Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-01-07
LIZ.

ute to the efficacy of a rule in force ut
various art school, 10 meet any possible
interference from philanthropic societies
1t was well meaning rule, and as potent
As many excellent things. Liz herself re-
aarded il with favor; il restricted COM
petition. Whom occasionally conscientious
person, asked her age she replied wan
Il glibnc.- rendered perfect by four years
habit;
She knew the ways of every art school
in the city. aud her small, attenuated
body, her red hair and greenish eyes were
a. familiar to students as the plaster
casts in the antique gallery. She had Al
most the dignity Of a classic. Her
frcckled unchidlike face held the Old
fashioned look which comes early to chill
drcn who have been at hand grips with
circumstance. There was at times some
thing uncanny in her gaze. 1t was fur
tive. derisivc infinitely experienced II
had the appalling >ocmnity of the ages
She posed for the night CLASSES at a
suburban art school Every evening,
from to 10. she sat pcrched on the
model throne Il chin little figure, all
lengths and angles shivering under the
glare Of the electric light She had al
.
pctually hitrliing and wriggling, the
pathetic chances toward the clock which
hung Just nut of sight on the wall behind
her. She rc.emblcd a small beetle stuck
On pin
Before her the floor of the big ugly
room was Il forest oi cascls obstructin"
heads held in various positions of intent
ness, Giy-n shaded electric bulbs hung
! ike tropical blossoms. from Swaying
| stems. Eyes were turned upon her with
a fixed impcrsonal regard. comparing anF
critcisin@. She ret nnrd their Gaze wit
q -tolid autagoni-m, almost At contempt
! 10 ner these twenty students were things
Is wooden and rnmportant IL the eases
| behi4d which they worked Seated aloft
/ she bad the supreme pride OF the indlS-
! pcn,gblc.
! The atmosphere OF the classroom vas
! that OF u dollhouse. close and yitiatcd
and tilcd with the mingled smell Of var
! ni.h and hot air pipes and tmpcntnc. 1t
/ was a part of LIS pride that she had
! never hcoN known to faint She had =
profound contempt for models who faint
/ ed. Nnc held her post doggcdly. even
/ when the room seemed to ill with 4 soft
black mist. and the ca,cls rocked ana
| Wavered. and voices and the scratching
Of palette knives were remote sounds in
4 vast enguitng stiffness. She could feel
The stiffness like droWsy tide, tapping
closer Ill il crept' up and touched her
/ limbs, and She knew that if she shut
! Der eyes she would he swept away. She
/ set her teeth and hlinkcd back Ut the
| electric light beating down on her like a
! fierce white sunshine. The clock licked
away interminabc minutes while she
! fixed her gaze upon one bulb and out
stared it rcsolutely til her eyes >marted
and She could see only that writing
wGitchot thread against dissnlving
| background. 1t shrauk and expanded.
changed to a hundred menacing shapes.
drew to sudden huge proportions and
swan close to her and then
from he other side OF black world the
n0nitor'e voice sand reluctantly. Rest
ard she reused with jerk and slid down
un~tcadily 10 the unsteady noor
The students were kind to her after u
fashion the girls of the costume elias,
particularly. They pettcd her, huttoned
her frock-, occasionally gave her candy.
She met their overturcs with an ume-
-pon,ivc gravity. the attitude of the
worker toward the dilcttantc. They
were an umpulNiNc and youthful set, and
she had the effect at times of making
them appear nlantinc. When they clus-
tered about her in the rest hour She rc-
@aried thcr ~tohdly They tried to in
volve her in confidence about her home
life, but without success Liz was the
sixth of an iHprovidcnt Irish tamjlv. and
she knew that her home life did not bear
mentioning
There was only one student in whom
She took personal interest Tie was
>cnior student of the night class. The
night class bad ON the whole had a r.pu-
taIon tor taking itself seriously. ald
this student in particular emphasized the
tendency. Tie Wao Il tall Young man with
an uutidy brown head and u trick of
Whl~tlmg rcfcctiyelN over hi. work lie
was generally the first 10 come and the
, last to leave, Three out of tuw NIGHTS
= u Wee',. when liz arrived, he was there
has easel adjusted tp the chalk mark, ON
me H""r working over ic efforts of the
night before. He always nodded to her
u she came IN. quaint shabby little
inquire. aul passed acro-~ 10 The screen
N.Heh WAS hen mproNi-cd dressing room.
~ cJm' To look ion this greeting. which
established between them a tacit friend
ship,
His EASEL stood among those nearest Ia
! the n"del throne. and from her ru,t of
Nahtag" l.H could watch him a~ h,
worked Whom her crmpcd childish mus
tr~ refused obedience, and the other -tu.
1rnt~ complained Indignantly that She
had noNcd. she would catch his hrnva
eyes ilttrd to hen with a kindly >r,lc.
'{t Va~ The only nnr of IN, do. ,f.