The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-06-22

right with me, Lymus."
What that is. sweetness? I'd do
anythin' TO- you.'
Paint my piccher fust befo' you
does hers"
"ShoIy-" Then Lymus choked
short his adolescence and shook
his head sadly. CANT"
How come not?"
81 done signed a writinI that her'n
would be my fust pitcher in Bum
min'ham"
Priscilla stamped and flung her
self from the room. That night,
meandering mournfully down Eigh-
teenth street. after three curt re-
fusals on the part of Priscilla in
answer to his duplication to call
upon her. he met her face to face.
But she was not alone. Towering
beside her was the massive figure
of Noah Lee.
Lymus had heard OF Noah-heard
much and frequently since he had
commenced appropriating ma
jority of Prissilla's spare time to
himself. Gossip was that Noah and
Priscilla for years had been on the
verge of an engagement and that
the failure of the god of love was
due entirely to Prissila's captious
instability. Noah. so then told Ly-
mus, was wildly, madly, fatuousIy
in love with the girl. And now-in
her moment of pique-she had re-
turned to his ponderous protection.
Alone in his room, the world ap-
peared to Lymus as a place drear
and desolate. Even the $50 were as
ashes to the flame OF his desire
He had sold himself to art for a
mess of porridge-and he was dis
covering that the porridge promised
to prove indigestible.
1t was past midnight before he
skunk off into a fitful, dreamful
slumber. After a pale and languid
breakfast. a temporary fit of elation
was squashed by the receipt of a
note from Edner Torring announc-
ing that she would appear at his
studio at o'clock that afternoon
for her initial sitting.
He sailed from the house, fore
head furrowed in headachy thought
He turned tagging footsteps toward
and eventually found himself ramb-
ling discontolately through the
shopping district of Nineteenth
street. And suddenly he came to an
abrupt halt before the dusty win
VI a llNlic SnOp.
There was not much to attract
about the institution-as such. 1t
was filled with dirty. battered
books. weird chromos. second hand
cameras, disintegrating magazines.
But in one corner was a muchly
torn sign, rudely inscribed:
OIL COPIES OF FAMOUS PAINT
INGS. FIVE DOLLARS EACH.
He stepped inside. and the an
cient proprietor sided forward
crabwise.
Boss man. 1 Graves to look a,
some of them paintin's."
II have only one left. 1t is the
work of student artist-a copy of
a famous painting which is hung
at the Metropolitan Museum. A
fine picture. Can't be told from the
original for S."
"Tain't a paintin' of a lady, is it
now. Boss man."
"Of course. 1t represents
Venus
Il amt keerin' beat which it
represents. Cap'n. If. Venus is a
lady. tha's all what / asks"
This painting" He removed a
large crayon portrait representing
a genial patriarch surrounded by
the enormous family he had pa
triarched and disclosed to view the
coveted art treasure.
The eyes of Lymus johnson pop
ped open. Then they closed miser-
ably and a spasm of agony gripped
his skinny frame. He shook his
head.
That amt gwine do a tall. Bos.
man. This heah Venus amt got
no clothes on"
The salesman argued, pleaded,
cajoled. He finally cut the price in
half. Lymus stood off and inspected
the nude lady carefully.
Did that lady pose jes' like that
pitcher says she done?" he inquired
in awe.
Certainly" retorted the other.
Artists models always pose in the
nude"
'wigslin' tripe! An. folks think
in | is a artist"
It,"
"What?" smiled the shopkeeper.
The plan which 1 Graves" Ly-
mus produced $3.50. Gimme that
artment. Cap'n. We trades"
Three-quarters of an hour later
Lymus unfolded the portrait OF the
immodest Venus in the sanctuary
of his room. He gazed pridefully
upon the charms of her fgure-not
because of the charms, but because
he had conceived a brilliant scheme
whereby she was to become Edner
Torring-Edner fully and modestly
clothed.
Lymus was by profession a sign
painter, and an exceedingly good
one. He was deft with a brush.
and drawing garment advertise
ments was one of the best things
he did. So it was that the idea
had come ~ A-m Of mounting
venus on an easel. allowing Edner
to sit for her portrait. and then
gracefully paint a full complement
OF clothes upon her now nude
figure.
Lymus was exceedingly pleased
with himself. The scheme was
magnif1cently simple and required
only a modicum of preparation.
Edner Torring was on time to
the minute. Lymus improvised a
dais. upon which he placed her as
an occupant of his sole easy chair.
She settled herself comfortably and
Lymus went to his trunk. from
which he extracted the rolled can
vas.
Lymus had never seen artists at
work. but then-neither had Ed
And he CnS owov ,vftb tA1