The Washington herald., 1915-01-15

| room. She had not been one dav in tb,
| place until she had taken down the pic
| lures from the walls and the awfuI em.
| Droldery from chair backs and tables
Inc places where the pictures had b.or
were laded and seemed like ghosts OF
lost art to Ruby. Those pale wraitbs
on the walls seemed to dance about ao-
isiE' ana to Ruby's vivid imagina.
| uoh they seemed the spirits of nicturss
she had dreamed of and never naintnS
VIII have to make a few sketches .
! She decided. Il can't possibly lie bere
! looking at those blank spaces" Sbo
| Iohseu paSslonately for her lovely tres =
| ures and the luxury of her studio,
III the afternoon Ruby took sketchinp
| canvas and paints and went over to +be
Palisades. She would make a few bnr.
rleu sketches of the glorious scenery and
| put them on her faded walls Hou-s
passed and the sun turned ~ d,,II ~
YET ruby painted on. Three exouisite
| sketches lay on the grass beside her
| anu IL was not until positive gloom bed
SeItIed over the Palisades that n o.
CURED to her that night had come Sbo
pIched up her materials and went slou.I,,
nome Ihe glow that had spread through
ner Dody While working remained. There
was was IeeIlns akin to complete happi-
ness surrounding her
She found upon returnirc - l..
room In the boarding house that il
had grown wonderfully lovely II
no longer seemed ugly and rHirb
iIdDle. Ruby did not know that -
was her own inward coEtentment Ihat
maze all things lovely. She nn+ bar
Sketches up on the walls to drv and
GeCiaed during the evening wbiIe
i1ohIhg al them that she would finish
mem or and enter them at exbihi-
RuhV ha a1,
could paint and she reioiced Do,r
the enforced comparative novertv tbat
prompted her to work. She knew thai
IuAur beauty of SURROUNDINGS and
comfort had robbed her of the d.
sire 10 DO anything great in the world
OI art Now she thought only of
oeduIy as expressed by herself, her
own brain and fingers.
1t was not long before Rub, U-o,.
knew herself TO be a succession srtio.
constant application to work sent bar
quickly up and into the niche from
which she had fallen while steened in
the atmosphere of dreams.
She had, from time to time mat
BOD Merrill, and always he had seemed
10 be studying her as if to find ont
Just what her attitude toward him
You know, I suppose. your feelings
are more or less antagonistic " 6o
said to her some few months after the
exchange of the studio. Toward me
mean, not the world"
On the contrary" Ruby told him
Wlth rising color. 'I feel that in
robbing me of my fascinating. dreamy
atmosphere you have given me an in.
centiVe to take my place among
artists" Sh> slipped her hand into his
and pressed the fingers that grasped her
own. She had pot reckoned on the quick
ened breath that escaped her lips, and
IT was with difficulty that she finished
her speech of thanks.
Merrill laughed frankly and tucked her
arm within his and led her to a delight
fuI, cozy corner. Il have So much to |
thank you for he said, softly. that It
Will probably take me the rest of INV
natural life to tell you about it."
Later, by way of finishing a deeplv in !
discussion, Ruby was com
PEELED to make use of the word ''yes'' he |
fore Bob would release her from the COW
corner way
When she again entered her beautiful
studio and stood in the soft glow from,
the wood fire, she was not Bubv Walton |
artist and bachelor girl, but Kubv wal
ton Merrill, wife of Bob Merrill, the popu-
lar cartoonist.