West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-03

Sstrt.tf----e--
"hr Bchrmdn dted OF pneumonia to-
day IN the hospital"
I'll go too"
"Johnsy. dear" said Sue. bending
over her. will you promise me 10 keep
your eyes closed and not look out the
window until / am done workingi |
must hand those drawings I'm by tomor-
row. / need the light or | would draw
the shade down"
Couldn't you draw iu the other
roomT' asked Johnsy coldly.
I'D rather be here 10y you" said
Sue. Besides. l don't want you TO
Keep looking at those silly Ivy leaves"
Tell me as soon as you have fin
ished." said Johnsy, closing her eyes
and lying white and still as "A fallen
statue, because want To see the last
one fall. I'm tired OF waiting. I'm
tired OF thinking. | want To turn loose
my hold on everything and go sailing
down, down, just like one OF those
poor, tired leaves"
''Try TO Sleep" said Sue. 81 must
call Behrman up TO be my model for
the old hermit miner. I'll not he gone
a minute. Don't try TO move till I
come back"
Old Behrman was painter who
lived ON the ground floor beneath them
lie was past sixty and had n Michel
angelos Moses beard curling down
from the head OF satyr along the
body of an imp. Behrman was fail
ure In art Forty years he had welded
the brush without getting near enough
TO touch the hem OF his mistress robe.
He had been always about TO paint a
masterpiece, but had never yet begun
IL. For several years he had painted
nothing except now and then n daub
In the line of commerce or advertising.
He earned a little 10y serving as a
model TO those young artists I'm the
colony who could not pay the price of
n professional. He drank gin to ex-
cess and still talked OF his coming
masterpiece. For the rest he. was n
fierce little old man. who scoffed terri
bly, at softness in any one and who re-
garded himself as cspecia. mastiff I'm
waiting 10 protect the two young art
fists In the studio above.
Sue found Behrman smelling strong
ly OF Juniper berries I'm his dimly light
ed den below. In one corner was n
blank canvas on an easel that had been
waiting there for twenty-five years to
receive the first line Of the master
piece. She told him OF Johnsy's fancy
and how she feared she would indeed
light and fragile as leaf herself. Aoat
away when her slight hold upon the
world grew weaker.
Old Behrman. with his red eyes plain
~ streaming, shouted his contempt and
derislon for such idiotic imaginlngs.
"Yass" he cried. 'Ts dere people I'm
de world NIT der foolishness to die be
cause leafs dey drop Off from con
founded vine? ! haf not heard Of such
thing. No. ] will not boseas a model
for your fool hermit dunderhead. w
do you allow dot silly business to come
In der praln of her? Ach, dot poor
lettlc Miss Johnsyw
"She IS very III and weak" said Sue.
"and the fever has left her mind NOR
bid and full OF strange fancies. Very
well, Mr. Behrman. II you do not care
TO pose for me. you needn't But !
think you are horrid old-old nibber-
tigibbct"
you are just like n woman yelled
Bchrman "Who said ] will not bose
Go on. I come init you. For half an
hour haf peen trying to say dot am
ready TO bose. Gott. dis is not any
blace I'm which one so goot as Miss
Johnsy shall lie sick. Some day viii
baint masterpiece. and We shall all 90
away. Gott, yesr
Johnsy was sleeping when they
went upstalps. Sue pulled the shade
down TO the window sill and motioned
Behrman into the other room. In there
they pcered out of the window fear.
fully at the Ivy vine. Then they looked
at each other for a moment without
speaking. a persistent cold rain was
falling. mingled with snow. Bchrman
in his old blue shirt. took his seat as
the hermit miner on an tpturncd ket
tie for n rock.
When Sue awOke from an hours
sleep the next morning she found
Johnsy with dull wide open eyes star
Ing at the drawn green shade.
Pull II up; want 10 see" she or
dercd in n whisper.
YEARLY Sue Obeyed
But, 10. after the beating rain and
fierce gusts OF wind that had endured
through the 1ivelong night there YET
stood out against the brick wall one ivy
leaf. It was the last on The vine. Still
dark green near It's stem but with rs
scrrated edges tinted with the yellow
OF dissolution and decay, II hung brave
~ from branch some twenty fee
above the ground.
ct Is the last one" said JOhnsy. 81
thought II would surely fall during IN,
night ! heard the wind. 1t VIII fal
| today. and 7 shall die NJ the sam'
| time"
"Dear, dear" said Sue. leaning hel
worn face down 70 the pillow, "thinl
Of me II you won't think Of yourself
What would 7 do?"
But Johnsy did not answer. Tn,
lonesomest thing in all the world IS
soul when It Is making ready 10 20 oi
It's mysterious far journey The fancy
seemed 20 possess her more strongly
as ono by one the ties that bound her