The Washington herald., 1921-10-16

no higher . she said. rather breathiessly.
] This isn'tmy day to be trapped. haven't
thought out the things to say for beginning.
She paused on a landing. BE came on and
up, She began to climb the last fight
''If heaven is kind :, she said. half Laughs
ing and half fearful, sit viii have at least
one ladder leading up to the roof. want to
60 up and hide
Heaven was quite kind. There was no
ladder, but as she reached the chl- de-sac Of
the top landing she saw that the door on the
left was open. She only saw the door on the
left-nothing else. She darted into it. She
slammed the door after her. That would
convince the ascending him that she was
bona fide. She was in large top room, with
an authentic north light, studio. she saw
the bills pasted on the streetward window
and laughed. what luck" she whispered.
Then she listened. She heard the stately
march Of masculine footsteps. Then they
stopped on the landing, there was quiet.
Getting. his key she said. Getting
his key out of his pocket"
Then the door on the right Of the landing
wass opened. the footsteps were resumed,
they moved from stone onto boards. Then
the further door shut
what luck" she breatiled again What
luck. He's on the landing across the way.
That's his studio and
She went to the window and tore down
the ITO Let" signs. .... -.
MIGNoN tapped at the door across the
AtA landing.
Like her father, she not only believed in
the chances of life, she approved of taking
them. She had now sspoused art seriously
tor three days, khere was a whole ship's
canvas rig done up in small oblong squares
in her studio. There were pigments enough
to paint fat. There, were coy chairs and
cooking utensils, a second hand easel and
carpet and tapestries that had cost several
hundred dollars; a third hand guitar, a real
and wonderful Chinese screen of gold and
silver brocade, an ottoman made of sugar
boxes and Liberty damask and a battered
bound volume of La Vie de Boheme.
Mignon was the true article in artists.
Mignon had seen him three times They
had put their heads out of their respectiv.
doors simultaneously-once. They had re-
turned them to their own domestic sur
roundings at once. But the chance had not
come. Mignon had worked industriously
on her great work, "Pomegranates Not
Quite Falling Out of Willow Pattern DISH
and had felt that all was well in the world.
She was near him. Across the landing from
him. 1t was all very jolly, and her chanc.
would come.
1t had come. She was knocking at the
door.
She heard him say "Harr- and theu
trihe scratchily:
oh, yes, come in"
She went in. She was glad at the SPEC
tscle. 1t was right in the picture. here
he was in a blue blouse, painting with a
sort of dramatic strenuosity. He stabbed
the canvas with a brush, gazed at the re-
suit from bent angle and only then
looked at her. So right" of him.
, oh, / say" he broke out detonatively.
"Oh, say, do you want me-that is, do
you want anything? Is anything wrong? Are
you i'll; or food, want food, or perhaps
mfIk?"
real Bohemian, how delightful he was,
she thought ....
II wanted to tell you she said quite
self to be very sick-if you're going to eat
that-smeI."
"oh," he gaspsd. He turned to his stove
There was a frying pan on it. From the
frying pan rose streams Of mephitic vapor
Now You mention Il" 'he said. there is
something strange about its habits"
What is it?'' asked Mignon.
You mean" he asked, what is its ulti-
mate end? Although it does resemble an
auto da fe, it would have been an omelet
if 1t had not lost its temper --'
She laughed, also she bIushed a little
How well it was all working outi They
had met, they had cemented their friendship
firmly and enduringiy in a true Bohemian
way.
''oh, you engage me-" she said. The
wages of cooks are high
You can have half my kingdom-or all
of it," he said, and she had to drop her
eyes before his. when a mans hungry
for sustenance he'll pay any price"
Half a hngdom-that's q little too
much As a cook-well there are several
better than l."
What matter, il the result can be
eatenP To my mind the real charm about
food Is that you can eat it. was never
one Of those who use 1t as q decoration"
MIGNoN cooked. He produced more
At4 eggs; he seemed to have staked his
all on eggs. Mignon boiled them on the gas
ring. Mignon felt safe on boiling (she re-
solved to obtain the infaHible Mrs. Beeton at
the first opportunity, but at first she felt
that she vould he thwarfed Thar uaa =.