Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-17
CHAPTER IS

haps If 1 had been perfectly calm
and logical I would have gone to my
pwn place and t%elephoned him. But
an empty taxi was passing when l
left my aunt's house, and I hailed 1t
and mechanically gave Collins ad-
dress. 1t was not yet noon and l
knew as Colin spent his mornings
working he would be in.
His housekeeper ushered me into
a tiny reception room, and said she
would send Mr.. MacReady" in to
me in a moment. Evidently she
took me for a client who wanted to
arrange for a portrait. While she
was gone I stared about me in sur
prise. wondering for a moment
whether / was in the right place. l
was SO absorbed with my w affairs
that 1 had the curious feeling that
everything outside myself was I'M
real. Every woman who a been
through a sudden sorrow or Crisis
must know this feeling.
Then I remembered that Colin had
done over his apartment. He was
making quite a good income now.
but instead of moving into a more
pretentious place, he had kept his
old apartment and had had it done
over in a beautiful fashion.
He came hurrying in, with rolled
I'D sleeves and old working clothes,
his hands covered with paint.
Sorry to have kept you," he
apologized. 'Tve been cleaning off
an old canvas. What is it, Connie?
You look rather badly"
81 want some advice" I began.
"All right, come back into my
Workshop" Colin never called his
studio anything but his workshop
do you like my grand reception
room? Done for my millionaire ell
ents. You look lovely against that
black velvet hanging Connie, espe-
cially with your pale skin. Snail 1
do you a p~ortrait?"
mo" 1 said abruptly. "Where's
the Workshop"
He led the way to a small room
with a north window. l had been
in his place before when he gave
little parties, but ever in this tiny
studio. 1t was Uttered with canvases
and paints, with odd stools and
chairs and pieces of lovely old bro
cades and velvets for backgrounds.
1t looked more like a photographers
studio than an artists.
r held out the letter from Win,
and he read it.
$50 that accounts for the tragic
face" he remarked, calmly tearing
the letter into bits.
"Reason enough! Colin, what
shall I do?" Vs.
ooh. answer it, I suppose. It's
the usual thing with letters-to an
swer them. 1 think wei nave some
lunch first"
'L11nch, I don't want to eat!"
az do. Then We'll answer It," He
49,. ha1J and the hOuSekeeper
II think We'll keep Mrs. Taylor
for luncheon" he said. She isn't
feeling we'll, so We'll have a lot OF
hot coffee. 1 think we might nave
some of that consomme you make
30 we'll"
The woman nodded and went
AWAY. ,
you take it calmly enough" !
burst out. "Consomme and coffee!
What am I going to do?"
Nothing" said Colin calmly.
"Connie, my dear, o are always
trying to make a tragedy out or Ire.
You are always on the edge or a
grand climax. The climax never
comes If you learn how to defer 1t.
Now then"
He stood staring at me a moment.
I was on the edge of nervous tears
again.
II wish you would do me a favour
md sit in that chair with your
profile toward me-" he said sudden
ly. Twill you? I want to make a
sketch for a figure in a group pic
lure, and I have no model for It"
4 sat down as he asked. He went
10 work industriously. I never knew
until afterward that he did 1t only
10 distract me, to give me something