Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-01-02
CHAPTER LII.

HE door which Ariel had enter
ed opened upon a narrow hall,
and down this she ran to her
q own room, passing, with face
averted, the entrance to the broad, low
ceilinged chamber that had served
Roger Tabor as studio for almost
fifty years. He was sitting there now,
in a hopeless and discoDsolate attitude,
with his back toward the double doors,
which were open, and had been open
since their hinges had begun to give
way, when Ariel was a child. Hear
ing her step, he called her name, but
did not turn, and, receiving no answer,
sighed family as he heard her own
door close upon her.
Then as his eyes wandered about the
many canvases which leaned against
the dingy walls he sighed again Usu-
ally they showed their brown backs
but today he had turned them all to
face outward. Twilight, sunset, moon
light (the courthouse in moonlight),
dawn, morning, noon (AIain street at
noon, high summer, first spring, red
autumn, midwinter, all were there, il
limitably detailed. worked to a smooth
ness like glaze and all lovingly done
with unthinkable labor.
After a time the old man got up,
went to his easel near a window and,
signing again, began patiently to work
upon one of these failures-a portrait
in oil of a savage old lady, which he
was doing from photograph. The
expression of the mouth and the shape
OF the nose had not pleased her de-
scendants and the benefciaries under
the will, and it was upon the images
of these features that Roger labored
He leaned far forward, with his face
close to the canvas, holding his brushes
after the Spencerian fashion, working
steadily through the afternoon and
when the light grew DINNER, leaning
closer to his canvas to see. When it
had become almost dark in the room
he lit student lamp with a green
glass shade and, placing 1t upon a ta-
bic beside him, continued to paint
AriePs voice interrupted him at last.
It's quitting time, grandfather" she
called gently from the doorway behind
him.
He sank back In his chair, conscious
for the first time of how tired he had
grown. ST suppose So he said, Though
it seemed to me ! was just getting my
hand in" His eyes frightened for
moment. IT declare, l believe I've
caught it great deal better. Come
and look, Ariel. Doesn't it seem to
you that I'm getting it? Those pearly
shadows in the flesh
''I'm sure of it. Those people ought
to be very proud to have it," She came
to him quietly, took the palette and
brushes from his hands and began to
clean them, standing In the shadow be-
hind him. s'It's too good for tbem.''
mo" he murmured in return. "You
can do much better yourself. Your
sketches show it."
No, mop she protested quickly.
Eyes, they do, and / wondered if it
was only because you were young. But
those did when was young are al
most the same as the ones I paint now.
I haven't learned much There hasn't
been any one to show me. And you
can't learn from print, neYerl Yet
I've grown In what see-grown SO
that the world is full of beauty to me
that never dreamed Of seeing when
began. But / can't paint It l can't
get it on the canvas. All, / think l
might have known how to If hadn't
had to teach myself, II ! could only
have seen how some of the other fell
lows did their work. II I'd ever saved
money to get away from Canaan-if |
could have gone away from it and