The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-04-19
Copyright. by ". @. ChapmanJ


Two thousand shares in Steel" he
SAID bitterly, and regretted It the
moment afterward.
No" she said. 1T will be your
portrait, Richard"
And who Is going to paint nv
features, Evelyn" he asked.
Torelli-Marco Torelli. You've
heard of him." she asked, with a
swift glance. Then her eyes dropped
and slight flush overspread her
features.
Never heard the chaps name be.
iore,' said Jocelyn.
He's young Italian" said Evelyn,
In some confusion. Hes a genius,
real genius. and he was starving in
garnet In Washington Square until
some friends of mine found him re.
Gently. And he's the finest painter
IN America, the critics say although
he's hardly known yet. You don't
mind being painted by an unknown
genius?"
I'D let bricklayer paint me II Il
would please you, Evie," answered
Lord Jocelyn gayly.
He wondered afterward why this
short interview had left Evelyn so
strangely confused. After some cogi.
tation he set 1t down to his blunder-
ing remark about Steel.
Il can't see why you want to have
Richards portrait painted by that
Nermicelli man, Evelyn" her mother
lamented You're always so queer,
and so decided when once you get q
notion into your head He's cheap,
OF course. but I should think that
you'd want TO give Richard the best
there was TO be had"
Her protest was not carried 10 the
ultimatum point. Mrs. Squires was
not a woman of persistent force OF
character, and she always stood rath-
er In awe of her accomplished daugh-
ter, mingled with pride at the finished
product OF her husbands purse. She
had never altogether ceased 10 feel
that the upbringing in her native
village still hampered and confined
her actions; she was never wholly
at home in the magnificent mansion
on Fifth Avenue, or the cottage" at
Newport, and the shameful memories
Of those days when she was a simple
farmers daughter, far more intimate
with setting hens than Persian rugs
and Vatican pictures. were an abid.
ing humiliation. Her mood was still
roscntful. however, when, on the fol-
lowing morning, she stepped into her
automobile with Jocelyn and Evelyn
and suffered herself TO be borne
southwark into the unfamiliar regions
of Washington Square. She shifted
in Gisdain when the chauffeur stopped
in front of the squalid tenement house
in which Toreli had his studio.
Evelyn. my dear. If you say it's
chic TO come 80 these places / sup
pose you're right she said doubt
fully. 4 ,ant sec, myself. how any
body can work in them, let alone live
in them. Il Mr.. Vermicelli's such n
fine painter as you say, why don't he
begin on the outsider
She seemed terrified by the dark
ness of the hall and of the stairway
and held tightly TO Jocelyn's arm as
they assembled. The artists room.
however. was suffused with light, spa
cious and clean, though bare. Along
the base of the walls numerous pic
lures, finished and incomplete, were
laid. Iocelyn surveyed them with
agreeable surprise; even his own ANA
flourish taste told him that these were
excellent. The pleasant impression
was not diminished when he turned
TO bow to the painter--a clean-look-
ing, youngish man. with handsome
features and crop Of black hair
brushed back off high forehead.
After the preliminary introductions.
which Mrs. Squires, on her part, dis.
posed OF with the stiffest bow, Lord
Jocelyn suffered himself to be posed
in a chair by the window, and soon
the artist was busy sketching his
preliminary outline.
"How much are you goin' to pay
for this, Evelyn" asked Mrs. Squires,
breaking the silence.
Hush, mother said the girl,
flushing in embarrassment.
"But | want to know, Evelyn. Five
hundred. did you tell me? Five hun.
drcd? Why. II won't take more than
four or five sittlngs II he goes on
nj this rate, and II can be delivered
inside of n couple of weeks. Look,
he's finished Richards head And I
declare. II looks just like him!"
Torelli lost his self-control for
moment.
Madame forGets that the cost of
paints and varnishes has been In
creased under the new tariff" he said
in a low voice; then bit his lip in
humiliation.
The remark was lost upon his audi.
tor.
We'll. IL Miss Squires Is willing, II
amt I'D TO me-" she answered.
But she became aware OF the in
GOODNESS and sense Of embar-
rassment in the studio. Presently
Torelli threw down his brush. mo
more today" he announced. Mrs.
Souires rose stiffy and asked Lord
Jocelyn TO assist her down the stairs