El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-22


more than he works.
There were hanging screens. rugs,
armor, and the countless curiOs and
useless things that are supposed to
make up the atmosphere Of a studio.
The usual careful, careless disorder
prevailed, and the place was dim and
dusty and sitting with the odor Of
cigarets, burning Incense and candles
Helen was seated on a couch COW
cred with an indian blanket The
springs were broken and ssgged in the
middle. and she kept sliding down
against the auaemtc young man who
sat beside her. He had been talking
with much fervOr about volume Of
poems-loye sopnets, that were IN the
hands Of his publishers
He was just starting TO repeat some
lines that he had tossed Off the night
before. when there was a hush in the
buzz Of conversation. And some one
announced that professor Purcaro
would play one Of his own selections
"a nOcturue in A minor
Professor PurcarO. with bUshy hair.
rumpled coat, low collar and broad tie,
sat down at the piano. he first ran
his fingers through his hair in the
most approved manner, and then after
an impressive pause made a sudden
and wild onslaught at the keys. For 4
moment he banged with terrific vigor
and then as suddenly dropped to a
FAINT tWlddle-de-de on two keys. Again
the wild, deafeninE pounding ana again
the faint twlddle-de-de- Once more
the infuriated banging and still again
the caressing, whispering twtddle-de-
de.
Helen Nearly Laughs.
Every one seemed profoundly i'm
pressed But Helen thought Of how
Warren had once inflated just such
g performance, ana there came over
her a hysterical desire TO laugh. Quick
"a In NJ NEn . HD
in her hand and then almost strangled.
Now the music had settled down into
a steady thunderOus stampede The
professor, with his head thrown back
and the shaggy locks a-wave, was
working hard.
When finally he ended with a last
crashing chord. everyone applauded [
with murmurs of How exQuisitei I
What perfect techniQuel What wonder I
ful expression" Then as though inn Z
patient from the enforced silence the 4
buzz Of conversation began again.
w on you have another sandwich
asked the poet, who had helped himself I
literally several times. Try one Of 1
these with the nuts"
Ever since Helen had entered there |
had been a crowd around the refresh !
ment table, and the paper-thin sand I
witches and weak claret punch rapidly /
disappeared. She had heard that there (
was a certain class of artists and poets /
who lived mostly on what they got at 1
teas, and now as she saw several Of J.
them hungrily boiling the sandwiches /
ana macaroons she wondered If Il /
could be true.
some one announced that Mrs. Kath-
crime Burk-Reed would give some child /
representations. Mrs. Burk-Reed, in 4
spite Of her rouge and ner girlish CO.
Quetry, looked fully 35- The chairs (
were crowded back and a small space
cleared by the piano for her to stand.
With an affectation that would have
been pathetic had 1t not been so ride
ulOus, she began Isping a." Title Orfen
Annie" With her Read held shyly on
one side. her finger in her mouth, and
holding out her skirt in front, she
swayed back and forth in the way
children are always impersOnated but
no child ever acts.
When she had lisped through this I
she favored them WIKI The goblinsi
get 90 if 90 don't watch out" After
that Helen expected Little Boy Blue Z
but the applause was somewhat weak /
and they were spared that
More Punch.
And now there was another rush on
the punch bowl One needed a glass Of
something after Mrs Kathleen Burk-
Reeds performance Then the poet
who sat beside Helen was easily per-
suaded 10 read one of his own poems.
He had a poem with him Of course. ]
He always had a poem with him And
lie always read II at some stage Of the
tea Possibly he thought it payment
for the enormous quantity Of sand Z
witches and macaroons he devoured.
He struck a Byronic attitude and in
q resonant voice read:
Art thou alone, loved one? Art thou
slone2
An / no more the sphere thy raptures
cherish2
Oh. why from thine own soul hast
Thou Enowest where the joy thou has,
Oh. cold and tender eyes! Oh, cruel
Drinking thy tears. Am I the wine
Hast thou forgot the ecstacies that
To now about US when our souls sus-
pired?'
When he had finished the lines there
was the same murmurOus applause that |
had been given the musician. How
soulful! What exquisite thought I
What delicacy Of feeling How truly
poeticalr'
Then he read another sonnet even
more fervent and impassioned. and to
Helen more meaningless It was plain
that he expected TO read still another
but some one rose TO so and, to his dis
appointment, the attention was divert
ed from him
"Oh. don't you think it must be won
derful TO write poetry like thatZ"
gushed a young girl who had taken the
poets seat on the saggy couch. beside
Helen.
Helen murmured some embarrassed
reply.
And isn't this an attractive studio?
I DO think studios are the most fasci-
mating placesl"
But here the poet came over and
leaned dreamiIy against the wall. and
she turned to him with ELUSIVE admit
ration.
What's become Of Brackford2' asked
q man in a shabby velTeteen coat who
was standing with a group just in
front Of Helen.
"Braczfordl Oh he's doing some sd-
Fertisement stuff-drawing pretty girls
for soap company"
Too bad" remarked the man in the
reIveteen coat. Didn't think he'd come
10 that"
Not So Bad.
And Helen could not help but won
{ BseazizzL C0mbLexiOs
IN Ten Day..