The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-24
THE EVENING STORY
Mr.. Thompson's Model.
(By Alice r. Wetmore. !


drawl from the tiny anteroom, which |
Thompson designated the office.
Here" replied that gentleman, as
%oua per as n9 9a onv e Ct
explained to his model. "or perhaps
"Oh. let him come in by all means"
replied the girl. "I'd rather like to
A long. clean-limbed young fellow
lounged in, halted alphabetically for a
moment behind Thompson's canvas,
and then sunk lazily into pile of
cushions on the floor.
The girl on the model stand scrutin-
fsed 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-
cinating, and to complete the impress
sion, his strong. lean face was abso-
lutely devoid of expression
Suddenly, however, he gazed intently
and with a semblance of awakened in
terest at the model. The pose was rath-
er striking A heavy black velvet gown
accentuated that peculiar transparency
of coloring which accompanies q GER
tain deep, rich shade of auburn hair.
A dull green background reconciled
the brilliant colorinE of the upper part
of the picture to the dusky mysteries
figure was saved from insolence only
by the winsomeness of the face.
Carter pulled lazily at his pipe and
continued to gaze at the girl, with half
finally asserted. by Jove. that's a
wonderful pose!" with a sudden burst
of enthusiasm that startled the girl.
Are you engaged after you finish with
Tho1npson?"
The other artist opened his mouth;
then, with a quiet smile, closed 1t
again. The girl smiled, too, a little
smile that curled her upper lip de-
| liciously.
mo, sir, I'm not engaged next
week." she replied quietly.
"Can you come to me for two
weeks pose then, in the mornings?
Thompson looked obviously at the
girl. Eyes, sir. TIL come" she said.
The next Monday the model pre-
scented herself at John Carriers studio.
| He scarcely looked up as he greeted
her.
ooh is that you, Miss Do you
know, 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, I'M
| til the black gown and the background
mingled darkly and the white face and
auburn hair fairly jumped from the
gloom in a single, startling note OF
color.
Carter set to work with 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 alphabetically,
with a slow. winning smile. I'm rath-
| er a hard fellow to get started, Miss
Parks Parks but but 1 wont ,f giye you much
The girl watched the man with fas-
cinated eyes. He worked with the
precision and energy of a splendid ma
chine. His face shone with positive in
spiration.
AS for Garter himself, he was bliss
| fully happy. With the true artists sem
sitiveness he felt the absence of the
usual clash between the half-hearted,
prosaic models and the ideals he strug-
gled to efnbody by their aid. The at
| mosphere lacked q single inharmon-
! ious element, for the girl seemed to
throw her whole personality into the
work II
| At last he emerged from his trance
sufficiently to observe that white
| line had appeared around the g1rfs
compressed lips and that she wavered
| as she stood.
att 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 rest?'' he de-
manded reproachfully.
The girl sank into chair with an
amused CLEAN in her eyes. L never
saw anybody SO completely lost" she
said. "I couldn't bear to disturb you.
The next morning he found himself
awaiting with unmistakable impatience
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 artists
satisfaction.
She was charming in her dark street
gown. Her face was flushed and her
eyes bright with the exhiliration OF
an autumn morning, and Carter was
strongly tempted to put away serious
stood. He banished the idea. however,
and soon they were at work on the
| "masterpiece.' He refused to believe
it 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
five different heads into ur1mistakable
likenesses of Miss PARKS Then he
muttered something beneath hls 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 his canvas was
completed, and the realization brought
a poignant feeling of regret The rea-
SON for it came when it suddenly flash
ed upon him that tomorrow was MISS
Parks'S last day. And then 1t was that
Carter made a discovery that a less
inexperienced man would have made
long before. 1t came with such shock
that he was fairly stunned. He, John
Carter, the most unimpressionist or
men, in love with his model!
When Miss Parks appeared the next
day he greeted her with his usual
cheerful good morning. but not anoth-
er word was spoken until she had TAX
en- the old familiar pose-for the last
time, he said to himself, with a pang
which both were aware. At last, This
is the last day of the pose,' the girl
| yentured. Carter worked furiously.
s'Yes," he answered shortly Anotner
nause sThen you won't want me any
| RSS-a H,l,e sirl,s vnfca sfraye hard