The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-13
A STUDIO IDYLL
BY ALICE AND CLAUDE ASKEW
"Behnd Windows Diamond

]
/ arthur Netherby had not yet put in an
appearance. He was not very pune
/ tual person. and It was some distance
] from his chambers in Knightsbridge 10
| the studio In Chelsea, and he always
/ preferred to walk, since he got so little
exercise when he was at work in Lon
I don.
The studio was a large one. and fur
nished in a manner which subtiy sug
gested the artistic dilettante: yet Arthur
was quite a good craftsman. and might
have done fine things had he not been
blessed with a comfortable income Of his
own. He was the sort Of man who took
70 painting by fits and starts. giving up
practically ali his time 10 II when the
mood was on him, but at other times
leaving his studio untenanted for months
together.
Rosie had been very much impressed
with everything from the first, and re-
garded Arthur as heaven-boFn genius.
She was not professional model, and
/ this was the first time that she had sat
! for her picture. Arthur was painting her
as an Italian flower girl, character for
/ which she was particularly well suited by
4 reason OF her abundant black hair, her
/ dark, lustrous eyes, and her warm. rich
| complexion. She was very yOung-bareiy
] eighteen-and her usual employment was
( that OF assistant in a flower shop stu
1 ated somewhere in the neighborhood OF
Sloane street. Certain structural altera-
/ tions to the premises, however, had en-
tailed the necessity Of giving the assist
/ ants a brief holiday. and so Rosie had
{ ny f.ff aal har her
/ old grandmother, with whom she lived
for she was An orphan-had seen no OBJ
/ lection 10 her making little extra
money by accepting Mr. Netherby's pro-
posal that she should sit for him; and
! 10 the girl herself 1, was a delightful adj
venture which hsrmonized wonderfully
well with her rather romantic disposition.
Her meeting with Mr.. Netherby had
come about simply in the way OF bust
ness He had strolled one day into the
shop 10 purchase a bouquet. and Ro-
sic had attended TO him. He had scru-
[ tinized her very keenly. she remembered.
{ though he had said but little, but the
next day he had come again, and he had
been regular customer after that. Ro-
sic felt that Il was she who attracted
1 him. and she had thrilled accordingly
with inward delight. for Arthur Netherby
was a very smart young man, extremely
/ good looking and he had an easy man
ner Of address which was especially
1 charming The other girls in the shop
/ prOfessed themselves envioUs. and Rosie's
silly little head was, consequently, very
soon turned. She was fond Of reading TO-
mantle novelties, and she began 20
think that It would be no strange thing.
really, II this handsome young man
should be disposed TO fall In love with
] her She was quite conscious or her
good looks. and OF the charm Of her
/ eighteen years.
Mr.. Netherby always treated her with
respectful tieference-she might have been
I a girl In his own class Of life Rosie
augured we'll from this. for she was not
without experience of the dangers that
beset a girl who is obliged TO work for
her own living. Mr.. Netherby was not
merely disposed TO be frivolous-she
would have resented that at once.
The trouble was that she was already
more than half engaged TO be married
! Jack Woodman her young man." Was
/ In good and regular employ, and he
hoped 30 be able very soon TO establish
a home for her He was & distant rela-
/ ton OF her own, some ten years her SEN
/ for. and since the death OF her parents
! he had considered It MS duty TO look
! after little Rosie" His supervision had
/ been occasionally a trlhe irksome, more
/ especially as he was Of a jealous dispo-
} sitioa; but there was no doubt that he
was a very good fellow, honest, kind
hearted, and steady, AMI Rosie was real
/ ly very sincerely attached to him.
But that morning there had been some
thing Of a quarrel between the two young
people. Jack Tad objected from the hrst
/ 10 ROsie's visits TO the Chelsea studio,
and he was in no way appeased by the
: girls assurance that Mr.. Netherby never
attempted TO make love to her. For he
had grown suspicious that Rosie herself
was developing an attachment for the
young artist, and who could say what
that might lead to? Rosie WAS so very
pretty-and really there was no doubt
! that the whole thing was dangerous and
ought 10 be put stop TO,
So there had been words upon more
/ than one occasion, and this morning a
really serious quarrel had broken out
/ Jack had taken il upon himself to forbid
! Rosie going any more 70 the studio, and
/ Rosie had rese 1ted his interference
TN not really engaged 10 you. Jack. "
she protested heatedly, and you've no
/ right 10 order me about I shall do as I
( like-so therew
Jack had a warm temper. and he had
( given way to It. He had said things for
which he was sorry afterward and the
/ result of 1t ali was thai Rosie had gone
/ off to the studio. her shapely little head
/ held high, vowing that she didn't care IL
! she never saw Jack again. She had felt
( Il trifie sorry after she had said that; but.
! nevertheless, as she made her way to
/ Chelsea, she hummed a defiant little tune
| to herself and listened 10 a seductive
voice that kept whispering in her ear.
/ 1t was true that Mr.. NetheTby had
never made love to her: but the tone in
which he spoke was so affectionate, and
/ sometimes, when she glanced up unex-
! pectedly, she would find him looking at
/ her with such a queer expression in his
/ eyes-an expression that made her heart
/ flutter. She was sure she knew what 1t
meant And only TO think OF tiff he
! should really ask her to be his wife.
! Why, she would be LADY,
Why shouldn't he want 10 marry her?
/ She asked herself the question now as
! she Ioosened her hair before the mirror
| IN the little bOudoir-like apartment that
adjoined the studio and served as a dress
( lng-room. There were not many girls
/ who had such neat figures, and she could
not help knowing that she was pretty
/ her own reflection told her so, and the
4 fact had often enough been whispered in
| her ear Not by Jack Woodman, how
ever. she reflected with pout; Jack
/ never paid her compliments. On the con-
| trary. he was always finding fault No.
/ she didn't care. she didn't care bit. if
she was never to see Jack again. She
was we'll out OF it; she didn't want hus-
| band who would be always preaching at
/ her and bullying.
| She re-entered the studio as a quick
1 step on the stair announced the arrival
| Of Arthur Netherby. He came In whist
! ling an air from some opera; but he