The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-14
EVENING STORY
The Girl on the Cover.
(By Vincent G. Perry.)

(By Vincent G. Perry.)
Herbert Nichol waited nervously at
the telephone. Would she never an
swsr? The operator was not ringing
nearly loud enough. If there was no
one else in the house and Agnes was
in her own room, she. could not pos
sfbly hear it. All She had answered
it at last
Hello, dear." His tone YVES eager.
"Hcw do you do The answer was
stiff, but in his eagerness he did not
notice it.
Have you seen your favorite mag
azine for this month, Ag1es?' he
asked in the same eager tone.
Yes hrvc. bfr. Nichol. and L was
never so insulted in my life. When
SAT- for you to paint my portrait
Thought the painting was for yourself,
not for magazine cover. 1 thought
your interest ir me was friendly one.
! not comrr ercial one. I am sending
back your ring today. Goodbye, Mr..
Niehol. 1 was Just going out" He
heard the receiver go down.
1t was some time before Herbert
could realize what it all meant. He
had thought she would he delighted
to see her picture on magazine cover,
or he would not have submitted it.
How was he to know that she would
think it distasteful2 Surely, if she
was as anxious as she was to go into
moving pictures, ma gazine illustra-
ton of herself could not be SO terri
bic. 1t was the best portrait he had
ever painted, and to have one of the
leading magazines use 1t for q cover
his name would be worth something
and he would never again have to
wonder where the next rent was COM
ing from 1t was for her he had per-
severed with his art, and swallowed
disbursement more often than
square meals. How was she to know
that. tho? He had never told her he
was so poor, and she thought him
more successful than he was She
had money, more than was good for
''er and could not know what it was
to be poor. Gr
lie would never paint another pic
ture, he resolved. He would never
get the inspiration again, after this.
In every mark of the brush he would
see something to remind him of her,
ana every face he painted would radi-
ate her loneliness. No, he could new
er paint again. He would have to go
to work-real work. that would take
his mind off the girl he had wronged.
Yes, he had wronged her, he could
see that the more he thought it over.
A girl so well known in society to be
classed as an artists model! He should
have thought of that before
SO Herbert put away his brushes
and looked for work. He had never
done manual labor in his life, and
!
shipping room of a large manufacture
ing concern he found it harder than
he had expected. He began to like
the work, but at times he felt almost
unoearably restless. The men about
him interested him. They seemed to
get much more enjoyment out of life
than he had ever got, ard he won
Ldered why it was.
The head shipper seemed more
theughtfal than the rest. Herbert
| SIX 700 Inn
men seemed SO happy and contented.
The shipper scratched his head, and
after thinking it over replied: Il do
not know, Herb, unless it's because
they mt in here. A mans made for
something, and unless he finds that
something he'll never be satisfied.
You, for instance, amt cut out to be
dom this work, and TO matter how
long you stay at It you amt going to
like it or feel satisfied. you'll be
restless until you strike the other thing
you're made for, tho perhaps now you
don't know just what it ISL
Il think dc know what IL is" Her
bert replied. as he felt in his pocket
Tor crumpled letter that was nearly
Two months old. 1t was an offer of a
steady position in the art department
of the magazine that had used his nor
trait of Agnes. He had received IL
in the same mail with the returned
swered it
When he went the next dav to the
magazine he found that the position
/ mad been filled, but when he explained
who he was room was made for him
we can't let you 60" the manager
saio. our last work received more
commendation than any other cover
we ever used We have been irving
ever since to get in touch with Won.
we can use all the covers you can
turn out"
Herbert was not as delighted over
the praise of lis portrait as the man
ager had expected. He said THANH
you very much" but he did not seem
to mean it,
by. the way. do you mind telling ms
WHO the model for that picture was %
the manager said, as Herbert was
leaving We have had a number Of
Inquiries. I can get her steady work
at the iehest rate"
Il cannot tell you her name" Her
bert replied, and the manager noticed
the sad look that came over his face
She is not professional model. and
would never pose for me or any one
else again."
The months that followed found
| Herbert very busy The wound in his
heart healed much more quickly than
he had expected, and the quality of his
work showed that he was wrong when
he thought inspiration had fled with
Agnes's love. There were plenty OF
other beautiful girls in the world. he
4 found. and most of them were not
ashamed to have their pictures appear
on magazine covers. His work did not
go unheeded by the public. Every day
| he was forced to decline invitations to
4 INT ia