Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-18
Euening Story
cALrHoRPE's MASTERPIECE.
Copyright 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
BY HOPE AINSLEE

u
copyright 1915. by the Mcclure News
paper syndicate.)
Calthorpe's feeling toward the per-
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 ano
seemed ever ready to drag furniture
across the floor or to drop endless
la thud Just over his head. Poor Cal
thrope had been driven to distraction
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 the new
tenant took possession and no deafen-
L Ing noise had crashed down seemingly
into his very brain he could have wept
his relief on the newcomers shoulder.
Even now, as he stood painting happily
at his easel, his nerves were uncon-
sciously braced against sudden JOLT,
which fortunately failed to come.
Calthorpe's fame as landscape
painter was not such that his canvasses
appeared in every Fifth avenue home,
or even in every shop. but he made
landscape so realistic as to hurl one
! Immediately into the country upon be-
I holding it. He even dreamed of people
shifting country air and flowers while
merely standing before his canvas.
There was no doubt that he possessed
certain mastery Of color of the hand
ling Of paints and also Of technical
knowledge, but there was doubt as to
his forte being landscape.
"But hate the confinement OF por-
trait work." he had retorted,. with
stubborn determination to follow his
own bent when his friend EVERY tried
, to divert the current of his talent.
Human faces are 80 hopelessly lack
ing in depth"
| "You prefer shallow streams-evi-
IDENTIFY" E,verly said dryly, and drop
ped the subject
So Calthorpe pursued his landscape
caree, 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 Calthrope 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
great Path Through the Woods" can
vas that Calthorpe paused to listen for
| the footsteps above him. It seemed to
his sensitive ears that the steps drag
| ged and were weary.
He started suddenly. The dull thud
that broke the rythmic tread above
sent a chilly fear over Calthorpe. He
listened with bated breath for the
continuation Of the tread, but a CHASTITY
silence followed. He waited seemingly
hours for sound from above when in
reality a scant three or four minutes
held him in cold perspiration. IN
| stinctively he knew that all was not
\ well in the room above and he could
! neither work nor think until he had
investigated
| His nerve returned to him the mo-
ment he went into the hall and up the
landing and to the door Of the room
above his own. He knocked softly.
There was no answer Continued
knocking brought no response and CAL
thorpe's fears were accumulated.
1t was not until " had rushed down
for huge accumulation Of keys in his
possession and III tried each one
quickly that he succeeded in gaining
access to the room.
He glanced in, caught a swift breath
and closed the door gently.
1t was as he had feared. The thud
| had been the falling Of a human body,
and Calthorpe knelt down to raise the
girls figure into a sitting posture. Her
| head fell inertly against his shoulder.
! Poor, 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 biscuits.
| It was not many more seconds before
he felt an emotional stab that left him
| trembling. 1t was when the girls eyes
| opened and looked affrightedly into his
own. There was revealed such depth
Of suffering, Of misery and of pathos in
| those eyes that Cathorpe came near
losing the remnant Of strength and
reason he still possessed. He was DOM
| mated by an impulse 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.
/ II think must have tainted" These