Charlevoix county herald., 1907-03-16

Along the hallway, which was dark,
Mrs. Thorne faltered. painting. There
was barely enough light for her to
make out the boldly lettered name
upon Cartons door. She tapped 1t
softly-the fluttering of a birds wing
would have made hardly less noise.
Come I'M"
Before she realized it, the door was
swung open, letting flood OF light
ilto the hall, and framing the figure
of Richard Carton, painter-a tall,
broad -chested man, built big and 1.-the
ly, who stood upon his feet squarely,
with the bearing of self-confidence.
"Well?" Carton asked, looking
down at her coolly, curiously.
"Mr. Carton?" she responded with a
Question, to which he bowed affirma-
ton. Il am Mrs. Thorne."
The name of course meant nothing
to him; Carton saw only the slight.
almost willowy figure, clothed In shah
by black, and the soft pallor of her
face, framed largely in the mass of
her hair, very dark and shot with
metallic tresses, bronze-colored-su
a browning glory as Is most delightful
to paint. But perhaps he saw only
the big, dark eyes, and read in them
their pleading message. At any rate,
his manner became more kindly.
ooh, yes. Mrs. Thorne. You want
to pose? Won't you come in?" He
invited her to enter, courteously. 81
have been looking for a good model
for some time. l think you will do
splendidly."
She got into the room somehow,
dumbly, in a tumult of emotions-of
relief, strangely allied with some
chagrin, that he had not recognized
her; of modification because of pow
| erty's Haunting signals in her attire.
Well, it was bread for The Boy, at
least
Upon the understands low wood
en- affair some five or six feet in dia-
| meter-she was aware of an assured
| isolation. Had Mrs. Thorne been a
chair or table she felt that Carton S
interest in her would have been of
| the same nature, of no less and no
greater intensity
1t is the artists attitude to his
model; but at times she found herself
| resenting it duly. She had come reg
ularly now every afternoon for over
| a week.
AS for Carton, she felt that she
would have known him anywhere,
| just as she had been startled by the
unchanged quality of his voice, by the
| timbre of his football, after so long a
time. How long? Could 1t be only
| eight years since he left their native
village to study his art; but seven
since her marriage, only four since
her husbands death, which had left
her, with The Boy, dependent upon
her own exertions, penniless and
| without friends?
Once Carton asked her advice about
some small detail of a tea he pro-
| posed giving.
I'm afraid she told him, that
have been out of the social life for
so long time that l would hardly
| know"
"Oh, well, it's slight matter, after
all. Only / wanted everything to be
| just SO. Women are particular, you
know"
And his transformations invitation to
tea she was careful to decline, al
though on the afternoon following the
| function she could not refrain from
asking, archly, did she like it?"
"She?" Carton echoed the word in
alarm. Mrs. Thorne saw the color
rise to his forehead; she thought his
manner confused, boyish, ardent
"She? I didn't know L mentioned
You didn't" she fastened to reas.
sure him; "but women-old married
women like myself-feel privileged to
have intuitions, you know" She fin.
ished with little laugh, that even to
her ears rang hollow.
YES" he assented, Il suppose So
| cat least he might have contradicted
that phrase, "old married women!")
"You-you're right" he stammered;
and then his face fell, as did her
hopes, which she had based on his ex
pected denial. But she didn't come
!. for some reason"
/ But she will?"
ooh, yes, I'm sure she will" He
vas quite too enthusiastic.
He seized his brush, and began to
slap paint upon the canvas furiously
! Indeed"
"A fellow likes TO confide in some
! one, you know, Mrs. Thorne." He
I fidgeted, very i'll at ease. We've
are to be married next week"
Married? You? Next week." She
sat bolt upright.
why, yes; I've just arranged it,"
At the end or the days sitting he
laid down the tools of his trade with