The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-06-11
The Girl Stopped In Her Tracks.

The Girl Stopped In Her Tracks.
that 1t struck him as bald, even awk-
ward.
Pat, disgruntled and irritable to the
point of profanity-he was a privi-
legged character and might have sworn
II he felt like 1t without receiving no
tice-came shambling up the cottage
walk late that afternoon, bearing two
large, shoulder-sagging bundles. He
had walked from the station-a matter
of half a mile-and 1t was hot. His
employer sat in the shady porch. view
ing his approach.
The young man drew chair up to
the table and began the task Of work
ing out the puzzle that now seemed
more or less near to solution. He had
a pretty clear idea as to the period he
wanted to investigate. To the best Of
his recollection. the Studios published
three or four years back held the key.
He selected the numbers and began
to run through them. He was search
ing for a vaguely remembered article
on one of the lesser-known English
painters who had given great promise
at the time it was published but who
dropped completely out of notice soon
afterward because of a mistaken no
tion of his own Importance. II
Booths memory served him right, the
fellow came cropper, so to speak, in
trying to ride rough shod over public
opinion, and went to the dogs. He
had been painting sensib}y up to that
time, but suddenly went in for the
most violent style OF tmpressionism
That was the end of him.
There had been reproductions of his
principal canvases, with sketches and
studies in charcoal One of these pic
lures had made lasting impression
on Booth: The figure of a young wom-
an in deep meditation standing in the
shadow of a window easement from
which she looked out upon the world
apparently without thought of it, A
slender young woman in vague reds
and browns, whose shadowy face was
positively illuminated by a pair Of
Wonderful blue eyes.
He came upon It at last. For q long
time he sat there gazing at the face
of Hetty Castleton, look of half.won-
der, halftriumph in his eyes. There
could be no doubt as to the identity
of the subject. The face was hers:
the velvety, dreamy, soulful eyes that
had haunted him for years, as he now
believed. In no sense could the pic
ture be described as a portrait. It was
a study, deliberately arranged and de-
liberately posed for in the artists stu.
dio. He was mystified. Why should
she, the daughter of Colonel Castleton,
the grand-niece of an earl, be engaged
In posing for what evidently was
meant to be commercial product Of
this whilom artist?
Turning from skilfully colored full
page reproduction, he glanced at first
casually over the dozen or more
sketches and studies on the succeed
Ing pages. Many Of them represented
studies of women's heads and figures,
with little or no attempt to obtain a
likeness. Some were half-draped, show
ing in sketchy way the long graceful
lines of the half-nude figure, of bare
shoulders and breasts, of gauze-like
fabrics that but lily concealed impress
sive charms. Suddenly his eyes mar
rowed and sharp exclamation fell
from his lips. He bent closer to the
pages and studied the drawings with
redoubled interest.
Then he whistled softly to himself, q
token of simple amazement. The head
of each Of these remarkable studies
suggested in outline the head and fea-
lures of Hetty Castleton! She had
been Hawkright's model!
The next morning at ten he was at
Southlook, arranging his easel and
canvas in the north end Of the long
living room, where the light from the
tall French windows afforded abun-
dant and well-distributed light for the
enterprise in hand. Hetty had not yet
appeared. Sara, attired in a loose
morning gown, was watching him from
comfortable chair in the corner, one
shapely bare arm behind her head; the
free hand was gracefully employed in
managing a cigarette. He was con-
scious Of the fact that her lazy, half
alert gaze was upon him all the time.
although she pretended to be entirely
Indifferent to the preparations. Dimly
he could see the faint smile of inter
est on her lips.
Hetty came in, calm, serene and
lovelier than ever in the clear morn
ing light. She was wearing the simple
white gown he had CHOSEN the day be
fore. If she was conscious of the
rather intense scrutiny he bestowed
upon her as she gave him her hand
in greeting, she did not appear to be
In the least disturbed.
you may go away. Sara" she said
firmly. II shall be too dreadfully self
conscious II you are looking on"