The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-09-15

This was no photograph. but n
genuine oil painting. And when !
say that | don't mean 10 insult H.
As art II wasn't bad nj all. It's
called The Peacock Girl"
The Peacock Girl" was an deli.
oAtely and prettily made ms an apple
blossom. And she was ms sweet and
rosy. and not n bit proud Of having
no clothes on. like the girls In the
other picture. or braEcn or ashamed
She rtrollcd straight toward you.
And In front OF her and at both
sides and behind her all the way to
the rim OF tho world were peaeocks
with their tails spread. hut the
eyes OF tho peacock girl wore 30
frank and sweet that after a glance
at the rest Of the composition. Ce-
lestiR could look Mt nothing else.
Not no Mrs. Baxter. standing be.
hind Celestial and little TO one
side. she looked steadily At two Of
tho eyes In the tail OF the leading
peacock. In those two eyes she
read rhpturous approval. go she
held up ono finger. and then with
that same finger traced three
circles Ia tho air.
At that tho eyes In tho pehcock'a
tail tried to look obdurata and
strong. Mrs Baxter shrugged her
shoulders. Then the eyes winked
slowly three times. and Mrs. Baxter
forgetfui of everything but her iri.
umph. laughed aloud.
Celestial turned 10 her with In.
curing eyes. She did not know that
she had juht been sold for n thou.
sand dollars by some one who did
no, own her 10 some one whom she
had never seen.
You must bc tired standing
dearie." sAid Mrs. Baxter. and
hungry and Thirsty. too. whatTl
you drlnk-a glass OF wlne'"
Water. please"
That's nicer. water with a dash
OF orange Juice. You wait here and
Ill nee to II myself"
Once mor~ Mira. Baxter hurried
downstairs. once more she found
SwectEer and Freddie In the from;
parlor.
I'M send for her In an hour" said
Swcctrer. see tina, she's ready"
You mean Aslcepf"
7 moan more. Put her into
something less audible than that
fiimflAm white thing she's got on. +"
How'll you yet her on, Of the
housev-
AS usual" said swootser. in a
big trunk"
There's ono thing more
Eye me, eye. And after q little
sweetr~Ts eyes fell and he drew
from his insid. pocket an enor.
nous roll OF dirty bills OF large de-
nominations. Ten bills Of a hun
dred dollars each passed very allow.
~ and with much thumb-licking
from him TO Mrs. Baxter.
Freddie all this while had not
spoken. Now he spoke.
What did I do ~ forr" he said.
i done ~ for a dollar"
Give him the dollar" said Mrs
Baxter. Ewcetly.
Give :, to him yourself" said
Swcetrer. curily.
Mrs. Baxter laughed. turned her
back on them both. faced them once
more and gave Freddie HIS dollar.
Freddie said: It's tainted some
thlng awful" and showed II into his
pocket
Had Mrs. Baxter no oompnetion
whatever Yes. But she was only
doing ms she Ind once been done by.
She had 20 live. or she felt that she
had 10. and she had hardened her
heart 10 mercy and sclf.sacrifice.
sun. her hands shook as she carried
the orangcade and the sandwiches
up TO Celestia. and her voice shook
as she said.
There, dcarie. eat. drink and be
merry"
Celesiia ate hungriiy and drank
thirstily. And presently she said
that she felt sleepy and could hardly
keep her eyes open.
1T amt anywhere near bedtime, /"
said Mrs. Baxter. You Just curl
up on my sofa and take 40 winks. +"
You're so good 20 me-" said Ce.
lestia. and she smiled very sweetly.
and In tho midst OF the smile yawn.
ed and showed all her beautiful
white teeth. and a moment later,
laying her head on n cool silk cush.
ion, she fell sound asleep.
MY Godl My Godi" exclaimed
Mrs Baxter. Amt she beautiful
And 10 think that she has TO be food
for swine"
She wished almost that she had
never seen Celostia. But not quite.
for Mrs, Baxter was very practical
woman.
NO use crying over spilled milk. /"
she murmured. And now 10 change
her into a travelling dress"
She left the room hurriedly and
came back with all that was neces.
sary to change Celestial from n
Greek goddess to an American girl.
But her hands WOULD shake. and
II took her some time TO find how
Celestia's dress was fastened. and
longer to undo tho faatenings. She
had no soner succeeded than she
drew back sharply with a kind of
muffled groan. Then she looked
again.
Suspended from Celestia's neck
by n narrow ribbon was tho small
est. Oldest. oldest little rag doll in
the world.
She found the strength to half
carry. half drag Celestial down the
front stairs, and 10 half lift. half
tumble her Into huge trunk that
almost blocked the front hall. BE.
fore shc closed and locked the trunk
she flung into Il the 10 500 bills.
And then she tried 10 compose her.
self against Sweetzer's arrival.
lie was punctual 10 the minute.
Everything all right7" he whis-
pered.
Mrs. Baxter closed tho door.
'Sweetzer." she said, she's gone.