The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-06-02

Vandenbleer's eyes were up when
the door moved Seeing the girl meas.
ure him with slow intent tLey quivered
in lost amaze and unprotection as she
rose, her knife eagerly seeking him.
It's aim would be instant if her sudden
intent were not arrested, caught. Coulo
he do it through her old vanity?
Il, sudden forceful burst of affected
rapture he cried: "Ah, ravishing! Su-
perbly done! Passion of dramatic
fervor! An astounding pose! Hold it, in
the name of heaven!" And his CON-
manding admiration stopped her in the
towering elimination of impending &C.
ton.
Breathing, "Ah, wonderfully he
swung his palette closer into place,
dipped his long brush into the trail of
fresh OIL keeping a steady, compelling
eye on the girl as he swished the brush
with swift decision and free swing,
from one color to another. Then he
glanced in rapt creative excitement
from the girl to the canvas and back
to the girl; less conscious of the colors
his brush was picking up than of the
amazing light he desired; then he jot-
ted down mad note of highest light.
Jerking out broad fiat brush, he
swirled it In nervous vibration through
warm and cold darks till balanced for
the depth Of shadows. Then followed
long pause of narrow-eyed, tense de-
liberation, brush in air-the moment OF
conception.
Keenly he saw the wonderful force
of the reality before him. His sensitive
receptiveness was pcrmeated with fire
for the swing of the pose, the frenzied
abandon of the forceful open curves.
the brooding desperation in the face.
A long free swing of the full brush
the length of the canvas-followed the
action Of the thing with sympathy and
power.
The madness of the girl was Gained
by the unfeigned admiration of the
man. Fascinated by the magnetism Of
his penetrating spell-bound gaze she
posed on and on. On and on he painted,
forgetting girl and situation; painted
as he never before had painted. The
high-strung temperament that had
brought only dreams and half convin-
cling artistic things was now lashed
into action and fierce endeavor, and s'or
the first time he strained his entire
capacity and produced, all unconscious
that he was really succeeding.
Long and unknowing they worked
together, cramped muscles and fever.
ish WEAKNESS accomplishing.
Suddenly the pose relaxed and
dropped, and the girl sank to the floor,
energy and madness alike utterly
spent, Slapped in the long exhausting
labor.
Vandenbleer put away the knife, now
forgotten; carried her to the couch and
stretched her out in fiat relaxing ease;
let down in greater comfort the hair he
used to love for it's copper glints and
old-gold polished streaks; felt how thin
her wrists were, and chafed their cool.
ness.
She stirred in response and he
stepped back to his work. He saw it
afresh, with new, surprised eyes-and
knew it to be great. The brief, COM
prehensive saying of the thing in
terms at once decorative and ingenu-
GUS startled him with it's completeness
and purity. The dignity of outraged
misery there appealed to him now as
a sudden revealing of soul he had
long misunderstood. A confusion of
shame for his own part of neglect and
selfishness crept over him, and, with
the realization of the source of his in.
spiration, gratitude to Honoria that
had warmth akin to his old love.
With sudden impulse self-approba.
ton urged in his rising mood, he bent
over the silent, motionless figure and
put his arms about her.
"Honoria, wake up; Honoria, dear
girl! I am made, and you have made
met"
"Share, and share alike" he has
tened to reassure her confused sur.
prise, ''even to the 'Vandenbleer
Evan, you really thought, dear,
meant to kill your" she smiled.