The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-10-05
735e
Composite Girl
By LOUISE OLIVER
Upright, 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate.)
By LOUISE OLIVER

Observation-Disclosures
copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspae
per Syndicate.)
Katherine frowned with displeasure
as she turned to the first story in the
magazine the postman had just
brought. The story with her own
name at the top in large letters under
the title had been illustrated as she
had feared by Julian Fletcher, and
Julian Fletcher had managed to spoil
the last half dozen or so Of her contri-
buttons to the National.
Other people raved about his work,
and did not stop to insist upon the
fact, as did the author, that an illus
tration should stick to the context.
When a girl is said to come down q
stairway in queenly gown Of velvet
and spangles it Is maddening to see In
the illustration debonair lass tripping
lightly down the steps in frothy crea-
ton Of juvenile ruffies and sash. Also
when one describes a heroine as hav-
ing raven locks and dark, soulful eyes,
Il Is the veriest heresy to have her
reproduced In picture with rather,
duffy hair OF an indiscriminate yellow
and eyes Of gray with an unmistakable
sense Of humOr that compelled one who
gazed to smile back in answering SYM
pathy.
Just now the lady represented In the
picture was supposed to be naughty
person who prided herself on her
knowledge of clothes. Also she was
supposed to be allghting from her
limousine and drawing back In startled
horror as she saw approaching the one
person In the world she was trying to
Gyoid.
But instead Of Mortified haughtiness.
the artist had sketched In an express
sion Of rather glorifed naughtiness.
There again was an expression that
rather refused to take life seriously.
"n." said Katherine. shat man
wants to be buffoon, how does 1t come
he's engaged to spoil perfectly serious
stories7 I'm going to write to the
editor and tell him that II he wants
any more STUFF Of mine he's got to hunt
another illustrator"
She looked again into the eyes OF the
Eirl who was intended to be soulful
In spite Of herself she smiled back
Then happening to look mp into he'
own mirror, she was startled. Her OWL
eyes looking back at her from ths
xlass were the exact counterpart OF
those ON the page. And her hair, wav!
and caught back loosely from her face
with It's part on one side, was exact!
IKE that Of the girl In the picture
Then she caught up another picture
and another. and studied them, ion'
and carefully. Then she took anothe
inventory of herself.
Slowly the bright color mounted .
her cheeks, and her breath came hare
The pictures In the magazine were
her. there wasn't doubt OF 1t. An
now It came back to her gradually tha
she had heard people say they had nt
diced resemblance. And the dress !
the stairway picture was certain
hers. and the rather youthful knoci
.bout suit Of the limousine lady wh
mas supposed to know how to dres
was a replica of her own blue jerse'
And the haiti
katherine grew thoughtful. Whs
vanpeance could she wreak upon Ju
aan Fletcher, who. evidently KNOWN
hef l,g sight, had had his own lit
soke at her expense. But alas-eve
while planning vengeance. the gra
nine eyes, like those Of the limousiI
lady, rather lacked the hardness
aential to real vendetta. Z.
She tossed back her head fnall
having reached at least partial q
rision. that is, In order to settle q
| account with one artist she must MAJ
mn the difference she had had with q
-other. Jerry Page, her erstwhiie
esnv. would now be essential to &
fuIfllment of her scheme and 8
must make ND with him right ava
Poor Jerryi After all 1t was too D.
the way she had treated MN. .
never dreamed she'd miss him so mu
nntiI he had ceased to come. In {
aid days he had way Of giving thr
u,ick knocks and sticking In his ne
.rA saving: "Work's the passwol
Who goes thereT
II she was busy, she'd call o
SKATE" And he would softly close 7
door and vanish.
But if she called out huskiiy,
rreat big bear r. he would let the r
If himself In, his pockets crackli
zuspiciously with parcels from
delicatessen across the street.
Then Katherine would lay clt
and they would have lunch togeth
Sometimes when he had sold pict'
and she had sold a story they wo'
~ to dinner at big hotel and e
fheater to celebrate.
Lately. however, Katherine had o
no many stories that she needed
longer to live on the same street
che delicatessen. And having 8
more stories she worked more ana
answer to Jerry's knock had more
more seldom been "a great big bea
Tsut then she didn't have to depend
packages for her meals any more.
had her own maid in neat black
srhite TO announce quietly that din
was served. Jerry came few III