The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-06-11
CHAPTER v.
Discussing a Sister-in-I Avn

> o oi'eInoOn, as they sat drearily
WINDOW OF one of the. fashionable II
a 'owh cluDs, little more than yes
"i.er the events described in the for
solng chapters. Drearily, 1 have sal,
LOT the reason that it was Sunday an
e raining at that.
met Mrs. Wrandau a few vo,,
ago IN Rome" said his companion r,
neW1ng interest in conversation tn.
had died some time before of IT,, o1,,
eAnaustlon. She's most attractive.
saw her but once. l think il was q
, somebody's fete."
She's returning to New York tn
end or the month"; said Leslie. Bee,
abroad for over a year. She had
villa at Nice this winter"
remember her quite we'll. wa
VI an age then to be particularly sen
sltlVe'to female loneliness. If I'd bee,
staying on in Rome, 1 should hay,
screwed up the courage, I'm sure. t.
have asked her to sit for me-"
Brandon Booth was of an old Phila
oelphla family: an old and wealth,
family Both views considered, he was
quan11ed to walk hand in glove with
the fastidious Wrandalls. Leslie's
mother was charmed with him he
cause she was also the mother of Wv
Ian. The fact that he went in for Dor
| trait painting and seemed ayerse ia
suDslstlng On the generosity of his
amer, preferring to live by his tai
ent' IN no way operated against him,
SO far as Mrs. Wrandall was con-
cerned. That was his lookout not
hers; If he elected to that sort IF
'nihs, all well and good. He could
anord TO be eccentric; there remained.
IN the perspective he scorned, the bulk
or huge fortune to Offset whatever
ldlosyncrasies he might choose to Gull
tlvate. Some day, in spite of himself
she contended serenely, he would be
very, very rich. What could be more
desirable than fame, family and for
tune all heaped together and thrust
upon one exceedingly interesting and
handsome young man?
He had been the pupil of celebrated
craftsmen and painters in Europe. and
mad exhibited a sincerity of purpose
mat was surprising, all things con-
sldered. The mere fact that he was
not obliged to paint IN order to obtain
a living was sufficient cause for won
der among the artists he met and
studied with Or under.
His studio in New York was not q
fashionable resting place. It was
workshop. You could have tea there.
OF course, and you were sure to meet
people you knew and liked, but it was
quite as much of a workshop as anv
you could mention. He was not
dabbler in art, not a mere dauber of
pigments: he was an artist
Booth was thirty-perhaps a wear
or two older; tall, dark and good look
Ing. Inc air Of the thoroughbred |
marked him. He did not affect loose.
lowing cravats and baggy trousers.
nor was he careless about his finger
nails He was simply the ordinary.
everyday sort of chap you would |
meet in Fifth avenue during parade
hours, and you would take a second
look at him because of his face and
manner but not on account of his
dress. Some of his ancestors came
over ahead Of the Mayflower. but he
did not gloat.
oiAo "ioAOdlI was MS closest |
friend and harshest critic. 1t didn't
really matter to Booth what Leslie
said of his paintings: he quite under
stood that he didn't know ANYTHING
about them
When does Mrs. Wrandall return ?'
lsked the painter, after a long period
IT silence spent in contemplation of
ne cleaning pavement beyond the
lub's window.
that's queer" said Leslie looking
p. Il was thinking Of Sara myself.
'he sails next week. I've had a let
er asking me to open her house in {
he country. Her place is about two I
1lles from fathers. 1t hasn't been u
pened In two years. Her father built S
fifteen or twenty years ago. and left l
to her when he died She and c
halls spent several summers there" |
vivian took me through it one aft S
rnoon last summer" h
t must bave been quite as much \
a novelty to her as it was to you. n
ID chap" said Leslie gloomily. L
What do you mean?" n
Vlvlan's bit of snob. She never a
ked the place because old man Gooch Y
Tilt 1t out Of worsteds She never
ent there"
But the old mans been dead for II
ears"
mat doesn't matter. The fact Is,
lv1an didn't quite take to Sara until 7,
ter-well, until after Challis died. 81
ere dreadful snobs, Brandy, the IL
hole lot Of us. Sara was quite good p
ough for much better man than W
brother. She really couldn't help it
worsteds, you know. I'm very to
nd of her. and always have been. it
e re pals. Cad, it was a fearful slap w
the home folks when Challis justi hs
sara by getting snuffed out the he
" he did"
Booth made an attempt to change
subject, but Wrandall got back Y,
1t.
Since then we've all been exceed on
'ly sweet on Sara Not because we lie
mt to be, mind you, but because ga
re afraid she'll marry some chap tin
o wouldn't be acceptable to u.s." sw
l should consider that a very neat wa
y out Of it," said Booth coldly. lar
Not at all. You see, Challis was .,
ID OF Sara, in spite of everything. siv
left will and under it she came me
for all he had. AS that includes a wi,
rQ interest in OIIr axfromo1v