New Britain herald., 1915-10-09
Who is Nellie?

'"Who is Nellie?'' I asked. I fondly believed that my voice held only or dinary interest. 'If this coffee is made after her recipe I'd like to meet her"
 Into Dicky's eyes there crept the mischievous dancing look which I have learned means that he is enjoy ing some jest of his own making.
 Nellie is a lady," he paraphrased sonorously. "She is also one of the best models an artist ever was blessed with"
 "A model" I said faintly. My ideas of models had been gleaned from stories and magazine jests. I always had realized vaguely that Dicky must employ feminine models, but our courtship and marriage had been such 8 whirlwind affair that Dicky's work had not entered into it. I realized now that I never had seen Dicky's studio, and that he never had asked me to see it. Why?
 The maddening little question slipped into my brain and curled down in an unused cell to come la ter and torment me.
 "A modeI,' Dicky returned land OuG OI lIlS 1IlOSI 1UI6I0SIlIlS WOIlCI know. She has mysterious past that nobody ever has been able to fathom although all of us have tried hard enough, at one time or another think she is widow, although no one really knows. But she is bully good scout, always trying to do some little favor for us. Many is the time she has seen to it that I had lunch | l,a po all day without stopping to eat"
 'Is she attractive ?" hated myself | for the question. My brain must be added from the headache.
 "Oh! a winner" Dicky returned smiling. ''The boys are all quite mad about her, but she is very impartial. She distributes smiles and coffee, l mending and cough drops to us alike, the just and unjust. am quite proud, !, however. She told me once I was the |
 The Secret Out.
 The quotation jared upon me. This girl, whoever she was, must be quite common and underbred. Doubt less she was beautiful, however. I | understood models had to be. How I wondered for which one of Dicky's covers she had posed. As if 1 he had read my thoughts, he arose.
 You are so interested in Nellie, l the beautiful cloak model that you | are not eating," he said accusingly. l "Ill get you one of the covers for | which she posed if you'll promise to l finish every crumb.'
 He went into his rom where he | kept a pile of his drawings and re- turned in a moment with one which | he spread out before me with a face brimfu1 of mischief. A tall, comedy | colored, woman, distinctly middle | aged, with a most infectious smile, | was holding out her arms to a todd 1 ling pickaninny, while around her sev- 1 eral other wooly-headed youngsters beamed with pride at the baby , "This is Nellie,'' he said whimsi- cally, and then bending over me, he kissed me tenderly.
 A Firm Resolution.
 ''It was shame to tease you, Madge, but you are usually so calm and different that I couldn't resist getting a rise out of you. Can you finish your dinner now?"
 I've never stopped eating it. I returned with spirit.
 But Dicky laughed teasingly.
 He was in high good humor when he left me, after seeing to it that I finished every bit of the food he had ordered at such expense. ..J
 A man from the hotel will come for the tray after a while," he said as he was ready to go.
 Thank you so much, Dicky, for i the dinner?' I replied "I can't l imagine now that ever had a head l ache.' l
 Confess, now, it would have come l back with interest if I hadn't re- vealed the fact that Nellie was as |