The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-06
The Evening Story
Calthorpe's Masterpiece.
(By Hope AinsIee)


son who was treading lightly about
| in the room above him was that of
| gratitude. The former occupant of
that room had been heavy of step and
seemed ever ready to drag furniture
across the floor or to drop endless
tr1fles, such as trunks and pianos
with a thud just over his head. Poor
Calthorpe had been driven to distrac-
ton, and his painting had suffered
no less than his ceilings
so sensitive had Calthorpe'S nerves
become with the racket above him
that when a week had passed since
no deafening noise had crashed down
seemingly into his very brain he
could have wept his relief on the
newcomers shoulder. Even now, as
his nerves We're unconscicusly braced
against a sudden jolt, which FORUM
ately failed to come.
Calthorpe's fame as landscape
painter was not such that his con-
vases appeared in every Fifth avenue
home, or even in every shop, but he
made a fair income. His longing was
to paint landscape so realistic as to
hurl one Immediately into the country
upon beholding it He even dreamed
OF people shifting country air and
flowers while merely standing before
his canvas. There was no doubt that
color, of the handling of paints and
also of technical knowledge, but there
was a doubt as to his forte being
landscape.
But L hate the confinement of por-
trait work." he had retorted, with
stubborn determination to follow his
own bent, when his friend Everly
tried to divert the current of his tai
ent. Human faces are so hopelessly
lacking in Depth
You prefer shallow streams-evi-
IDENTIFY" Everly said dryly. and
dropped the subject.
So Calthorpe pursued his landscape
career, while ever and anon an imp
of genius whispered to him that there
were heights to which he must some
day ascend if he were to be contented.
Landscape was not leading him there,
and Calthorpe had shut his stubborn
eyes to the beauty of the human face.
1t was while he was bordering dis
conSolately over the failure of his
vas that Calthorpe paused to listen for
the footsteps above him. 1t seemed
to his sensitive ears that the steps
dragged and were weary.
He started suddenly. The dull thud
that broke the rhythmic tread above
sent a chilly fear over Calthorpe. He
listened with bated breath for the
continuation of the tread, but a ghast-
ly silence followed. He waited seem
ingly hours for a sound from above
when in reality a scant three or four
minutes held him in cold pefSpira-
ton Instinctively he knew that all
was not we'll in the room above and
he could neither work nor think until
he had investigated.
His nerve returned to him the mo-
nent he went into the hall and up the
flight of stairs that took him to the
landing and to the door of the room
There was no answer. Continued
knocking brought no response and
Calthorpes fears were accentuated.
1t was not until he had rushed down
e. L., LOT to-, .f IV1
his possession and had tried each one
quickly that he succeeded in gaining
access to the room.
He glanced in, caught swift
breath and closed the door gently.
1t was as he had feared. The thud
had been the falling of human body,
and Calthorpe knelt down to raise the
girls figure into sitting posture. Her
head fell inertly against his shoulder.
'HPoor, desperately weary little
body" he said softly and smoothed
mass of auburn hair from the white
brow. The veins were too blue and
the shadows circling the eyes too deep.
There were lines of suffering about
the lips that had gone white when
they should be crimson Calthorpe
added mentally.
He looked quickly about for means
of recalling her to life The room
was pitifully lacking in nourishment
either for the body or the soul. He
lifted her gently and bore her down to
his studio.
Having put her into the great arm
chair in which he dreamed his most
improbable dreams, beside the open
fire, Calthorpe went to his cellarette-
for wine and to his cupboard for bis
cults.
1t was not many more seconds be-
fore he felt an emotional stab that
left him trembling. 1t was when the
girls eyes opened and looked alright
eddy into his own. There was revealed
such a depth of suffering, of misery
and of pathos in those eyes that Cal
thorpe came near losing the remnant
of strength and reason he still pos
Sessed. He was dominated by an i'm
pulse either to weep beside her or to
press her face against his breast that
he might hide from her the world that
she had found so bitter.
ST think I must have tainted"
These were the first words she spoke.
There's not much doubt about it,
Calthorpe said gently. "You did faint"
THAT was very foolish of me- the
girl sighed YEARLY. Then she straight
ened herself and looked about her
wonderingly. Almost unconsciously
she accepted the dainty bits of nour-
ishment that Calthorpe put into her
fingers. Her hands were slim and
white. Calthorpe, landscape painter,
felt hunger steal over him, a hunger
to paint those lovely, expressive hands.
He drew a sharp breath and found
himself gazing in fascinated wonder
at the pftiful beauty of the girls face.
If only he could put on canvas those
lines of suffering, those deep, pathetic
eyes and the dropping, tired shoulders.
Eyes. 1 am frightfully tired of life"
she said, as if divining his mental atti-
tude toward her. Il am unutterabIy
weary She spoke not bitterly or
cynically, but calmly, hopelessly.
Calthorpe closed his eyes for
moment. His blood was pounding
through his veins. Never before had
he been the victim of a rampant emo
ton such as now gripped him.
exjrI ST