The Jasper news., 1907-03-29


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 birds wing
would have made hardly less noise.
Come I'M"
Before she realized 1t, the door was
swung open, letting flood of light
into the hall, and framing the figure
of Richard Carton, painter-a TALL
oad-chested man, built big and 1.-the
". 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 aftirma'
ton. IL am Mrs. Thorne.
The name of course meant nothing
to him; Carton saw only the Slight
almost willowy figure, clothed in shab-
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-suc
crowning 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.
"Oh yes. Mrs Thorne. You want
to pose? Won't you come in?' lie
invited her to enter, courteously. i
have been looking for a good model
for some time. l think you will do
splendidly."
She got into the room somehow,
dumbly, in 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 model-stand-a 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 a table she felt that Cartons 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 it be only
eight years since he left their native
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 fol
so long a time that ] would hardly
know"
1t seemed to Mrs. Thorne thai
something frightened suddenly abou
, her heart. There was, then, woman
to be present, whom he desired tt
please!
J "Oh, well, it's slight matter, afte
, all. Only ] wanted everything to bt
just so. Women are particular, yo,
know"
> And his unostentatious invitation II
tea she was careful to decline, al
though on the afternoon following th
function she could not refrain from
s asking, archly, did she like it?"
y "She?" Carton echoed the word II
r alarm. Mrs. Thorne saw the colo
|. rise to his forehead; she thought hi
n manner confused, boyish, arden
h "She? I didn't know I mentioned
you didn't" she hastened to reas
sure him; "but women-old Marie
+ women like myself-feel privileged t
g have intuitions, you know" She fiji
IT ished with little laugh, that even
t. her ears rang hollow.
YES" he assented, 81 suppose So
It cat least he might have contradicte
y that phrase, "old married women!'
a. "You--you're right" he stammered
u. and then his face fell, as did ht
i. hopes, which she had based on his e
10 pected denial. But she didn't CON
10 for some reason"
- But she will?"
u ooh, yes, I'm sure she Wilt" +
ie pas uujte too enthusiastic