The Dolores star., 1909-05-28
The Tragic
Touch
D FRANCIS HOWARD WILLIAMS

Copyright, by J. b. Lippncott Co.)
The breakfast-room. having a north
Hight, had been fitted up az a studio.
II looked out upon pretty lawn that
fell on In green gradations to a little
runnel which meandered toward the
river a mile away. The house was
pretty because a touch of art had
fallen upon it's commonplace lines and
angles: It had porches on two sides.
with trellised creepers, and a bulgine
gable toward the road.
Whsn Edward Steelman. artist and
dreamer. had taken unto himself
wife 20 years his junior he had
brought her here for two very good
reasons-flrst, because he wanted to
have her to himself. and, secondly.
because he was weary OF the unend-
Ing conventions and thought thus to
escape them.
Deep in his heart also there was
perhaps a half fear that the discrep.
ancy In their ages might some day
impel his wife to mental comparisons
not altogether in his favor. He was
only As. but even at that age q man
begins to grow sensitive. He couldn't
forget that to Hope. with her quick
perceptions and Imaginative tempera.
msnt, he must seem almost old; nor
could he conceal from himself the
feeling Of resentment with which he
thought Of her taking an interest in
the society OF younger men.
Bo he came to Abbeyvale and
bought the house, with its porches
and bulging gable and breakfast-room
with north light.
The light was doing him a particu.
larly valuable service this morning,
for somehow 1t seemed to be bringing
him an inspiration long prayed for
and hitherto denied. The picture on
the easel was all but finished: It
needed only touch at the eyes. The
casual observer scarcely could have
detected such a need, but the artist
was conscious of 1t and had long been
SO. For how many weary weeks had
he labored. only to be at last con-
fronted with a problem which ap-
peared beyond his power to solve!
Why he had chosen so antique q
subject as Phaedra he could not quite
say. He was in a general way q be-
lever in the modern. both in subject
and in treatment. but Phaedra had
appealed to him and would not be
denied, SO that at last he decided to
lay the ghost by painting the picture.
This was before his marriage; the
picture had been started and put
aside. taken up and put aside again.
NnV that h0 vuo Ial nj hn< u AL
the pressure of convention. he had
once more essayed the work. and was
putting on the finishing strokes in his
coxy studio at Abbeyvale.
The eyes were the trouble. Steel.
man was perplexed and bit angry.
His work had faltered on the
threshold of realization. Somehow
this morning he began to hope; there
was the quality of inspiration in the
air. He looked into the face Of his
creation. studying those eyes. fateful
and deep. yet still lacking the touch
which should make them Phaedra's.
Oh! II he could but catch the CLEAN,
the intense spark Of a consuming de-
sire. the smothered blaze of a passion
born into life and waiting but the sig.
nal to leap all bounds to its goal!
A light breeze cantered across the
lawn and came idly in at the big
north window. tanning Steelman's 8
forehead gratefully and fetching a
breath of clover to his nostrils; then
there was a step without and Lal
looked in, smiling.
"How's 1t going to-day, Dad?"
Better, hope, boy. I actually feel
az II I were going to accomplish some
thins-as II something were going to
happen"
Guess something always does hap
pen when the time comes"
yes. that's philosophy. BY Jove!
| believe you've got more Of the coldly
rational in your makeup than have.
That's because didn't bring you up
to be q poor painter with an ideal.
You've got a lot to thank me for,
Lal."
Il know 1t. Dad. But I also know
III never amount to half as much AZ
you. Here I've been golfing while
you've been working