The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-11-20
CHAPTER VII.



A Party In the Alley.
For the five weeks that led into the
heart of the winter Pedro worked al
most necessarily.
From daylight till dark he scarcely
left the studio, and only at night
(when they were not too tired) would
he go forth with Leigh upon what they
began to call perception prowls." At
other times they would sit together
and read or talk; sometimes in the
wide, cushioned ingle-nook at Pedro's;
again in tilted chairs. their boots upon
the rim of Leigh's stove.
Leigh was a man who made few
friends; thus it came about that Pedro
met hardly any other people. But he
was well content that such should be
the case, delighting as he did in
Leigh's society. and utterly satisfied
with the gentle adventures upon which
the latter led him.
Strange little cafes served them,
and sometimes more pretentious
places.
Through the Fall Academy they
wandered, too, and smaller exhibitions
in the backs of shops, and in the les
ser galleries. And from one OF these
latter visits came about Pedro's choice
of the great De Bush as his future ad-
wiser. All! there was painter for
you!
That this rose-colored existence
should continue forever was taken for
granted by Pedro, whose sole lack
was Mr.. Jones. But one day Leigh
sent word that he had been called
from town by commission. and might
be gone week or more.
During the span of six days Pedro
managed very well alone, simply get
ting up earlier than ever, and work
ing harder; for Leigh had come to sat.
isfy him 80 completely that he fan
cied no one else could take the sculp-
tors place. On the seventh day,
Leigh not having as yet returned, he
ate a solitary meal, and feeling lonely,
went to the gallery of a theater.
The play was a melodramatic affair,
and on either hand sat people who re-
fused to respond to his critical analy-
sis of the dramatist's work; so, after
the second act, he left, much bored,
and filed with a longing for dancing
and companions, for laughter and in
consequential talk: most natural
and wholesome desire for the amuse-
M 20 hic
Il WISH" said Pedro aloud, that I
was going to a party"
Then thought struck him. II a
party was what he wanted to go to
why not go to one? There were the
cafes-but no! He wanted a real
party, with invited guests, and laugh
ter, and refreshments, hospitality Of
fered
Suddenly he felt like a prisoner,
jailed in a prison that is limitless, yet
cramped because 1t is, in fact prison.
To shake off this morbid fancy he
began to run, and sped through the
silent, frosty streets as though the
gruesome, sardonic spirit of civiliza-
ton was speeding after him with
handouts.
Breathless at last, and Indignantly
helpless, he came to standstill be-
side the open gateway Of little I'M
passe that had once or twice attracted
his passing attention. From wall to
wall 1t was paved with uneven flag
ging, and down the center ran an open
gutter. The buildings were squat two
story affairs of old brick, and had
once been stables, but as he looked
more closely, the light of the scat
tered bracket-lamps revealed the fact
that they had been converted into
studios. All the other buildings but
one were dark, and like a bit Of the
old world, the miniature street nestled
timidly almost in the shadow Of its
giant neighbors, the sky-scrapers. AT
its hospitable aspect Pedro felt better
directly. From the lighted building,
halfway down its limited stretch, a
soft radiance shone out, uncurtained
and CHEEKY, and the sounds Of revelry
came muffied to his ear. Quite shame
lessly he walked to where its window
met level with his shoulder, and fiat
tening his nose against the pane
looked in.
A dimly lit room full Of animated
people met his gaze. A youth, with Q
cigarette dangling from the corner Of
his mouth, was playing softly on the
piano, while, just beyond, two couples
were dancing. Immediately in from
of the watcher was a row Of heads
their owners being seated upon {
bench which ran directly beneath tn,
window.
Suddenly the street door was flunt
wide to emit little knot OF men who
carried between them the limp form
of a woman. Pedro drew back int
the shadows and watched.
The exact nature of the trouble HI
could not determine, and neither could
he see the woman very distinctly, bu
the air seemed to revive her, and pres
emily a cab appeared, into which sh'
| -. .,,t ood driuap off With ono n