The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-03-15
THE EVENING Story
Her Names shadow.
(By Esther Sangborn.)

i
plain, so thoroughly and utterly unat-
tracrive. But that name--so beauti-'
| full, so poetical, sounding like an ut
| terance in one short burning word of
| a womanly beauty almost divine-waS
as a curse to her.
1t made her morbid. She shivered
| lest people learn it and smile at the
incongruity.
| lack of color and dark-circled eyes,
reflected in every shop window, Beryl
wondered why she had been named so
anonymously. She almost cried when
a wizened old woman with a parch-
| ment skin, in charge of a fruit stand,
answered to the name of Violet What
would she, Beryl Stanhope, be like
| twenty-five years hence?
She could not free herself from the
tormenting thought. In old age, with
| ugliness intensified, she must still hear
the musical Beryl applied to her-a
name designed for round, milk
silk and eyes the color of a calm sea
the cool, restful blue that is more
nearly green.
She was reasoning to silence her
ever-renewed woman1y hunger for
beauty of person when she tapped at
the studio shared by her brother and
Lindley Wood. Her brother was out,
but Wood was PAINTING feverishly, a
seldom-seen exultation ON his serious
face.
Come in, Miss Stanhope," he call
Hospitality. Dick win be back in
while the sun shines this week. Miss
Cuyler is kindly posing for US and she
leaves the city Monday"
Beryl had not glanced at the model
throne, but at this she turned quickly
and caught her breath with a little
gasp. A girl with the sheen of corn
silk in her hair, and eyes like 1apis-
lazuH sea, was silhouetted against
background of pale green plush.
A sharp pain that Beryl did not
know was envy shot to her heart as
she drank in the sumptuous co1oring
of the nonchalant beauty. Recover
ing her composure with an effort she
returned Miss Cuy1er's greeting and
stepped forward.
"Are you and Dick working on one
theme. Mr.. Wood?" she asked. MAY
I see?"
mot one theme" answered Wood.
'Dick is doing an Andromache, but
mine is only a, study, an ideal head.
Miss Stanhope. My work fails to sat
isfy me.''
Lindley Woods pictures usually re-
ceived praise from his friends sister,
but for once there was no explanatory
remarks. After a long look she drew
back a step with heightened color.
Wherefore the name?'' she asked
haughtily.
"Beryi?" said Wood unconcerned-
ly, touching up the round white throat
on his canvas "That is just a fancy
of mine. Haven't you names to fit
your ideal types? I~would not think
of painting blonde judith or a dark
Rosamond. I've always had a liking
for the name of Beryl!'-with boy
ish earnestness-''and Miss Cuyler
happens to look my conception of it.
every much,' she replied, thankful
she could say so honestly. But there
was strange infection In her voice,
despite her effort. Lindley Woods
aanRhf ha
swift artistic Intuition.
You see something wrong with it,"
he exclaimed. 81 want to know what
it isl Be frank and tell me why you
do not like my Beryl.''
The living BeryI trembled foolishly
as she buttoned her coat. ''Seek to
please the institute committee, not
me-" she laughed.
''My opinion is not worth that dole
full expression, Mr.. Wood. Tell Dick
I shall expect him early and with a
nod that included the model, she left
over their tete-a-tete dinner that
night Bery1 tried to question her
brother about Lindley Woods interest
IN In, Miss hsst SCuyler; But she could not.
cupied of late and table conversation
was monosyllabic.
Wood hasn't been here for some
Beryl surprised in her thoughts, was
glad that the doorbell spared her a
reply. When Dick returned his friends
name was not mentioned.
Beryl sat reading in the little par
lor when her brother went out "toa pay
some calls he said. evasively. When
the door closed behind him she drop
ped her book and assumed ease.
Pacing UP and down the rooms, she |
assured herself that she would go to
work at something presently and for |
get the episode. But try as she would |
her heart was filed with bitterness
hot I7n frfA =, P.ka~
too, she had once thought--shou1d |
have been SO heartless, so utterly con-
temptuous of her as to paint an ideal !
Beryl. "He could not have told me |
my shortcomings more brutally in |
plain words" whispered she, passion
ately.
Then seeing something white on the |
hall rug, she stopped and picked up !
brothers Andromache and Lindsey
Woods Beryli In that moment she
felt almost as If she hated both artists
and their model!
A chaos of thoughts danced through |
her brain, but through it all she al
ways saw the pink and white face
that had smiled from Woods canvas
above her name.
Unable to stay indoors, she put on
her wraps and went out, but even
the clear ozone Of the winters night
did not arouse her from the strange
thra1l put upon her by the card
She turned into the block where
some friends, the Stones, lived, but
she had no intention of going in, for
she knew that Edith Cuyler was stay
ing there. Suddenly q pillar of flame
shot from a building ahead. In mo-
ment the street was a confusion of L
hoarse shouts and screams. Beryl
stood still and watched the residents,
like a stream of human ants, carry
ing valuables to safety. Then, as one h
from a troubled dream II
recognizes their envfronmen she
realized she was looking at the stones
house and that 1t was afire.
Attracted by shrilI scream she
raised her eyes to the third floor. The
beautiful Miss Cuyler stood in a win
io... her hlnade head silinllnttad ~