The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-12-28
A MODERN THETIs
BY IzoI.A FORESTER.

.:..':'::
Judy was nineteen, Judy of Rest
| Awhile farm, brown haired, brown
| eyed. freckled, slender and graceful as
silver birch, with all the obstinaey
and pertinacity OF the Gregorys con-
centrated in her general make-up.
Judy ran up the worn COW path to
the fringe of brentwood and slipped
into it, bound for the sculptor's house.
Ever since early summer it had been
the house OF wonder to her, the place
where beauty was a real tangible
thing, not vague idea. First she had
been sent with eggs and butter and
fresh milk to him. His mother had
led Judy down the lane to the studio
he had made of an old woodshed. Here
she had seen him first. working among
his beautiful silent figures and after
the first few visits he had asked her
to let him use her hands for his
statue of "Diana Holding a Young
Fawn."
You have perfect hands, Judith"
he told her in his absent-minded, inn
personal way You must let me make
casts of them"
Judy nodded understandingly. She
had always admired her hands.
Il like them," she said to him. Il
don't think it's wrong to like them my
self, do you? The rest of me doesn't
match them. you see."
Then Whitney had looked at her for
the first time, really looked at her
slowly, 4 liberately, with artistic ap-
proval. A
i think you're all right" he had
said. I'D like to use your head for
my Thetis. 1t has all of her elusive
challenge"
Judy had never heard of Thetis, but
in among the old high school books
was an old work on mythology, and
/ here Judy read of the elusive lady and
her pursuing, changeable wooer, and
it delighted her heart Wooers should
pursue, she believed, and should be
given hard chase, not just come along
some day when they felt like it and
tell ones mother they were willing to
marry you the way Hale Tuttle was
doing that very afternoon. 1t had been
such wonderful summer and autumn
posing for Thetis head and Diana's
hands and some Egyptian girl who
stood among lotus leaves and fed the
sacred crocodiies from her perfect
hands. She had forgotten all about
Hale and his general intentions which
had been made manifest toward her
for years. Hale just seemed sort of
comical when you measured him up
beside the Greek gods and Whitney
Dewing.
Judy turned breathlessly into the
lane to the little house among the
naples and hesitated just for sec
ond. A black. roadster stood under
the trees, and Mrs. Dewing had the
tea table out on the veranda. Judy's |
quick eye saw Whitney strolling back |
through the lane from the studio with |
a tall girl in a long gray cloak.
Come here, Judy, won't you, and
join u.s." called Mrs. Dewing. "You
have just seen the statues, Alice. but
here is the real, live little Thetis. | |
don't know what Whitney would have
done without her.
Judy smiled, with the Gregory pluck |
even in defeat. And all at once, as
she sat there drinking tea with them |
all, hearing them make plans for the |
wedding before Christmas-all at once
Judy opened her brown eyes wider
than usual and announced:
I'm going to be married, too. Oh, |
I've been engaged for years, off and !
on. No, indeed, the same one," blush |
ing at Whitney's. rallying teasing.
He's Judge Tuttle's only son, and !
and-bravely-"Ive always liked him
best of anybody"
Hale Tuttle?' queried Whitney.
Really, Judith? That big fine-looking
chap with the curly hair who super
intended the work on the state road
over here?p
Judy nodded proudly.
And just then it occurred to her all
at once that she had not told Hale I
yet, that Hale was lingering on back |
home. waiting for an answer, while |
she had run away to find the trail OF
romance, and 10, it only circled
around and led back over the COW
path through the silver birch wood to
Rest Awhile farm, and Hale waiting
for her.
did you enjoy posing?" Alice
asked.
4 did for Thetis.' Judy answered
happily Il liked her changing into |
so many different FORMS but she had
to be herself at last. guess we all /
do. must hurry back. Hale's wait.
ing for me"