Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-12-02
CHAPTER TX.
Thu Lady Of My&terY.

robe, Pedro was finishing breakfast.
Having perched himself upon high
stool, he broke the rind of an orange
with the tip Of a palette knife, while
staring contemplatiyely at a half-fin'
ished canvas-one Of the many with
which the room was Uttered. Then he
ate pensively, and when he had fin
ished, lighted q cigarette and opened
the morning paper. From the front
page sprang piece of news that fairly
made him jump. The headline bore
his own name.
NOTED SPANISH PAINTER HERE
Sianor Pedro Has Taken S. J. Hi'Ps
Studio for the Winter. To Paint
4, City ~ It 10.
This was the caption, after which
followed an interview with himself,
based upon what he had said to Pell,
the young reporter, the night before,
but considerably embellished by that
gentleman's own imagination. For sew
eral moments the reader was quite
overcome with amusement. He, Pedro,
the impertinent, the unknown. the
mere student, thus advertised. thus
hauled to fame! In writing the article,
Pell had assumed the same sort of
knowledge on the part of his readers
that he had himself assumed. Thus,
upon nothing, he had built the founda-
lions of reputation.
The lad laughed, and spreading the
paper open before him on the table,
lighted another cigarette and admired
his name in print.
Then an item of personal interest
caught his critical eye. Samuel I.
Hill, the eminent portrait-paintrr.
whose engagement to Miss Iris Vsh-
derpool, the asphalt kings daughter.
had be en- persistently rumored, had
gone South for the winter; and it
would appear that the engagement, II
any such existed, had been broken,
for reasons unknown.
Again appeared Signor Pedro &C. e.
Pedro, this time, for reason unguess-
able), who had taken his confrere's
studio for an indefinite term.
Pedro put the paper down and gave
his yellow robe an extra fold about
him before sinking into reverie.
All! this explained much-Hill's sud-
den anxiety to leave town, his unhap-
piness, his reckless generosity to the
first needy stranger whom he met.
These two had some silly quarrel, per-
haps. 1t could not have really been SO
serious as. they apparently made it.
Why, never were two people more
ideally suited to each other, or he,
Pedro. was no Judge! And in the
meanwhile what had he, himself, done!
| Heavens! Last night, what had he
said to her? What would she think ?
The beloved of his friend-the friend
who had done everything for him
who had benefited him beyond any!
! What traitor he would appear! OF
course, his love-making was the merest
joke-nothing but q pretty game,
played in an idle moment; and when
he started it he had not known it was
she who lay at the root and source OF
his adventures! His love-making! He
almost laughed aloud at the thought
OF it. Why, it was only in fun. And
undoubtedly the Madonna Lady had un.
derstood it SO. 1t was impossible that
she was serious! 1t was quite useless
for her to be so, at any rate. Pedro
was no lover for her.
At the thought he laughed merrily.
But Hill could not know that. Sup
pose the painter were to hear of his,
Pedros, attentions to Miss Wander
pool!
+ Well. now that the little society item
had revealed the true state Of affairs.
there would be no more flirting, that
was assured. But a friendship was
surely another matter. He liked her
80 much! Next to Leigh, she appealed
to him more than any OF his new &C.
quaintances. He really must get to
know her better. Then there was that
exquisite line of her throat; he simply
must paint ia real Madonna, with
blue draperies about her head-a leaf
out of the book Of the old masters. yet
quick with life.
Just as he reached this amiable con-
to admit the vivacious figure Of a
young woman, all gold and pink and
white, from her fluffy head to the hem
Of her frilled apron of lawn.
This young person was Miss Cassie
Goodell, from the floor below-the
young lady of the violets.
"Mornin', Pedro" she greeted him.
1--WE come to do your rooms"
"Impertinent!" he gasped, closing