The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-09-09
MR., H.ON'P SONS
! MODE |,
The Way She Came to Get a Per-
manent Engagement.
BY ALICE r. WETMoRE.

BY ALICE r. WETMoRE.
Copyright 1909. by Associated Literary
Press
Where are you, Bill?" came law
drawl from the tiny anteroom, which
Thompson designated the office.
Here" replied that gentleman as
distinctly as mouthful of brushes
would permit. "1t's only Carter" he
explained to his model. Cor perhaps
you'd rather
''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 pile of
cushions on the floor.
The girl on the model stand scruti-
nfzed him closely and made up her
mind that he was the most typically
lazy man she had ever seem His voice.
his walk, his carriage, had an absolute
lack Of effort that was positively fas-
| c1nat1ng, 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 a
wonderful poser with sudden burst
Of enthusiasm that startled the girl
care 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. she replied quietly
'Can you come to me for a two
weeks pose then, in the mornings?'
Thompson looked obviously at the
girl. eyes, sir, I'll Gomez she said.
The next Monday the model present
ed herself at John Carter's studio.
He scarcely looked up as he greet
ed her.
"Oh, is that you, Miss Do you
know, forgot to ask your name," he
drawled.
| Sparks" the girl supplied smiingly.
The gown he gave her was also
black. He had hung heavy stuffs
around and above the model stand IN
til the black gown and the background
mingled darkly and the white face and
auburn hair fairly jumped from the
gloom in 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 apologetical-
~, with slow, winning smile, "1'm
rather hard fellow to get started,
Miss Parks, but won't give you much
| trouble once we're off,
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 Carter himself, he was bliss
fully happy. With the true artist
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 a 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 rest?'' 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-
tience 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
| gown. Her face was flushed 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