJ Copyright. 1904. Daily Story Pub. Col I Judith had come from the west to New T York with mammoth artistic ambitions 1 and crude ideas of morality common to | rude. young and unsophisticated coun- tries. She located in . small down town studio and becoming suddenly af- l ficted with a hornesick loneliness that 1 struck cold to the marrow of her soul i commenced to fraternize with whomso- l ever happened to be available. This was | Louise Markham. her nearest neighbor, 1 who occupied studio on the second l floor above. Clinging to her eagerly she l Inadvertently made study of her life. This girl painted little water color l sketches of somewhat impossible heads l with dreamy eyes too close together and 1 red hats. Sometimes she sold these iit- l tie pictures. but eftener it appeared that I she did not. She kept house In light I way in her studio; and as is the rule in 1 such cases. unless her friends took her | out to lunch or dinner. she lived on air. She was not without certain charm. | Very courteous. with a hoarseiy musi- 1 cal voice in which there lurked consid- 1 erable fascination unless heard too con- | tinuously. fortunately for Judith she was | bent upon being agreeable. upon starting | the western girl off in society way | If the inhabitants of a building of offices l and studios can be called society-ad- l vantageously as possible by introducing | her as her friend.
 I Going the rounds with her she last of l all introduced her to Gilbert. another artist of male persuasion. | So far as apearances went he was I rather a superior artist. His studio was | furnished in fashion bordering upon I elegance. iu black oak. the screens and | draperies in green to match the canvas I with which the walls were covered. l As a matter of fact. judging casually, l Judith was almost led to believe that he l made money. Either that or he had de- l veloped skill bordering upon the mar vicious in the way of borrowing it. | People were never so entertaining to l her as upon the occasion of talking about | the most interesting possible thing to l themselves; but before she had been with l him ten minutes she had to acknowledge ] that Gilbert over did it. He was so deeply. so astonishingiy and profoundly 1 interested in himself the wonder, of 1t was l to her that he found time to paint. | And a greater wonder that he could Il have the heart to waste a moment of II that precious time on other people Il And yet 1t seemed that he found sev. II eral moments to waste upon Louise. If Once, twice. thrice even he paused in his l subdued monotone relative to his career l artistic, past. present and to come, em- l bracing semi-occasional and brief allu- | sions to various and sundry art editors Il for whom he had worked, for whom he II was engaged in working, and for whom he expected at some future date to work, to point out the merits of his own masterpieces and show her how 1t was done.
 When finally they tore themselves away-he had not half finished his bi~ ography, but Judith determined 1t should wait-and landed safely In the hall, Louise clasped ecstatic hands together and raised her eyes ceilingward.
 Isn't he lovely?' she cried. "Love- lyr
 Lovely enough" assented Judith. but there is one serious objection to him." ''What7" sharply. 'He is too unselnsh. He is wrapped up in the outside world to the exclu- sion of hlmsef.'
 "What?" again.
 Unhappy Louise did not always un- derstand. os
 Tt Is my lunch time," explained Ju- dith. "will you come out with me7''
 "No," refused Louise. with her polite ly elastic smile. 'I will have my lunch In my studio" t Judith suppressed q groan at the thought of those lunches of hers. A wafer and Q glass of water. cracker and cup of tea. Worse! One day she had found her lunchins on burnt | potatoes
 A week later she drifted into Judith's studio, not hilariously as was customary with her. but in a depressed way, as if crushed by something.
 Judith looked up from her drawing and back again.
 "Why aren't you laughlng7" she asked her. Ordinarily she laughed. | Judith Was homesick enough. Some times she was homesick enough to die. Cheerful company in so much as 1t en- livened her was therefore grateful. But she had to confess that there were mo- ments spent in the society of Louis which she would rather have spent alone.
 Louise sat down and swept her hand across her eyes.
 T feel more like crying said she.
 'FWhy?"
 "He is married.''
 ''He? Whor'
 Gilbert"
 Judith put down her work.
 How did you find 1t outf" interro- | gated she.
 T asked him accidentally, never for second thinking he could be. and he told me he was."
 ''It's a mighty good thing" ruminated Judith, "that you accidentally asked him."
 ''why7' quickly.
 Judith turned upon her.
 '"You wouldn't be going about with a married man, would your" she demanded to know.
 Without answering directly, Louise fell to dreaming aloud.
 "Ffe Is so charming" she murmured. 'sWe are so congenial."
 Unmarried people are always cOn- genial" put in Judith.
 ''We have so much in common. both water color artists"
 If you were married you would be Jealous of one another"
 T should never be jealous of him." in- dignantly. He Is so far above me. And how could he be jealous of me. so far beneath!"
 Marriage seems to change the current of peoples lives." declared Judith "and people"
 Louise gave a sigh so deep as to flI