Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-22
Copyright. 1917. International News
Service

Copyright, l5lI, lnbeFnallonal news
Service
"Helen. will you meet me down
town." said Viva's voice, strangely
sweet over the telephone. "I want to
take you up to tea at the studio of a
friend" of mine.
Helen had ben waiting for this
invitation ever since Frances had
given out the information that Viva
was at last in love and with a poor
man.
"Of course I can," she returned
enthusiastically. II think it is a
great compliment that you are about
having me meet him."
"Of course 1 want you to meet
him. 1 suppose Frances has been
telling you things. She thinks the
world of you and your opinion"
Helen laughed. But that isn't
why you want me to meet him, is
it?" Her tone was wistful. Some
how this strang little girl had won
real place in Helen's heart. She
had become interested in her in the
Then she had intensely disliked her
because she had thought she was
forward and selfish. almost cruel, for
she had treated Frances abomin-
ably.
Then her feeling underwent an
other change when she and Frances
made the compact to do something
to help Viva. The child had been
| left very much to herself by her
| no &c u-n fhAttuhf that a l.
lowing her to go her own way and
providing her with plenty of money
| had been all that was necessary.
| Viva's knowledge of life, cleaned
form her experience in a fashion
able finishing school, had almost
ruined her, but Frances had insist
ed that there was good in her and
had also insisted that Carp keep
inviting her to New York.
And certainly good had come out
of it, for If nothing else had been
gained, there was no gainsaying the
| fact that Viva had capitulated to
Frances. Whether or not she would
accept Helen as a friend was an
other thing; it was at present suff1-
cient for Viva that Frances had ask
ed her to introduce her artist to
Helen.
ITO tell you the truth, Viva -
| Frances had said bluntly, II want
! Mrs. Curtis to see you have 1t in
YOU to care for a real man, after
| all. She's as much interested in you
| as l am"
The Viva of few months back
would have replied pertly, but the
new Viva. the Viva who knew what
1t was to love for love itself, laugh
ed, and laughed with all the ardoI
of youth, too. and a wholesome alb
sence of artificiality.
Viva escorted Helen into dark
side street and up few stone steps
into a dark hallway. Helen was un-
deniably astonished.
Viva turned to her laughingly as
they began to go upstairs. You
didn't expect to find this, did you?'
Helen flushed.
'I thought it was awful, too, when
I first saw it." the girl confessed.
But I'm used to it now, and I don't
mind"
They reached the top of the Sec
ond fight now and turned to the
front of the house, Viva raped
with the old-fashioned knocker, and
the door was flung open Immediate
ly by a tall, slight man with the
most tensely eager face Helen had
ever seen. AS Frances said. he wore
tortoise-shell glasses, and involun-
tarily Helen glanced at his features.
which were not handsome, with the
exception of his mouth. The domi-
nant characteristic about him was
| the fact that he was so alive and,
Helen thought delightedly, exactly
| the kind OF a man she would have
chosen for Viva.
! Helen turned from the introduc-
ton to an inspection of the place. 1t
| 1t had an immense skylight across
| the front of 1T, and the walls were
| covered with pastel drawings. Cor
I geously colored stuffs were draped
over a model-stand. and easels of
all kinds stood against the walls or
were drawn partly out into the room,
with half-hnished pictures on them.
| The room was delightfully."- untidy in
a picturesque kind of way, and
Viva, who seemed perfectly at home,
was already beginning to get tea
ready on little wicker table. Helen
dropped down on a couch nearby
and turned to the man, who had sat
down with her.
81 believe we have some friends
| in common, Mrs. Curtis" he said in
his slow. delightful way of talking
Jack Parmelee?"
"Oh, do you know Anne and Jack
7 haven't seen them for ever sc
long"
They're pretty busy" the mar
returned. Eyes. I know Jack very
well; he and l went to school to.
gether in Chicago"
Helen liked the way he talked
and the way his long nervous fin.
gers handled the drawings he show.