The Washington herald., 1922-06-23
Continued from Yesterday.

Toned Edner in the same frank
condition. Obviously. whatever
charms her figure might have. the
complexion would vary from that
of the famous goddess. Good! 1t
behooved Lymus. therefore, to re-
construct the groundwork of his
subject.
He dipped his brush in the brown
mixture. He squinted at Edner and
smiled Then. with slow but sure
touches. he commenced sunburning
the figure of Venus,
Somehow it never occurred to
him to change the complexion Of
arms. face and neck and then paint
the clothes over the white figure.
Had he thought of il. he would
have discarded the idea as smack
ing too greatly of minstrelsy-a
brown lady with a white body!
Absurd = He knew that beneath her
lingerie Edner Torring was of a
rich chocolate hue and Ly-
MUS was no nature faker. His
Painting OF Edner would be brown
to the skin.
Aud SO his. plan was to make the
hgureg, lifeike in complexion and
then garb il fittingly. The paint
ing OF the clothes worried him not
at ALL
For two hours Lymus worked.
then laid down his brushes and
meticuIously draped the canvas to
cheesecloth, cheesecloth folded to
several thicknesses. Edner rose
sriffiy but gratefully. An engage
nent was made for the same hour
the folloying day. and Edner de-
parted trfurnphantly.
Alone, Eymus removed the cheese
cloth and pridefully inspected his
handiwork. Edner. as she stood
now. was chocolate to the waist
and blonde from there down. 1t
appeared to the exalted Lymus as
though he himself had created the
entire thing. Then he regretfully
covered the picture and went forth
into the streets of Birmingham.
Near the Penny Prudential Bank
Building Lymus encountered Pris-
silla Wattles. He palpitated with
love, but Lymus was a humble man
who feared a second rebuff from
the dazzling of his heart. There
fore. in preference to that. he lifted
his hat stiffly and would have
passed on. but the now contrite
Priscilla halted him. Briefly she
apologized for her hostile attitude
NJ the previous day. Lymus was
Erateful.
That big feller-Noah Lee" he
asked. Il is hear'n tell that you
an him was mos engaged to make
ma'iagge once"
Priscilla shifted. Il an him.
Huh, Mebbe so he was engage to
me. but I never want engaged to
him.
"Tha's all right. then. But
soht of lodged that he is lovin'
you a heap. Priscilla.
Reckon he is. But lovin' amt
.gittin'"
Bless the Lawdr'
"'Ceptin' TO- one man." she
vouchsafed coyly.
Name which,"
She hung her head. That's be
teHiH'. Lymus. An the Teller which
7 loves amt never asst to be toll"
They adjourned to the Gold
crown Ice Cream Parlor. But what
T-ymus did not know was that while
they were quaffinE the creamy.
f"amY connections the massive hg.
ure of Noah Lee bulked balefully
in the doorway for about two min
utAs-and Immediately thereafter
Noah departed mutterinE dire
threats having to do directly with
tHf4rmutilation OF Lymus' skinny
little body.
--Fdner was on time to the minute
FOR the sitting of the following day.
T.ymus flung himself headlong into
tho. task of browning up the neither
portion Of Venus body. When the
sitting was ended the goddess had
disappeared from the canvas and
in her place there had blossomed
forth the rounded. dimpled figure
Of the statuesque Edner Torring.
That night Lymus called upon
Priscilla wattles. Long before his
assignment to paint Edner's por-
trait they had considered that they
were going to become engaged.
But this was their first evening to-
Cether as a couple actually pledged
to one another. They sat on a bat
tered lounge in a dark corner OF
the parlor and found that the out
look upon the future was a rosy
thing indeed. But into the midst
Of their rapture a sinister figure
intruded.
There came a rap at the door.
I.ymus and Priscilla sidled apart.
and Priscilla extended a lukewarm
invitation to Come in" Noah Lee
came in.
He GIared mS!evolently at the
pair on the lounge. Lymus
squirmed intentionally. for re-
hected in the narrowed eyes Of his
rival he discerned much bloody
murder and one extremely sudden
death.
Well" growled Noah accus-
ingly.
Lymus cleared his throat but the
words refused to come. Priscilla
answered:
Well. which"
What this heah mean"
what does which where mean"
You an this half baked imita-
tion of a artis'?"
which il means. Noah Lee. amt
none Of yo' business. an fu'thermo'
IT don't concern you none what
ever. So I Graves that you departs
an leaves us alone"
Noah transhxed Lymus with a
scowl. II depahts." he said with
dignity. but an you is gwine
meet ag'in. Mistuh Johnson. We
meets ag'in. an when we does they
Amt but one of US Ewine leave
away FUN where We meets atw
Lymus departed early. and en-
route to Callie Flukers' rooming
house he turned the corners wide
and trod on the balls Of his feet. all
set for a sprint. He heaved a sigh
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