The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-04
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
J. SSsasss r. sssiEsS4s
yrperasMouan
DcgpyEiEhtS191 by the Mcclure
N0wapaper- syndtcate)

~ 6pEAEm0uah.
DccpzE9EttS191s, by the Mcclure
&ewpaDer~ syndtcate)
ENEHEMsTEAD stood at me
French window OF his study gas
" Observation-Disclosures, Still o bschs
eior. after forty, "a short, stocktly built
man with more than a little gray In
his hair. no novelist would have
picked him for the hero OF romance.
Yet II was with longing for romance
N. hissoul, that this man turned from
the gorgeous blazedot colors to the
somber study and then, having moth
ing better to do at the moment wan
dered over the big house through
room AFTER room, inspecting 1t crit
ically for the first time In his life.
The mansion had been built when
n family OF. even moderate means con-
sidered a combination living and
dining room a makeshift arrange
ment OF the very poor. Johns mother
had deemed twenty rooms none too
many for family Of three Gin their
position" and had furnished them in
the fashion OF the time with black
walnut, gloomy dsmask curtains and
velvet carpets
For the first time it occurred to
John Hemstead that his mother had
ordered his life much as she had the
family home. She had never seen
1T to change the homes depressing
atmosphere, neither had she ever
hold out any announcement to John
TO marry and make home OF his
own.
A two weeks hunting trip in the
fall fortnight OF fishing In the
spring and IN equal number OF days
spent on a combined business And
pleasure trip 10 New York every
February. with oil the Intervening
working hours spent In bis mills ana
the evenings at the small CITY CLUB
this had comprised John aemsteaa's
Life
It was time for the New York trip
and q special article IN recent Sum
day newspaper was brought back TO
John IS be gazed at the sunset again
from an upper window.
The article told of section Of New
York with which he was not famil-
lar, Greenwich Village, described
characteristics and fancies Of the
people living there. and their latest
fad for reclaiming gloomy old build
inss which had passed down the
scale from housing the well-to- do to
accommodating tn1ecuntous dodgers.
II related in detail some transforma-
tons. and the color schemes used in
bringing them about.
New York above Twenty-third
street John knew fairly we'll, but this
unknown region offered inducement
Of new experiences.
He was not so old-or vas nhe
slight suspicion Of spring me air
that caused the vague discomfort and
longlng2 John grinned at himself as
ne made q decision. But neverthe-
less he Immediately felt ten years
younger.
But this adventurer was not &C.
custofned to carrying hts own suit
case for trapesing the streets look
Ing for a place 10 lay his head. AS
be searched the so-called Bohemia,
however, he found all Its done-over
houses fully occupied.
So It was with thoughts straying
reluctantly toward the Plaza that
Hemxead turned corner and into a
short, narrow street whore one house
stood out conspicuously from Its
brick colored ne!ghbors. Painted the
color the Chinese call peach blossom
pink, with shutters Of dull green and
/ doorway IN an indescr1bable shode
81 rose red. It enraptured his eye.
Twisting the ring on his finger for
luck, as he had done when small
boy, John Hemstead rang the bell.
= And the woman who opened the door
hold romance In her eyes They were
selvety black, as was her hair, but
the clear transparent skin was guilt
less Of cosmetics
John caught some vague sugges-
ton Of the Oriental, yet when she
spoke II was with an accent that
could have originated only at Rad
ciltfe.
"Yes. there is a small apartment
tireccupied at present" Then, after
studying Hemstead for a moment
she continued, ."you may have it If ii
pleases you"
Compelling his eyes from the dark,
1.-the figure, the man In search of ad-
venture glanced in at the large room.
The blaze Of color for the moment al
most dazed him. why, it's a sun
Ioti" Hemstead exclaimed involun-
= tariiy.
Eyes, that was my inspiration"
For the next two weeks John
Hgnstead lived In a dream from
which he dreaded to awake. For the
tirst time in his life he was exper-
lenctns the influence OF color-color
- an element, a factor in existence,
acler in physical things, color in the
heErt Of ftte itself
II ,hGdi come upon him, 50 suddenly
EtatsheS could remember almost moth
Ing Of. that first interview save that
LIalmastress and creator Of this house
pf symphonic eolortng had said she
Vas Geraldine wynne
H0 was living atn a>room where the
Himysstlks curtains repeated the colol
Of. tho sttny$ flames in the grate: one
nnTner held q purple desk: another
arrange hookshei7es; the moor. toe
was oeangetand the walls q delicate
n1auyes there were schairs in subtle
blends OF color f6oriwhtch thesposaiS
ou6nesssman could find no names.
WHIST wonder then, that John
Hemssead sayetas hisibusiness ur-
gently demanded, saw nothing o
New York except this house, or tina