The Irish standard., 1913-05-10
HER LITTLE STUDIO
She Assumed "HifaIuting" Ways,
But Was Only Just a
Woman After ALL
BY M. A. TAFT.


leave my comfortable little fiat and
! my nice little studio to follow home
less army officer all over the world"
she laughed back at him.
| They were in the nice little
studio" The girl in her dark blue
sculptor's apron. vivid and alert, her
eyes brilliant beneath the thick, dark
brown lashes was dabbling in clay.
The man. q young army captain, homo
on a furlough, sat astride chair, his
! arms over the back and his express
sion was gloomy as he watched her.
ut is all tommyrot, Edith" he
| said. You ought to marry me for
your own sake. It's your duty to
your art to fall in love. Oh, I've read
all the rubbish they write about 1t.
You will never be able to express
yourself until you have known love-
Doesn't that SOUND well?"
Aren't you ashamed Of yourself,
! Dick?" tho girl interrupted him in
dignantly, the warm color flooding
her checks. Il don't know what you
are talking about and you don't
either"
"Oh, yes l do" he said. ~ know
about these artist people who have
a great gift for the world. And 1t is
very hard on the world or that part
of 1t that cares for them. A woman
particularly thinks she has to sacri-
Gee everything to her art Look at
that little Cupid YOU have made.
He's a nice little chap I'll admit and
you look at him with the rapturous
eyes of a mother on her first born.
but what is a piece Of stone to nice
little flesh and blood"
'Dick!" she interrupted with flash
Ing eyes, III you say another word
like that I'll not stay here another
minute"
He drummed sulkily on the back Of
the chair and remained silent.
AS tho silence heightened the girl
grew more cheerful. She looked at
him surreptitiously out of the corner
Of her eye and q smile curled her
lips.
Besides, I've made q VOW she
said finally.
"A vow!" he said desperately. He
knew that having made real resolve
she had strength Of mind enough to
keep it.
You will never narry?"
Something like that" she an.
swered and this time her whole face
which she turned from him dimpled
with smiles.
We'll, you'll be sorry for it," he re-
turned, "for you know you are des-
perately in love with me-"
II have a very warm feeling for
you, Dick; she said demurely. Il
am as fond of you, almost. as il you
we're my brother"
Her dignif1ed attitude as she said
this, bending over the clay, belied a
laugh which nearly degenerated into
a giggle.
The man on the chair gave grunt
Of disgust.
ut is for that very reason" she
went on sweetly, that l should never
think of marrying you. We artists are
ALL heard a woman writer say It
the other day-we are all cranks. 1t
is impossible to get along with us.
We must be alone, or our nerves get
ragged edges"
you are too blamed healthy to try
that dodge about nerves, Edith" he
Interrupted rudely, in q very bad tenn.
per. "You couldn't bring a nerve to
the surface to save your life-unless
perhaps some one should do some
thing to that beastly little marble
chap over there and then perhaps
your motherly instincts gone astray
might rebel"
She continued. amiably. paying no
attention to him.
"You may find US very sweet and
! lovely when you see us for a short
! time"
~ don't find you at all sweet and
lovely" he said Grossly.
But 1t would be impossible to
spend lifetime with u.s." she finished
serenely.
I'D risk It," he said shortly.
/! The girl sat down in a chair and
laughed.
what beast you are. Dick" she
cried. Here have preached you
the loveliest little sermon all full of
noble sentiments and you don't care
q bit about It,"
Tie did not answer.
you haven't asked me what my
row was.'
"rh, don't care" he said.
well. shall tell you. have
vowed will marry only the man
who can return me the four lost beads
from my red jade necklace"
There isn't such thing as red
jade" he said.
Eyes there u.s." she answered. 1T
is very unusual, but there is such a
thing and have necklace of 49
beads of 1t. At least there were 49
beads. but by a mistake the jeweler
who fixed the necklace gave four OF
the beads to another woman"
~ suppose It Is easy enough to get
them back from her." he said.
mo, che was an out.of-town WON.