Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-10-25
THE TIGERS COAT
BY ELIZABETH DEJEANS
Norx11axTa NJ msxz.au COMPANY
+ But he liked her foreign viewpoint,
just as he delighted in her tnconven-
BY ELIZABETH DETEANS

just az he delighted in her unconvcn-
tionalitics. She was an absorbingly
interesting companion. There were
frequent occasions when she snarled
at him, but there were other times
when Mendall found her intensely
lovable; times when she was sweet
ness itself. She was always frankly
admiring of his work; even when she
criticized it,. She was 80 genuinely in
terestcd in his method Of painting.
She would not tell him how she had
learned the little secrets OF mixing and
applying color so as to secure certain
effects. though she impaired her
knowledge with eager pleasure. She
had studio language at her tongues
end. She carried him away from La
classe into an artists heaven. At such
times Mcndall nearly lost his self-re-
%straint. Only the wholesome fear Of
restrained him.
But much more often 1t was def
ancc for defiance with him. Occasion
ally she was girlishly amusing. when
she began to see something of La
classe society, Mendall discovered how
accurate was her appraisemcnt of
every creature that came her way.
h had 4 sense of humor. She
miricked, imDcrsonated, character
lied with consummate skill the people
h met. Laclasse she declared to be,
much sun and wind, much money,
and more automobiles"
But you e to become a part of
it all,"' Menda}l said. u.
Indeed, ycs!" she exclaimed: 1T
isFa place of possibilities. Senior. They
point to Il mile of buildings and tell
mo. Here, forty ear ago, the Indians
n q ~ nod , ~ s11NNa rr,1, ~eo . = Mr. - 1n ss0
run. the buffalo made holes in the
ground! That seems wonderful to
me. AT first, hc:'e, it was all talk Of
growth; it is all talk of money
and pleasure; soon it will be much
talk of culture-and all in fifty years.
Fifty years ago a little village-now a
wide city. =. Eth, it's a great
.place!" ~
Mendall had smiled: uncollsciously
or not, the speech was an imitation Of
MacAllistcr.
Several weeks of this sort of in
timacy< made Mendall hesitant: He
was undecided in just what guise to
paint Marie. He had been drawn
away from his first conception of her,
nevertheless it persisted, for 1t had
laid a strong hold on him. She SO
often showed the qualities that would
As-A IA on e " Il L " lIl6t
compelling. feline courtezan. His
conception still fascinated him. He
was lot so certain as he had been that
Marie concealed a more than doubtful
past, but he vas still convinced that
she concealed something. and with
consummate care. a woman who in
bent upon concealrhent generally has
some such secret to quad.
Mendall was a man of unalterable
purpose where his work was con-
cerhed. II he decided to paint Marie
IN the guise that most appealed to
him, he would hold to his purpose;
even II II ended in his losing Marie.
He fearetIthat he would lose her; he
hesitated.
1t was a curious incident that de-
cided him. one evening in looking
Through his possessions, he came upon
a carved crucifx he had brought with
him from Mexico, He hung it on the
wall, meaning to show it to Marie. He
knew that in spite Of her silence She
took. q profound Interest in his tales
of the Jungle. When he found she
perrnitted ii. he talked to her of hie
had to his wife. He knew that Marie
had instantly understood the meaning
of the Tehuana. She studied the
painting somberly sometimes. when
he had first seen Marie's fever-yel-
lowed skin, he had accused her OF
having originated In the Isthtnus, and
he had deiedi her denial in his paint.
ing Of the jungle-pool. The painting
was locked away. but Mendall knew
she had not fo%rgottensit. It had given
him q certain satisfaction to talk Of
the jungle while she listened son,bcr.
|ly. S#s
He pointed out the crucinx to Marie
the next morning. but he was not pre-
pared for what followed. Even across
the room, Marie bent the knee TO It,
and crossed herself rapidly. She went
toward It then, slowly, a. X compelled,
and kneeling before It, prayed. Mem
dali could not catch the words, they
were q murmur; her hands moved az
II telling her beads. She rosa
finally, and with q genu6sction turned
away. He saw her Ease then. sfown
gray and curiously immobiie. she
went to the couch and lay prone.
MendalTs amusement was too com
|plete at nrst for movement, but he
went ct last and stood over her. she
lay. quite sttll. This was no AotlnS; he
had seen her face.