Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-11-18
The Artistic
| temperament

Never again. said the artist, "nev-
er again shall l play the role of good
kind lady"
Il didn't know that was your speci-
atty said the stenographer softly.
The artist did not hear the remark.
She was too busy examining the con-
tents of her purse.
Last fall" went on the artist,
when l went to Paris and all the
Americans in the Latin quarter were
SO nice to me, l thought it was due
to the hospitality of my country peo-
ple-and my own popularity. Now l
know that, even at that early stage,
every one of those women had deep
designs on me-
A friend had advised me not to let
any one know when / got ready to
leave for home. She said just to steal
away in the night and send a wireless
good-by back from midocean and thus
avoid doing errands for friends. I
thought that showed an awful dispo-
sition.
L i
was going back to Chicago in July.
Then came string of callers to find
out whether I had any spare room in
my trunk. It struck me as rather or
iginal to answer in the Affirmative
l had never heard of any one who had
confessed to being in that state'
But did you really have vacant
space in your trunk when you had
been abroad niue months?" asked the
stenographer.
Eyes, that is why 1 had it. You
see, | threw away my old clothes on
the strength of woman's asking how
much I'd charge to paint her portrait.
1T seemed such a simple thing to
say that I'd take package to New
York for Miss Brownell's brother"
explained the artist "She said it was
something he had left in Paris. How
was l to know that it was bathrobe
and that her brother was fat man?
After that / didn't have plenty of
room in my little steamer trunk. She
said | could leave the bathrobe at her
brothers office in New York I said
I'd love to. l always did just done
dote on carrying packages especially
bathrobes for fat men,
Then Miss Burridge wanted me to
take hatpin to little friend of hers
It cost only five cents, but it would
make the child SO happy to have some
thing from Paris, she said.
Miss Lawyer had two lovely lace
collars she had worn only few times
and she wanted to sell them in order
to buy paints. In the Latin quarter
it is perfectly polite and stylish to sell
ones clothes for arts sake When
Miss Lawyer said I could send her
the money back from America /
bought one of the collars.
when I reached New York my rich
aunt looked Mortified at the thought
of my buying lace when l needed
shoes and offered to buy the collar
for her daughter AS she has al
ways been SO nice to me-giving me
a lot of advice on how to save money
L let her have the collar for just
what I was to pay for it. Then | sent
her check on to Paris. Miss Lawyer
wrote at once taht there was still 81
due, as the collar / had chosen was
the more expensive one. | don't see
why-it was the smaller of the two.
Aunt Mary has an awful opinion of
the effects of art, 50 | wasn't going
to have her know I'd sold a collar for
81 less than it was worth. Consequent
ly I sent money of my own to Miss
Lawyer and said nothing.
"My matrimonial prospects were
ruined as I was taking the steamer,
because I had to open my trunk to
stow away three little bottles of per-
fume which Miss Leigh was sending
to Chicago. That immaculate George
Wolcott was there and saw the way
had packed my trunk"
Another romance of your young
life ended said the stenographer,
comfortingly.
cat New York I wanted to show the
customhouse officers those three bot
ties Of perfume just to let them
know I really had something dutiable,
but the bottles had disappeared. My
cabin mate insists that l was careless
in leaving my trunk unlocked one
morning when I went up on deck.
sent So to Miss Leigh and worded my
letter so that she would think I had
used the perfume for presents. She
didn't write me very courteous re-
ply.
Before I got through with that five
cent hatpin l had to pay out % cents
in postage and car fare-and the lit
| tie girl could have bought one just
like it in New York for less than ten
cents
Il didn't mind being out of pocket
| 1923 I don't even grieve over the
loss of Mr. Wolcott, but l know all
those women in Paris will get TO-
gether and compare notes and think
me a subject for an insane asylum.
So l shall never dare go to Paris
again
"Oh, I shouldn't worry" said the
stenographer. They will think it is