Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-05-21
My First Sitting.
CHAPTER LXXIII.

was as excited as il I were a
child, instead of a married woman.
| was 10 go to Merton Gray's studio
with Celeste for my first sitting.
fused over my hair, worried for
fear my eyes looked duller than us
ual, and was so hard to suit that
finally Celeste said:
Madame must not be so anxious
Monsieur Gray will most likely do
nothing but sketch in an outline to-
| day"
II was silly I conceded, and tried
( 10 be natural. But was in anything
( but my usual mood. when we
/ reached the studio.
Merton was very pleasant, very
aftable. But never before had
seen him when business was upper
most with him. Business and ART.
RE was the artist. that dayr-the ar
list with a commission to execute.
His manner was a bit abrupt, at
times, and occasionally he became q
lrirlo impatient | could no. hold q
pose. Finally l said:
1T is all so strange, Mr.. Gray l
am excited and nervous. shall do
better next time"
"Of course you will! A first sit
ting is never very satisfactory" he
returned pleasantly. He kept me
only an hour, but remarked as we
left: Il shall expect you to be less
nervous next time, and l shall have
to keep you longer, if / am to do
anything before you leave town"
An afternoon Call.
That afternoon Clark Huntington
dropped in at tea time. We chatted
Caily. | telling him of my unsatis-
factory sitting of that morning q
l liked talking TO Clark Hunting
ton. His easy carelessness was rest
full. The levels Of his mental pro-
cesses made talking TO him a pleas
ure.
He was rather witty, a good story
teller, without demanding an inces-
SAINT flow of humor from me. He
enjoyed appreciation, tho, and that
| gave freely and honestly. If he
was. bit esotistical, a bit inclined
10 Finphasize the l in talking, | was
so accustomed to that quality in
George that | never dreamed of re-
senting 1t in any one.
SO this afternoon he entertained
me by reCOunting his experiences
when he sat for his portrait. The
artist was a woman, and he said he
syever was 50 nervous in all his life,
until she threw down her brushes
and palette in disgust and asked him
to .haEs some tea. Then after they
had become better acquainted, had
chatted for half an hour. she tried
again.
1T went better that second time.
he assured me, encouraging me so
gtf ftr
to 20 much more smoothly than the
first one. Just forget you are sit
ting for your portrait pretend you
have only dropped into Gray's studio
for call"
I told George Of his call at dinner,
also of what he had said about my
next sitting.
George Is Annoyed.
80 you did not accomplish any
thing. today" he observed, frown-
ing.
mot much"
81 might have known that you
would he upset over anything new
or different" he went on caustically,
II should have asked Mrs. Sexton TO
accompany you 90,
"Oh' pIease DON'T" l exclaimed, 81
shall be all right next time. 1t was
more nervousness, for fear I would
not look my best, than anything
else"
The very idea Of having Mrs. Sex
ton tutoring mo before Merton Gray,
was unbearable had hidden her
obnoxious interference-as I still
called it-from every one but Evelyn
Reeve. and it would be dreadful to
have others know that George
thought me incapable Of properly sit
| ting for my portrait. l had Celeste
as chaperon; surely nothing further
was necessary.
But George recurred to the subject
once again before we finished dinner
IF you do not get along welf the
next sitting, l shall see If / can gel