Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-12-31
Carlotta's
Second Love
BY II. LOUIS RAYBOLD

II out ol TIE question, Mark" and
Caflotta's voice was very determined.
We are too utterly different in tenn
permanent, and besides. | have the
DRY that no girl should marry her first
love"
RATS Marks explosive utterance
matched the disgust in his look. Car
lotia wasn't at all the sort of person
from whom to expect theories, being
piumpiy, prettily feminine, with wistful
eyes and dmple in the chinward cor
ner of her cheek.
The girl drew her brows together in
a little frown of displeasure. Il sup
pose that seems silly to YOU" she said,
but conceding that am somewhat
fond of you, | am afraid it is proba-
bly case of being in love with love
liking the candy you bring me, the
orchestra seats for the best shows and
little attentions generally. A. girl
ought not to marry until she's had
an opportunity to make comparisons"
And by the same token" came back
the man promptly, II suppose I'd feel
surer | loved you if you were the ninth
or tenth on my list of lady loves. in
stead of being the first and onlyv
"Nonsense" Carlotta lightly repu-
dated the compliment. mo man ever
marries his first love. who was prob
ably his Sunday school teacher. And,
anyway, what proof have that you
really and truly do love meg" and she
smiled teasingly.
POSSIBLY 1t was that smile that did
1t. At any rate. Mark rose from his
chair. speaking coldly. deliberately:
"Cariotta, you've often accused me of
not approaching your work. Heaven
knows that If you really were that rare
bird. genius, hope would not have
the nerve to propose marriage to you.
But 1t seems to ME you were destined
Tor other things than mussing up can
vases with pictures that look to me
like Italian scenes laid in Russia with
oriental fairgrounds.
However, l daresay that's where
show my ignorance. But as to this
business of whether ! really love you
and this tOmmyrOt about marrying
your, first love-well, here's hoping
your second 1--we has better luck than
did" and with bow intended to
be both slightly ironic and extremely
dignified, Mark opened the door and
went out.
CarlOtta, astonished. looked after
him doubtfully. Was he really accept
ing his dismissal with so little protest?
Then she sighed. Poor old practical
Mark
So completely lacking any tlniest bit
of creative genius which would help
him understand her own intense yearn-
ings for self-expression! So prosaic-
ly unromantic that he could not CON-
| prehend her desire to be sure that It
was love with capital l. he offered,
before surrendering to Il!
month later Carlotta sold her first
picture, at price far less than she
| expected-but then, to sell one at all
was something. And the girl regular
| ly took roundabout way home to
look at It in the window of the small
novelty shop where 1t was displayed
along with crocheted outfits for in
fants and hand-painted place cards.
Evidently Mark had also seen the pic
ture. with the artists name plainly
scrawled In the corner for one night
when he and Carlotta found them
selves adjacent strap-hangers in the
subway, he extended his congratula-
tons. And CarlOtta, frankly pleased.
added to her thanks the little remark
that she had missed his. calls.
''Same here" had answered Mark,
but by Jupiter. he had been working
his darned head off lately. and had
had to let all social duties 60 hang.
II Carlotta felt touch of chagrin
that she had become merely one Of
Mark Hastings social duties.. her ex-
tremely sweet smile at parting sue
cessfully concealed It from him.
Mark soon had rival. A few days
after the sale of her picture, the post
man had brought Cnrlotta letter
whose writer. on delicately perfumed
paper. begged her. in a flowing hand.
to pardon his effrontery In addressing
her, and to permit him to express his
Joy In her picture. which touched with
In him, so he wrote. responsive
chord. He signed himself, briefly, Your
admirer. Gustave."
Other letters followed, of increas-
Ing bulk, whose contents TOOK the en-
tire world Of art for their own. inter-
preted here and there with casual per-
sonal illusions calculated to arouse In
|. Carlotta an Inevitable interest In the
writer. And Carlotta. recent gradu-
ate Of small town "art school," sat
reverently at the feet of this authority
and drank In his dissertations on pig
ments and shading and tricks of fore
shortening and anecdotes OF the great
masters.
Often she meditated on the utter dis
similarity of the two men. The very
difference in their letter-wrting meth
DDS was significant. Carlotta. finger
ing In her coat pocket one Of Gustave's
well-tilled envelopes, compared 1t with
the thin epistles she had received from
Mark. away on a brief vacation.
II simply cant express my thoughts
on paper" he had apologized. 1--WE