Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-26
AN ARTISTIC
TEMPERAMENT
By
Charlotte Wilson.
Copyright 1908 by Thomas Il. Mckee

w
M Year English" class she was already
y ~ the author of novel. 1t was called
"Annabel Clavering. A Tale of Love
and Adventure The Principal had copy of IL
in his pocket when he presented himself that year
Miss Wharton had just returned from her SUMMER
vacation.
She turned the pages with supercilious fingers
She read the opening paragraph. She pondered
the name on the fy-leaf: Johnny Ethel Potts -
Then she held the unholy thing out to the Princi-
pal at arms length, as holds dead mouse by
the tail.
''It's absolutely com-comp1ete!" she said '"Take
it,"
The Principal. threw back his head with his long
deferred brief laughter Then he sobered. Il
brought it to you," he said. "It's present"
Miss Wharton gave him one look. Take it,"
she repeated
What shall do with it," asked the Principal
meeky.
"Burn tor bury it It's all very we'll for you
to laugh" she ended resentfully. You won't
have to teach her,
Johnny Ethel it turned out had redeeming points.
Even her small, insolent face with its irregular
mouth it's upturned nose, its huge, brazen black
eyes was not without certain attraction for the
tolerant-minded. Mrs. Meredith, indeed, dismiss
ed Johnny Ethel with one damning adjective. She
was so common" And common Johnny Ethel
certainly was-common alike in her faults and in
her virtues; in her quick, shallow affectionateness
and her spontaneous spitefulness; in her brief ae-
glance and her feeting generosities; in her frank.
feminine Establishments and her obvious wiles.
Popularity of certain sort, she had from the
beginning The boys, of whatever social status,
yielded after their various fashions, to her sway.
They recognized the lure of the big swapping black
eyes in the small, soft face, and ndulgently sue
cumbed. They would whisper to her across the
aisles dozen times day, and take the resultant
"checks" with cheerful philosophy. She was what
the teachers called "centre of disorder" Miss
Armstrong said her motto was "a mans man for
a. that"
Miss Wharton, however, noticed day or two
after school began an unexpected reason for char
ity in judging the ncipient genius. She was going
over some preliminary work with the Principal one
evening" when they upon Johnny Ethels
, name.
"You didn't tell that the author of "Annabei
Clavering: A Tale of Love and Adventure, was
cripple, "'she said suddenly. Didn't know it myself
until this morning." said the Principal ST was in
vestigating some cases of tardness and she gave
her lameness as an excuse. Since then I've no.
ticed that she limps slightly
Ibid you accept the excuse?"
"Why-no," said the Principal. 81 told her that
she knew that she lame beforehand, and
should have started earlier"
How perfectly nhuman' remarked Miss Whar-
ton What did she do then?'
The Principal hesitated; under his questioner's
teasing eyes he even redeemed little. why"
"Oh do tell me that she burst into tears!'' said
Miss Wharton clasping her hands in the name
of all the Muses. and the Artistic Temperament do
tell me that she wept!''
"We' admitted the Principal. with a sulky
grin, .she' did,
"And said"
"Yes; that her lameness had always set her
apart from the rest of the world; had embittered
her life.'''
"oh dear" sighed Miss Wharton. tears of mrth
in her eyes.
1T seems to me-" said the Principal with dig
nifty "that such satirc enjoyment of other peoples
misfortunes is somewhat--inhuman
Miss Wharton grew graver. Poor infant" she
said SIT is hard; I know I'm a monster To be
Iame-and genius" she added levity again gain
ing the upper hand, "like Byron
THAT said the Pricipal. avoiding her eyes, lis
what she said" And at that Miss Wharton threw
scruples to the winds.
Nevertheless, she particularly kind after
that to Johnny Ethel. And Johnny Ethel repaid her
with her quick If superficial, affection; though she
continued to miss her lessons and persisted in whi
perng to any available boy on every possible oc-
casion and took Checks and corrections with the
worst possible grace-turning up her already tip
tilted nose when the teachers back was turned and
dropping the lids her swapping eyes with in
imtable insolence.
Johnny Ethes firtations were SO indscrimnate
that it was some time before Miss Wharton be-
came aware of the one which was to prove in the
SEQUEL especially significant She had her attention
called to 1t at the luncheon conference of the high
school teachers.
what has come over Gilbert staunton?" asked
Mrs Meredith one day. II can't account for the
change in his work. 1t has lapsed from excellent
to unspeakable. wonder if he suffers much from
his hip? What are you smiling about Miss Arm
strong.
81 was thinking of talk had with his sister