The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-04-11
FOR ART'S
SAKE....
BY IzOLA MERRIFLELD


1t was nobody's fault but her own.
Whenever trouble came a-knocking at
Philippa's door all kind friends raised
hands Of innocence to the skies and de-
elared thankfully that it was nobody's
fault but her own.
He had no earthly right to raise his
hat and smile when met him in the
elevator"
He had every right In the world"
contradicted Elizabeth calmly. eff I
had been in his place l should have
come right down and called on you aft
er you had acted like lovelorn lunatic,
Pippa."
tion," Philippa half turned from the
piano to argue. you weren't In the
studio at the time, Beth, and you don't
know blessed thing about It, 1 wasn't
even practicing. was cleaning up"
Elizabeth smiled. She had seen Phi
lippa's cleaning up process. 1t meant
the hustling of everything disorderly
out of sight, under the divan, behind
the wardrobe, anywhere at all, so long
as 1t was unseen.
"And he sang my pet duet from I'll
Trovatore Beth, it was splendid.
You poor old heather, you don't ap-
preciate music bit All you can I'M
derstand are a few oily, dauby daubs
or pen and ink sketch, but If you had
only heard him
IF l had heard him l don't think
that should have flown to the win
dow and warbled back an answer up a
New York air shaft"
'T don't care" Philippa's tone was
lofty and her attitude belligerent. II
didn't care rap about him personally.
and hadn't the slightest idea what he
looked like, but the voice was divine.
1t was the voice of Manrico calling,
and Leonora answered 1t for arts
sake"
well, Leonora had better attend to
her cleaning up and mind her own
business. Now, she hasn't any cause
for complaint at all, because Manrico
raises his hat to her in the elevator and
says 'HowdyT in neighborly fashion.
Are you sure it was ManricoT
"Oh, yes. He looks it." Philippa
spoke, with vague enthusiasm. And
Lafayette says that he is the new one
In the studio over ours"
''Well, you had better send Lafayette
a little printed slip to post up in his
elevator:
Students may sing grand opera
duets through the air shaft, but any
promiscuous greetings in elevator will
be followed by eviction"
Il suppose the poor fellow was so
amazed and delighted when he saw
how completely l fulfilled his ideal of
Leonora that he lost his presence of
mind" Philippa could be as sweetly.
simply and contentedly vain as Narcis-
sus among the water lilies.
Presence of mind is never lost"
Elizabeth added a high light daintily
to the left eye of an Italian fruit vend-
er on the canvas before her. 1T is
mislaid. As long as he didn't lose his
heart he needn't worry
Philippe laughed and ran her fingers
teasingly over the piano keys.
II think he is worrying" she said.
But there were no more duets
through the air shaft If the occupant
Of studio 3, on the third floor, happened
to be practicing her trills and quavers
the occupant of studio IT, on the fourth
floor, sat by his open window and lis
tened, and when full, rich tenor float
ed down from studio II Philippa would
tiptoe to the window and listen also
and be glad and proud in way, be-
cause somewhere In the golden tomor-
rows Of hope success lay snugly and
surely tucked away for the tall, brown
eyed boy who dared to greet Leonora
In the elevator
He had dared" only once. Long
after even Elizabeth deigned to bow a
comradely good day to him Philippa
passed on her own way, slim, AFRO
CANT, blond young person In gray vel
vet and squirrel furs. Elizabeth pre-
served a graceful posture on the neu-
trail fence. Warning factions were not
In her line, but when she was sending
out invitations for the monthly Dutch
picnic in studio she did not think It
amiss to send one up to studio IT,
Philippa was passing club sand
witches when Bobbie Clarkson intro
duced her to the tall, brown eyed boy
She did not drop the tray. She merely
smiled most graciously and asked If
Mr.. Eliot liked club sandwiches made
Of celestial combination of chicken
salad, chopped almonds, olives, deyiled
ham and tabasco sauce.
1t appeared that Mr.. Eliot did. In
fact, he paced after the dispenser of
celestial sandwiches all around the