The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-01-02
LILLIAN.


her by except when some one called
her "airy, fairy Lillian" which de-
scribed her exactly. She earned far
less money than other models, because
she would never pose nude. Indeed, it
looking little girl thus exposing her.
self, though I do not mean to imply
that model may not in that case be
modest. Lillian, however, made sufn-
cient money to pay her room rent and
keep quite enough flesh on her bones
to insure employment at her calling.
AS to dress, she was never well dress
ed except in the fine clothes provided
by the artists for whom she posed.
Her people lived in the country. She
had left them to come to the city and
while looking for employment was TAX
en- up by an artist who made illustra-
lions for magazines, and in that way
she came to be model.
OF course Lillian fell into bohemian
life. Several of US, all bohemians
used to have suppers together and
were usually accompanied by some Of
the models whom we used to en-
ploy. Lillian made no scruple to at
tend these suppers and never held
her head above the other models who
posed as required, but her demeanor
was always ladylike, and at the slight
est suggestion Of impurity she would
leave us. Therefore whenever she was
present we were especially careful.
Any of us would have been glad Of
Lillian's preference, but it was re-
served for my friend Kendall to abb
sorb all she had to bestow. Kendall
was handsome fellow and as attrac-
tive otherwise as handsome. We all
agreed that he and Lillian made very
pretty couple. Kendall had barely
scraped enough together to secure his
education at the art school, but soon
after graduation made some success at
illustrating. But he was ambitious to
paint marine views and in his infatua-
ton dropped his other work. Then he
began to look shabby and hungry.
Now, the story of Kendall and LII
liam l cannot tell. I am sure there is
great deal to tell if only knew it.
were as well known to every one of us
artists as to me- The first Of these is
that Kendall fell Ill. saw as much
of him as possible and would have
kept him in my quarters. but he pre-
ferred to remain in his own room, and
I frequently met Lillian there nursing
him. | was poor as church mouse
and could do but little for him in pro-
viding means, and the rest Of our set
were in the same fix. Not one Of us
but had a hard time to live. l no.
ticed that the longer Kendall's illness
lasted the more worried he seemed to
be about his necessities and where
him one morning when the subject was
mentioned-Lillian was there, too-and
when he spoke with infinite depression
as to his condition she said cheerfully:
Hes blue today. Come and see him
tomorrow. He'll have windfall."
called the next day and found a
lot of delicacies on the table, new and
clean linen on his bed-indeed, num-
Der of comforts he so much needed.
Nevertheless he looked more dismal
than ever. l asked him where his luck
had come from, but he only shook his
head.
The next incident l refer to is this:
In Ms picture of that year, which was
sold for $500. was nude figure Of
nympth. We all agreed that it re-
sembled Lillian. We asked N. if she
had been his model. but he turned
away and evaded direct answer, say
ing:
81 supposed Lillian never posed in
that fashion"
Meanwhile Kendall recovered his
health and set about practical work
He was excellent at outline drawing
and gradually worked into some of the
best paying newspapers and maya
zines. B., a figure painter of repute
but blunderer las artistic people Of
ten are), needed model for his we
nus of the Springtime." Knowing that
Kendall was intimate with Lillian, B.
was stupid enough to go to him and
ask him to use his influence with her
to induce her to pose for it. Kendall
replied by knocking him down.
We heard the story Of the affair from
B., but Kendall never mentioned it,
Indeed, after his illness he avoided us
all and seemed very moody. Never
theless he was working hard, running
an original feature in a newspaper that
must have been paying him largely
AS for Lillian, we missed her from
our studios, and she dropped complete
ly out of our lives.
The next pointer to the story is that
Kendall came to me one day and aston
ished me by asking me to be with him
at his wedding, which was to be pri-
yate. Indeed, was to be the only
witness. l asked him to name the
bride, but he said that should see
her on the day of the wedding. On
that day I went to a suit of rooms of
which he gave me the address and was
received by Lillian.
l never saw happier smile or a
more beautiful expression Of uncon-
scious purity on any brides face.