The Meeker herald., 1918-03-09
ve.ananaaAnhv
/: WAITING FOR ART e
IAnAAAhAAh AhN
., DOROTHY DOUGLAS.


It was cheap little restaurant on
the East side. The food was not
bad. neither was the service, but
there was a sense Of barrenness about
II all. -sf.t-T
watrous went tbers for his midday
meal because 1t was ine1pensive-an
attraction for Watrons. He didn't
have much money and had scarcely a
hope Of ever having any. He was the
type. that blessed happy-go-lucky. that
finds happiness In the moon. the flow
ers and In the very fact that God has
given us life.
His position was an indefinite sort
Of clerkship IN q department store In
the neiehborhood. In the evening he
wandered over to one Of the Bohemian.
restaurants. his violin under his Ian
guild arm. and there played while art
lists. actors. futurists-what not-ate
heterogeneous, mixtures Of food.
In the little restaurant he usually
sketched attitudes while he absently
swallowed whatever his waitress had
considered nourishing and had placed
on the polished surface before him.
Had watrous been observing he
would have known that he was, per-
haps. the best-cared-for patron In the
place. Molly Carey. who waited on
him, always saw to that while she
waited wistfully for the day when he
would turn his eyes In her direction.
She had that motheJly tender look in
her eyes that an artistic soul needs
In the eyes Of his life partner-and
seldom chooses. II Watrous was con-
scious of this attention no one knew
1t but watrous. He sketched on the
menu cards whatever came within his
vision and tossed the quaint little
sketches aside when finished, Just as
he came he cast aside his serviette
when the anal fnouthful Of coffee had
passed his lips. eos. Cd. ..
He always left dime on the table.
Molly Carey saved all those dimes.
She preserved them no less systemat-
ically than she saved every sketch
that Watrous made on the menu
cards.
The sketches were far more clever
than she realized-portrnits Of patrons
in various characteristic attitudes. The
very tone. or. perhaps, lack Of tone. Of
the cheap little restaurant was wildly
drawn. I.I lou. H..l. IaH
The only sketch he had made which
watrous did not leave In the restau-
rant was one of Moolly. Something
about her wistfulness, her entire lack
Of self.consciousness, had dragged q
hasty likeness Of her from his pencil.
He had 1t in his room on his shaving
stand. Dreamy. semiconscious ap-
probation had prompted him to put It
there. 'NNi. HrH
watrous was never definite about
lunching anywhere. There were days
when the last quarter had gone "some-
where In the world Of spent money"
But because he never quite knew
whether his coat was on or not. nor
remembered having purchased cloth
Ing at odd optimistic moments. Molly
Carey supposed him to be desperately
poor and unhappy.
Molly never craved temperament.
She only wanted to be human and
make other people comfortable. but
she had thrill Of the ultra tempern-
mental upon the day when she took the
sketches Watrous had made to an art
dealer. The artist on lower Fifth ave-
nue. offered her 30 wonderful q price
for them that for the moment she float.
ed high up In bubbling cloud OF emo
tionalism. ...#.--.
Acting on her own, counsel. Molly
left u with the art dealer and brought
back II tastefully framed to the res
tAurant. The manager was delighted.
His round face benmed. and he gave
Molly a good.slzed check for the pos
session Of the drawings.
In the evening when the days work
was over Molly stayed at the restau-
rant and helped hang the drawings.
An artistic. quaint atmosphere took
hold Of the room. Fascination. that
most mysterious of all powers, reach
ed out and claimed the mind. The
small restaurant became horny, while
at luncheon next day. animated groups
of patrons stood gazing at themselves
wildly drawn In those characteristic
poses. They brought friends. and
friends brought more friends. M
Watrous, when he had discovered
mountainous check fitting his plate.
cast a swift glance at the drawings on
the walls and deep flush rushed over
his brow. He wanted to hide under
the minute serviette. He rammed the
check into his pocket and tried to look
unconcerned. ".N ri'n'
/ He went home that evening, and his