Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-01

Mendall turned quickly to look at
her, galvanized by the way in which
she spoke the three words. Even
when he saw the. glare in her eyes he
did not realize the significance OF
what he had said.
Marie pointed t. the, painting.
"senor, o have enjoyed painting
You know I have" he said,
puzzled by her anger and her pur-
poseful manner.
Sufficiently to repay you for your
work."
ut wasn't work-painting you
would eve be work"
81 have a request to make, then,
scnor-will you give it to me for
mine? ?"
He looked at her for a moment, his
face growing black. You don't in
tend to let me paint you any more.
You want to take it and yourself away
from me ?' 81
! mo, Senior. I should not think of
removing it from your studio. .
I do not wish to remove myself, eth
ier-I have told you I have enjoyed
Ebeing here"
1T is yours, Of course; there's no
WIG AoS dSuClSSE IJSlIL u IL.
L treat it, then, as mine."f She
went to the canvas and taking up the
palette knife from the ledge of the
easel. slashed 1t from top to bottom
and the face of the Delilah up and
-tdown and r Then f1inging down
the knife she faced Mendalps petri-
faction, her eyes ablaze and her head
held high.
He looked at her in silence, through
the moments in which the color ebbed
from his face, leaving him ominously
blue about the lips.
He came slowly toward her then.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES best thing
I've ever-done," he said stiffly.
How dare you!"
He seized her by the arms with a
grip that shook her. How dare you
ruin q beautiful thingA" he repeated
through his teeth. You jungle-cata'
Marie met his rage with her yellow
smile. II am primitive enough to
avenge an insult, Senor."
II painted the truth of you.." he
said brutally. ,r
''Non-you did not. t am not, and
l eve have been that thing! You
painted your prejudiced conception al
me only. That has been our quarrel
from the beginning. 1t was thai
brought me into your studio and ken,
me here. I wanted to fight YOUR con.
ception: kill it. Did you think fo,
one moment that I should let that evi.
dence of it live? We have
had our little struggle. Senior, and
have come Of with only this small
victory-you should be g%enerous."
Mendall dropped her arms; he wa.
returning to reason. He looked a
the mutilated painting and then al
her, and his face grew blank. .yic.
tory" he said. You certainly have
IT. God knows you. have taken pos.
session of mel" He sat down ane
took his head in his hands. ."Oh
lord! Why did you come at all!"
Marie stood looking at him. IT an
sorry, Senor,' she said, with her sud
Iden drop to s%oftness. II warned VOL
IN the beginning how it might me-"
What does such a warning 10 s
man amount to-"
You challenged me. and I took ut
the challenge. But you know that
have not tempted you, or PLAYED viii
you. You must have known what
was fighting fora vindication of NV,
sell. n ffrst time you looked int
my eyes, the morning I sat in anf
terrified at your table, you classed m.
with that Tehuana of yours. a creatnr,
q little nearer the animals than VI,
think yourSeR to be. Then. when
showed you that I possessed the b-a5r
OF 4 white woman, you conceived mi,
idea Of me you have painted. Do Va,
think that did not hurt me? II hmr
me n it made me g / nav
suffered much because Of nv veiinu
skinny tigers coat. AS long az
Hive I expect to suffer because or r. )
am accustomed to men-andw men
Who can see no deeper than nv skin.
who will not Took beneath the tirer'
coat to see what manner Of woman 4
covers. During these week
I have shown you mysen-withomt AZ
fectation or p%rat6nse. IecVen threw
away the little Conversational Il ~,
possible to be quite ones salf vher
TIED by them. And still you wsrs a.
ttefIiined not to advance further I,
your opinion Of me than. this mol,
half breed Delilah that I have iS.s
wish the exact truth: I.think that &.
long ago became merely a hit =,
defiance. and that in your heart %,
feel 4 am OF as she. SO II IL trna whs
you say: that the victory Is nine"
4 Mendalt got up. ut 10 d r.
said. And its trus that 1 don,t foe
lie you a lrshould 70 the woman i