The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-11-29


Aappearance.
Z For Nellie knew particularly
" well just what did harmonic. She
was pretty-therc was no denying
that-and she had studied herself
in the light of the examples she
saw around her every day On fifth
avenue and other avenues. She
knew--oh, she knew,
But money was money. and she
had not gained her lar-famed
glory as the model for the pretty
girls on the magazine covers with
out making artistic sacrifices that
cut her to the core. She loathcd
the hats and the gowns.
They were good looking enough
in their place, but their place was
distinctly not on Nellie. So she
.,~5aought, and her usually smiling
face reflected her thought as she
stepped from the dressing room
into the big airy studio.
Arthur Warren was mixing col
ors on his palette when she ap-
peared, and he merely looked up
with brief Good morning. Miss
Bates" as she entered,
81 AS impersonal as that! Heavens,
thought Nellie, how could he be
anything else with that hat in the
foreground? Any body would be
Sinlpersonal to Il hat like that.
y or course, she didn't want him
not to be impersonal-certainly
not! He was her employer, and
she was to pose for him SO that
he could make thousands and
thousands OF dollars by selling her
@counterfet presentmcnt to editors
for the covers-of, their midsummer
numbers.
And he was gentleman,
even If he did have nice eyes. No
that wasn't what she meant; she
meant that he did have nice eyes,
even II he was a gentleman. What
an awful hat! She swept it to
the models stand defiantly. 1t
was set with ten wagon on which
was an enhancing outlay of gilt
tering china and silver. Tea! 1t
was the fifth time that week she
had posed at tea wagon. IF all
!. all the tea I'm supposed to have
hrunk," thought Nellie, were laid
end to end it would fill the Allan
tic ocean and slop over on the
Rocky mountains!" From which
it may be deduced that NGlllc's
ideas were a trifle mixed.
"Ah-Miss Bates" Arthur
Warren's even voice broke in on
her. tangled thoughts, will you
please move that tea wagon over
toward you a little. There--thats
good! Can you hold that for
minute?"
{ Miss Bates could and would.
She held the tea out, smiling me-
Chemically: but her grin was a
grin Of rage.
Just across the room was an an
tiuue pier glass, which had been
acquired by Arthur Warren at an
auction. Nellie, free 10 let her
eyes wander where she would hap
pened to glance across the studio,
land for an instant saw herself re-
flected in the mirror. She stared
Nat what she saw for a full minute.
Then suddenly she drew back her
\ arm and with full sweep sent the
cup hurtling through the ar full at
the image.
The iEagile china struck the
mirYor full fortunately the tea in
it was purely imaginary and
smashed into a million pieces.
Warren looked up n|startlcd am
!. azement to see pretty Nellie Bates
collapsed in a bundle of green
dress and red hat on the model
stand, sobbing as though her heart
would break. His wrath at the
smashing Of one of his iavorlte tea
cups quickly vanished at SIGHT of
her tears, and he FASTENED to give
her comfort.
"Why, Miss Bates! What on
earath's the matter? You mustn't
break down like this. Here. here
pull yourself together. Don't
cry-for heavens sake! What's
the matter with you?"
But Nellie would have none of
his comfort. The matter with her
reilly was that she was nervously
exhausted: the strain OF many try
ing days of hard work, coupled
with the repression of Il secret, had
undermined her, and the red hat
was Just what was needed TO touch
off the mine. The secret?
All, Nellie herself could hardly
nave LUlu SOu LIuIf iNt oAAN ~ -. -
was at times sscarCely aware of its
existence. But it existed, as she
was presently to find out.
For as Arthur Warren, greatly
disturbed in his mind. bent over
her his hand for moment rested
on hers, and in that moment she
knew her secret-that she loved
him and would love him always.
But the sudden knowledge only
made her sob the harder. Sudden
" she lifted tear-stained face
and threw her arms around his
neck. :,
ooh, Mr.. Warren! Please hold
me! Don't let me go-and don't
let me wear that awful red hat
again! Pleased"
A man with less perspicuity than
Arthur Warren might well have
nut down her words for the raw
ings Of hysteria; but Arthur War
rem was n man OF understanding.
Also he was no more proof than
any of us would have been against
the girls pleadings. He held her
in his arms, rocking her to and
fro as though she were a tired
child. and murmured words of