The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-08-10
mr.. THOMP SON'S
MODEL.
The Way She Came to Get a Per-
manent Engagement.
Rx ALICE 3. WRTMoRE.

"Oh, let him come In by all means"
replied the girl I'D rather like to see
him"
A long, clean limbed young fellow
lounged in, halted alphabetically for a
moment behind Thompson's canvas
and then sunk lazily into a pile Of
cushions on the floor.
The girl on the model stand scruti-
nized him closely and made up her
mind that he was the most typically
lazy man she had ever seen. His voice,
his walk, his carriage, had an absolute
lack Of effort that was positively fas-
chatting, and to complete the impress
sion his strong. lean face was abso-
lutely devoid of expression.
Suddenly, however, he gazed intent
" and with a semblance Of awakened
interest at the model. The pose was
rather striking. A heavy black velvet
gown accentuated that peculiar trans
parency Of coloring which accompa-
MES a certain deep rich shade of au-
burn hair. A dull green background
reconciled the brilliant coloring OF the
upper part Of the picture to the dusky
mysteries of the lower canvas. The
pose Of the figure was saved from In
science only by the winsomeness Of
the face.
Carter pulled lazily at his pipe and
continued to gaze at the girl with half
closed critical eyes. mice color" he
finally asserted. "By Jove, that's
wonderful poser with sudden burst
of enthusiasm that startled the girl
Are you engaged after you finish with
Thompson
The other artist opened his mouth;
then, with a quiet smile, closed it
again. The girl smiled, too. little
smile that curled her upper lip deli
ciously.
mo, sir; I'm not engaged next
week." replied quietly.
"Can you come to me for two
weeks pose then, in the mornings?"
Thompson looked obviously at the
girl. Eyes, sir. I'll come" she said.
The next Monday the model present
ed herself at John Carriers studio.
He scarcely looked up as he greet
ed her.
"Oh, is that you, Miss Do you
know, 1 forgot to ask your name." he
drawled.
PARKS" the girl supplied smilingly-
The gown he gave her was also
black. He had hung heavy stuffs
around and above the model stand un-
til the black gown and the background
mingled darby and the white face and
auburn hair fairly jumped from the
gloom in a single. startling note Of
color.
Carter set to work with a feverish
energy which quite transformed him.
He tried first one pose, then another,
in such rapid succession that the girl
was positively bewildered.
When he had at last found one that
pleased him he drawled apologetical-
", with a slow, winning smile, "T'm
rather a hard fellow to get started
Miss Parks, but won't give You much
trouble once we're of"
The girl watched the man with fas-
cinated eyes. He worked with the
precision and energy of splendid ma
chine His face shone with positive
inspiration.
As for Garter himself. he was bliss
fully happy. With the true artists
sensitiveness he felt the absence Of the
usual clash between the half hearted.
prosaic models and the ideals he strug-
gled to embody by their aid. The at
mosphere lacked single inharmoni-
GUS element, for the girl seemed to
throw her whole personality into the
work.
At last he emerged from his trance
sufficiently to observe that white line
had appeared around the girls COM
pressed lips and that she wavered as
she stood.
1T must be time to rest" he OBJ
served. why" as he glanced at the
clock, you've been posing for nearly
an hour. Why didn't you restT' he
demanded reproachfully.
The girl sank into chair with an
amused CLEAN In her eyes. II never
saw anybody SO completely lost" she
said. II couldn't bear to disturb you. !"
The next morning he found himself
awaiting with unmistakable impa-
thence the arrival Of his model, and
when at last she did stand before him
with a smiling "GOod morning" on her
lips he regarded the girl with an art
lists satisfaction
She was charming in her dark street
IIow fooa vr,oc d1ahnd and her
eyes bright with the exhilaration Of an
autumn morning, and Carter was
strongly tempted to put away serious
work and make study Of her as she
stood. He banished the idea. however,
and soon they were at work on the
'masterpiece." He refused to believe
1t when the noon whistle insisted that
It was IL O'Clock and Miss Parks de-
parted.
The afternoon was unprecedentedly
long. He felt strangely disinclined to
work and finally put aside the canvas
and brought out some unfinished
sketches. He worked on these until he
discovered that he had converted ave
different heads into unmistakable like
nssses Of Miss Parks. Then he NUT
tered something beneath his breath
and gave up In despair.
At the end of the last day but one
Of the two weeks Carter realized that
the central figure Of bis canvas was
completed, and the realization brought
a poignant feeling Of regret The rea-
son for it came when It suddenly
flashed upon him that tomorrow was
Miss Parks last day. And then 1t was
that Carter made a discovery that
less inexperienced man would have
made long before 1t came with such
a shock that be was fairly stunned.
He, John Carter, the most unimpres-
sionist of men, in love with his model!
When Miss Parks appeared the next
day he greeted her with his usual
cheerful "Good morning." but not an
other word was spoken until she had
taken the old familiar pose-for the
last time, he said to himself, with a
pang.
There was a strange restraint OF
which both were aware. At last,
"This is the last day Of the pose," the
girl ventured Carter worked furious
ly. Eyes" he answered shortly. An
other pause. ''Then you won't want
me any more?" The girls voice strove
hard to be commonplace.
Carter threw down his palette In de-
SPAR. The girl kept her pose bravely,
her pretty head tilted, but the eyes
which met Carriers held a look which
even he could not mistake. The man
brushed his hand across his eyes in a
quick, desperate little gesture. He
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