The Dolores star., 1909-12-24

eyes shared IN the HnetanorpuOSis
they lost their dreamy. pleading look
and became alert. laughing, and full
Of happiness and a strange power that
seemed no longer to ask. but to COM
mand help and sympathy from all
who met their glance.
Something of this change Derring
himself recognized. He knew that he
was alive. glowing in every fiber: but
he was less analytic in his happiness
than In his missy; he did not see
that his overlooking vitality commun-
icated itself to everyone with whom
he came in contact 1t was only when
some one spoke of the change that he
kneY that it was being marked. He
exuHed in his heart that no one
guessed the cause.
He was settled down and working
with a vigor of which he had not
dreamed himself capable. Everything
bent before him. He felt within him
self power to conquer the world
should 1t stand in bis way. Sometimes
he clenched his hands and stretched
his arms to their fullest to give outlet
to the play impulse that could not ex-
haust itself in work.
In his inner life too. change. less
perceptible. but no less real was TAX
ing place. Sight and hearing were
opened to new beauty Music had
become to him a medium of soul
speech; and the sordid city streets.
with their overhanging clouds OF
smoke, started to picturesque life and
beauty.
A long archway with a slant of sun
shine at the farther end-an italian
woman stealing into the shadow. n
huge bundle on her back and colored
kerchief about her head-would stir
his pulses like an old painting The
unsightly process Of building. with its
debris of mortar. bricks. and lath,
gained artistic value as his eyes took
in the grouping Of the men at work
around the mortar -beds-the soft,
gray-white OF the mortar. the dull red,
blue or orange of the shirts upon the
supple or stolid figures of the men,
with the play of muscle beneath.
Sometimes 1t was single figure. that
might have stepped from Ram
brandt canvas. appearing for a minute
and disappearing in the shifting
crowd. Always, everywhere, there
was beauty-until Derring. seeing It
all, lohged at times to relieve his
overcharged senses by .oud cry-so
wonderful. so overpowering. had the
beauty of the world become.
Undoubtedly much OF this quicken
ed insight was due to the thought OF
Helen. who was never for moment
absent from his mind Whatever
work was engaging his hand or brain,
deep below 1t all was consciousness
Of her existence, Eke second ego.
only a thousand times dearer and
more inspiring thsn his own personali-
ty. It seemed to give him a sixth
sense by which he perceived the beau
tiful-until Helen gave up in despair
the attempt to transfer to canvas all
that he brought to her notice
II became a common sight for her
sketching stool to be set up in some
sheltered corner of the busiest part
Of the city. Derring. who had dreaded
the experiment. saw, with thrill. that
the quiet power OF her personality
that so rested and sootbed him was
felt here. The crowd either passed
her by or stopped for moment to
look with respectful curiosity as the
work grew under her hand Sometimes
a mason filled her water-can or car
penter paused for moment in his
work to adjust her umbrella 1t was
the Chicago spirit-laissez faire. and
help when you can. Except for the
dust and rattle Of the street she was
as unmolested as in her quiet studio