Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-01-22

figure OF attraction as she stood at the
rail of the steamer waving her hand.
kerchief gayly, all unconscious OF her
picturesqueness as the sun crept un-
der the brim of her hat and made a
bright glory Of her hair.
"By George, isn't she stunner!'
Zephine could not help hear a young
man near her exclaim
She blushed with confusion and was
relieved to see her patroness approach
ing.
Let me introduce my son Ralph"
| Mrs. Maxwell said proudly, laying her
| hand on the arm of the young man
who had just complImented Zephine
so spontaneously. II expect you two
to get on famously together"
Ralph extended his hand with WILL
ing cordially, but Zephine stood trans
fixed with astonishment. At last she
looked at Mrs. Maxwell appealingly.
II thought he was little boy" she
gasped helplessly.
The explanations that followed were
chaotic at best Mrs. Maxwell sup
posed, of course, that Zephine knew of
her son, Ralph Maxwell, the artist, the
popular portrait painter Of children
and modern madOnnas, Why, had
she not mentioned especially how he
painted all women with red halr?.
That is why she had thought 1t would
give him particular pleasure to have
the third member of their party DOS
sess this distinctive mark Of beauty.
And as for Ralph--why, he himself
had been entirely ignorant of the
whole plot until that very morning,
when his mother had revealed It to
him, telling him with boundless enthu-
siasm that she had asked Miss Holt
day, a charming young woman, to &c
company them on their trip so that he
would have some one to share his art
enthusiasm with and to join him in
his tireless Jaunts In search of pic
turesque children to pose for him.
While this rapid fire of calculation
was going on Zephlne looked from one
to the other In her effort to compre-
bend the situation. Finally she burst
out laughing-a trlhe hysterical per-
haps-but still 1t was the vlvacious Ze-
phlne coming to her rescue.
Mrs. Maxwell sighed and smiled all
at once.
"Oh, I'm so glad we all understand
each other now. And | know we're
going to be the best of friends"
With this optimistic assertion she
turned to greet an old acquaintance.
"And so you thought was kid"
laughed Ralph, looking at Zephlne
with undlsguised admiration. "WeH |
am pretty much of one. You'll
have to take me In hand Just the
same. l may not mind promptly some
times, but that will be because I'm
obliyious to everything save the glory
of your hair"
IT'S dyed. | did 1t to get the Job"
replied Zephlne as she turned and
left the young man staring blankly
after her
On the last day out Zephine sat curl.
ed up comfortably in her steamer
chair, pretending to read. Ralph sat
not far of sketching her, as she very T
well knew.
when we get settled in the studio
shall make a portrait of you, Miss
Holliday-that is, II you are willing"
Then l shall be both a dyed and
painted lady," she laughed teaslngly, |
IAN Irresistible combination"
Ralph made no reply, but gazed at
her so steadily that at last Zephine |
was compelled to raise her eyes.
II could love you In spite of either"
was the unexpected declaration that
he made In response to her question /
Ing glance, "but fortunately I'm not
put to the test. All the dyes In the
world couldn't produce the matchless
brightness and beauty Of your hair,
dear. Why did you try to deceive me,
zephlne?"
Were you decelvedT'
For day or two, because you
shocked me into 1t. You haven't told
me why yet"
Oh, because you annoyed me that
very first day by making love to my
hair. Everybody does. It's my rival,
and II wanted you to make love to
me-"
And didn't l do it the very next
layT"
zephine looked at him indulgently.
Yes, and every day since. You're
very bit the incorrigible boy imagin-
I'd YOU"
Only this incorrlgible boy Is in love
With his teacher" answered Ralph,
stealing hold of her warm little hand
beneath the steamer rug.
Night Watehmen's Woes.
A night Waterman employed by a
company called at the Of