Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-09
|. The Woman Who Changed
( y \ = x y x = y j. y x y !
MY FIRST SITTING.
By JANE PHELPS
LxXII

instead of a married woman. | was to
go to Merton Gray's studio with Ce.
leste for my first sitting. 1 fused
over my hair, worried for fear my eyes
looked duller than usual, and was so
hard . suit that finally Celeste said;
MADAME must not be so anxious.
Monsieur Gray will most likely do moth
ing but sketch in an outline today"
Ii was silly, | conceded, and tried to
be natural. But l was in anything but
my usual mood, when we reached the
studio.
Merton was very pleasant, very af,
fable. But never before had l seen him
when business was uppermost with him.
Business and ART. He was the artist
that day-the artist with a commission
to execute.
His manner was a bit abrupt, al
times, and occasionally he became a
trifle inpatient. | could not hold a
pose. Finally l said:
cit is all so strange, Mr.. Gray. l am
excited and nervous l shall do better
next time"
"Of course you will! A first sitting
is never very satisfactory" he return
ed pleasantly. He kept me only an hour
but remarked as We left: "I shall ex
pee 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 chattcd
gaily, l telling him of my unsatisfactory
sitting of that morning.
| liked talking to Clark Huntington
His easy carelessness was restful. The
levels of his mental processes made
talking to him a pleasure.
He was rather witty, a good story
teller, without demanding an incessant
flow Of humor from me. He enjoyed
appreciation, though, and that l gave
freely and honestly. If he was a bit
agotistical, a bit inclined to emphasize
the 1 in talking, l was so accustomed
to that quality in George thai l never
dreamed of resenting it in any one.
SO this afternoon he entertained me
by reeounting his experiences when he
sat for his portrait. The artist was a
woman, and he said he never was so
nervous in all his life, until she threw
down her brushes and pale Re in disgust
and asked him to have some tea. Then
after they had become better acquainted
had chatted for half an hour, she tried
again.
"It was better the second time,' he
assured me. encouraging me so that l
might expect my neNs sitting to go
much more smoothly than the first one,
"Just forget you are sitting for your
portrait; pretend you have only drop
ped into Gray's studio for a call"
I told George of his call at dinner
also of what he had said about my
mex sitting.
George Is Annoyed
$50 you did not accomplish anything
today" he observed, frowning.
"Not much"
81 might have known that you would
be unset over anything new or differ
he went on sarcastically, "I
should have asked Mrs. Sexton to ac-
company you.'
ooh, please don'tl" I exclaimed. "I
shall be all right next time. 1t was
more nervousness, for fear I would no
look my best, than ANYTHING else"
The very idea of having Mrs. Sexton
tutoring me before Merton Gray, was
1mbearable. I had hidden her obnoxious
iu~terfeEance-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 ing for my portrait. 7 had
Celeste as chaperon; surely nothing fur
thor was necessary.
But George REQUIRED to the subject
once again before we finished dinner.
eff Won do not get alone well the
next sitting, I shall see if I can get
Mrs. Sexton to go with you. I want a
good likeness"
JUS why he was so keen upon having
But he was like that in everything,
when he had once made up his mind.
IF a thing was to be DONE. it must be
done at once and done to suit him
that is, perfectly.
| quickly assured him that he next
sitting would be productive of good re.
suits. Foolishly, adding:
"Dron in yourself, and see how we
are getting along"
GA good idea. I'll do So"
l regretted immediately that I had
SUGGESTED such a thing. Would I never
learn not to act and speak on impulse9
Now if he were not pleased with the
nrogress Of fine portrait, he would insist
IN Mrs. Sexton.
fTomnrrow-A T.ouu Woitl