The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-30
A MODERN THET|s
BY lola FORESTER.

JUDY was nineteen, Judy of Rest
Awhile farm, brown haired, brown
eyed, freckled, slender and graceful as
silver birch, with all the obstinacy
and pertnacity of the Gregorys con-
centrated in her general makeup.
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, i'm
personal way. You must let me make
casts of them"
Judy nodded Understandings. 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, deliberately, with artistic APP
prevail
Il 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
1t 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 futile 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 crocodiles from her perfect
hands. She had forgotten all about
Hale and his general intentions which
had been made manifest toward her
Tor 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 a 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
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
Hes Judge Tuttle's only son, and
and-bravely-'I've always liked him
best of anybody
Hale Tuttle?" queried Whitney
REALLY, Judith? That big, fine-lookine
chap with the curly hair who super
intended the work on the state road
over here?'
Judy nodded proudly.
And just then it occurred to her all
at once that she had not told Hale
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, 1t 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.
i 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-
Copyright 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa
per SyndiGate)