The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-05
BENEATH THE bonnet
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

father had accepted the position OF
lodgekeeper out on the Chigwelrs es-
tate she wanted to shout aloud with
delight.
II know you have done it so that
can be in the country and paint" sne
told him softly. II can paint and paint,
and paint!" she laughed joyfully at
the prospect.
The retired officer smiled at his
daughters delight. He had realized Tor
some months that the roses were leav-
ing her cheeks and that her painting
was suffering. She was first and fore
most landscape painter, but trips to
the country for sketching were too ex-
pensive. Tom, his son, was unable 10
live in the country because of the long
hours his position demanded OF him.
'sTom can keep the fat, so that when
you and 1 get tired of the country we
can come in. He can be your agent
and sell all your canvases for you.
Major Wells was busy writing a
book on the military Age" and it was
more often than not Mary Anne who
ran down to swing open the great
gates that the carriage might pass
through. Always she slipped her big
blue sunbonnet quickly over her tum-
bled curls and kept her head timidly
bent, while the carriage drove either
into or away from the estate. Mary
Anne knew, however, that the master
of Chigwell was decidedly good to look
upon.
The little sketches began to sell. One
or two fiattering checks found their
way from Tom to Mary Anne. The
major only nodded his head in ap-
prevail. He felt grateful for the chance
he had got to put her into the sur
roundings necessary for her develop
ment.
1t was in an art shop on Fifth ave
nue. that Chigwell caught sight of an
exquisite sketch of the rustic bridge
that spanned a tiny stream behind the
lodge gate.
Chigwell drew a breath of surprise.
Without stopping to look at anything
else in the window he went inside. The
art dealer brought forth the sketch
with the rustic bridge.
'Who is the artist?" he asked casu-
ally, not wanting to betray his reason
for inquiry.
"The pictures are signed Mary
Anne'-that's all. l know nothing
about the artist. An agent brings them
to me. l want all l can get of Mary
Anne's' work. They are wholly charm
ing-all Of them"
Chigwell was puzzled. 'When next
that agent comes in just get his adj
dress for me- will you?" he asked.
Mary Anne had been rising with the
sun. There was bit of rose arbor
backed by tall sentinel fir trees that,
in the early mist Of morning, was of
unearthly loneliness. Mary Anne sue
ceeded in getting that atmosphere OF
mistiness that caressed the flowers
and the grass and the fir trees down
on her canvas. The sketch was a
poem in color.
Even untemperamental Tom quite
held his breath upon seeing it. He
carried it proudly into the art shop
on Fifth avenue.
"rve got a peach this time" he said
with his genial smile.
The art dealer agreed. Later he got
Toms address.
Chigwell was SO curiOusly interested
in the artist who had trespassed on
his estate that he dropped in at the
shop daily. When he saw the glorious
little ghost rose picture he took it as
greedily as had the art dealer. And
went up to the address given him.
Tom beamed with brotherly pride
when questioned by Chigwell about
Mary Anne.
''She's my sister," he said, "and lives
out at a place called Chigwell Lodge"
The name meant nothing to him, for
John Chigwell had chosen to withhold
his name.
'That is not possible !" he exclaimed.
II know everyone on the estate
"She lives there just the same" said
Tom.
Chigwell left the fiat and Tom Wells
more mystified than he had been for
many years. 1t was not until he re-
membered the slim figure at the gate
that it occurred to him that perhaps
it was the lodgekeeper's wife who
painted. He had never speculated as
to what lived under the blue sunbon-
net and the simple gown Of blue ging-
ham.
He stopped when his carriage had
driven through the gate and knocked
at the lodge door. Mary Anne hur-
ried from her post at the gate and
stood quietly beside Chigwell.
He gazed under the blue bonnet, and
hoped his amazement was not too OBJ
viOus.
"Can I come INF" he asked.
Chigwell had no sooner stepped
within the cottage than he saw at a
glance that the blue bonnet girl was
the artist. Paints, palettes and
sketches lent delightful confusion to
the lodge interior.