The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-17
THE GUEST
OF QUESNAY
Booth Harrington


CONTINUED from Yesterday
you're right. I'll tell him tonight"
This came with sudden decision. but
with less than marked what followed.
but he can't stop me now. No one
on earth shall do that except Nine.
d'Armand herself--no oner'
saw bis hand cropping toward me In
the darkness. and. rising, gave him
mine.
Good night" he said I'm glad to
tell him. I'm glad to have told you.
All. but isn't this" he cried. "a happy
world.'
Turning. be ran to the gallery steps.
AT last I'm glad" be called back over
bis shoulder-..I'm glad that ! was
born
l heard his voice indistinctiy, but
thought. though might have been
mistaken. that caught a fnal word
and that 1t was ''again."
1t was one Of those days when ma
ture throws herself straight In your
face and you are at loss to know
whether she has kissed you or slapped
you, though you are conscious Of the
tingle-a day. In brief. more for laugh
ing than for painting, and the truth Is
that l suited its mood only too we'll
and laughed more than painted.
though I sat with my easel before me
and q picture ready upon my palette
to be painted.
No one could have understood bet
ter than that this was setting bad
example to the acolyte who sat, Hike
wise facing an easel. ten PAGES to my
left; very sportsmanlike figure OF
painter. indeed. In her short skirt and
long coat OF woodland brown. the fine
brown Of dead oak leaves: a ..deyastat-
ing" selection OF color that. being
much the same shade as her hair.
with brown for her hat. too. and the
veil encircling the small crown there
of. and brown again for the stout.
high, laced boots which protected her
from the wet tangle underfoot. Who
could have expected SO dashing a
young person a. Anne Elliott to do any
real work at paintingy Yet she did.
narrowing her eyes TO the finest point
OF concentration and applying herself
to the task In hand with persistence
which found on that particular morn
ing far beyond my own powers.
At her request inspected her work.
/ stepped back several yards 10 see II
better, though I should hare had TO
retire about quarter of the length Of
a city block to see 1t quite from her
own point Of view.
She moved with me. both OF MS walk
ing backward. began:
For day like this. with all the
color In thu trees themselves and so
very little In the air.
There came an Interruption. q voice
Of unpleasant and why nasality. speak
Ing from behind US.
"Weli. wellr' it said. $50 here we
are again.
faced about and beheld. just emerg-
ed from bypath, fox faced young
man whose light, we'll poised figure
was jauntily clad in gray serge. with
scarlet walstcoat and tie. white shoes
upon his feet and " white hat gayly
beribboned upon his head. recoltec-
ton Of the dusky road and a group of
people about Pere Baudry's lamplit
door tiickered across my mind.
THE historical tourist exclaimed.
THE highly pedestrian tripper from
Trouville.'
"You got me right. m'dear friend"
leck meetin' you perfect"
And l was interested to learn" said
/. carefully observing the effect of my
words upon him. that you had been
to Les Trois Pigeons, after all. Per-
haps might put 1t, you had been
through Les Trois Pigeons. for the
maitre d'hotei informed me you had IN
vestigated every corner-that wasn't
locked"
Sure" he returned. with rather less
embarrassment than brazen vishnu
would have exhibited under the sal me
circumstances. He showed me what
pitchers they was IN your studio. I'll
lux 'em over again fer We one OF
these days. Some of 'em was right
gud''
You will be visiting near enough
for me to avail myself of the oppor-
tunityY'
Right In the Pigeon house. my
friend. I've just come down t'put In
a few days there" he responded coolly.
- hey's young feiier In this neigh
borhood take kind O. family inter-
est In"
who Is thatT' asked quickly.
For answer he produced the effect Of
q laugh by widening and lifting one
side Of his mouth. leaving the other
meantime rigid.
Don femme int'rup' the couv'sation 4
with yer lady friend" he said win
ningly What they call 'taikin' high
arts. wasn't IL! "a like 70 hear
some"
CHAPTER TX.
~ Hiss ELLlOIT"s expresrion,
" when lturned 70 observe the
sfrsct of the intruder upon