Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-12-13

Europe Helene had nesltaIed. d
tween an automobile tour Of Brittany
and the Baltic coast and a quiet sum-
mer with her married cousin at Larch-
mont she had chosen LarchmOnt, As
quith was a member Of the yacht club
at Larchmont. Every morning from
the broad yeranda at Bayview cottage
she could see him out on the rocks,
sketchmg before sunrise.
They were splendid rocks, huge,
gaunt and gray; they rose raggedly
from the water at low tide, like the
bodies of some submerged sea mon
sters. One could walk to them easily,
stepping over little pools left by the
tide and stray strands Of seaweed, and
one morning Helene walked TO them,
slim and sweet and fresh as the dawn
In her white dress and white low
shoes 1t was the shoes that did 1t.
When Asquith turned at her call for
help he found her standing in one Of
the pools, and the white shoes were
ruined
Helene glanced up at the wall. A
little water color hung near her, some
gray rocks in rose tinted sea, with
bit of salt marsh IN the foreground.
She smiled at it happily. They had
sat up there together that morning. and
she had taken off her SHOES and stock
ings-the precious ruined shoes and
stockIngs-and that had been all.
And AsQuith had said 1t was fate.
She laughed again. He was such
boy, after all She stopped to pick up
her gloves and stopped short to look
at something lying on the floor Mt her
feet. 1t was merely u hairpin. She
picked 1t up and looked at IL curiOusly.
Her own hairpins were brown tortoise
shell ones to match her hair. This one
was gold. a small, insidlous gold wire
affair, very cheap and very dainty.
The laugh was gone from her lips.
In Its place was a look Of wonderment
Of almost fear. There had been wO-
man In Hugh's studio, a woman with
blond hair who wore gold wire hair
pins, who dropped gold wire halrpins
around promiscuously. And Hugh had
told her he never painted the figure.
More than that, he had told her that
no one knew Of his den In the attic ex-
cept herself and a few close friends.
He had no patrons, no buyers OF pic
: lures, because as yet he had never sold
any. All Of his relatives were In Eu-
rope too. If the hairpin did not belong
to a model, whom did it belong to?
With a sudden fierce impulse, she
threw the halrpin away from her. 1t
/ fell with a tiny clink against the wall.
Almost Instantly she had repented.
After all, 1t was purely personal
affair with Hugh, in which she had
no part. He had not expected her TO
visit his studio. She had no right to
resent another element Of femlnlnity
/ which she had found there. Even If
he did have models 1t was probably
necessary. All artists had to study
from life sooner or later. But was 1t
necessary that they should have hair
that matched gold hairpins?
She arose and crossed the room to
where the harpin had fallen. For a
luOuIeIl sllt ntltt II III hCL AdHN
Lutte Then slowly she laid It on his
table and beside it she left the new
solitaire ring. 1t would be enough. She
knew that he would understand. AS
she turned TO the door her eyes filed
with a sudden rush of binding tears,
and as she felt for the latch 1t lifted
and the door opened.
1t was not Asquith. On the landing
I outside stood Il girl, plump. rosy cheek
ed and red haired holding up her
skirts In one hand and pail Of scrub
water In the other.
/ "Oh | thought Mr.. Asquith was
home" she said apologetically. Il just
/ cleaned UP his place, ma'am, and
/ guess | lost one of ny hairpins. It's a
! little wire one but need ii to keep my
/ pug up tight"
IL laid ii on the table" said Helene
| gently The girl set the pail down on
! The stairs and secured the h&irpln, fas
tening up her tumbling red curIs with
! 1t deftly.
| THANK you, ma'am." she called Us
she went downstairs, and Helene went
back to the table and slipped the ring
! In It's old place just as Asquith came
up the stairs.