The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-03-06
temperament OF
an Artist

BY JUSTIN
%. 1928. western Newspaper UnIon.)

- ~ was l1clhS JOu'E A'N'
traitor. He had a nice house III
the suburbs, and the attic had been
tar-papered and converted into q
studio. He had a nice little income
and a nice little wife. Everybody
said so.
Hargus IA drawing a cover-girl fol
n of the magazines. She was a very
beautiful girl. Hargus sat drawing
and listening to his wife busting
about In the rooms below. He knew
exactly what she was doing. She was
making the bed. After that she was
going to sweep the rooms, and then
her heels would go clack, clack, in
the passage. Mrs. Hargus would be
very busy.
He was fond of her-they had been
married four years. And yet, as he
looked at the girl on the cover, a
great loathing of life swept over aim.
He wished he had a girl like that, and
he wished that instead Of living in a
house in Four Corners, that thriving
suburb, he lived with the cover-girl in
"a Venetian palace.
If only he had ordered his life bet
teri
Presently he heard a rhythmic
sound below. 1t was Mrs. Hargus,
playing with the broom.
And in the meantime
Mrs. Hargus, that successful house
keeper and popular matron, was tidy
ing up her house. At first she won
dered where all the dirt came from.
Then she wondered whether that cake
she meant to make would turn out
well in the new oven. Then she be-
gan thinking about Hargus.
She sighed, and a half tender but
half irritated look came over her face.
She was very fond of Hargus, but
she wished that she had married a
different kind of man, who wouldn't
have his business in the house and
keep running down to tell her things
about his work. She never bothered
Hargus about the pies.
She wished she had a husband with
a regular income, instead of n who
was hard up when the rent was due,
and then got a windfall and came run
ming to her to crowd expensive pres
ents on her, which made her afraid.
However, it couldn't be helped. And
she really was fond Of Hargus.
She went into the kitchen, mixed
the cake, and put it into the oven. AS
she lit the gas there was a bareback.
A flame ran up her dress. She
screamed.
And in the meanwhile
Upstairs Hargus had flung down his
drawing and sat %brooding. The
broom had ceased, and now Mrs. Har-
gus heels were going clack, clack in
the kitchen. How Hargus hated that
sound. He hated the horrid facts of
domesticity he wanted to live a per-
fectly irresponsible life in a perfectly
irresponsible world-with that cover
girl.
She did not correspond to- any real
girl. 1t was just his idea of the sort
of wife he wished he had selected.
And there was Mrs. Hargus, who
never took any interest In his work,
and went on baking pies!
A sudden scream from below ar
rested his attention:
Harry oh, I'm on freI Come
quickv"
In an instant Hargus was on his
feet and dashing down the stairs. In
the kitchen he saw Mrs. Hargus stand
tnJu hnntinn xrith hnr |
hands at the flames that were run
ming up her dress. He snatched UP
a small rug from the floor and envel-
oped her in it. He beat wildly at
the little spurts Of fame that appeared
the edges. He struggled me
chemically, like a mar in a dream. All
the while those little spurts of flame
kept appearing.
And all the while Mrs. Hargus kept
IN screaming.
Then suddenly it waS all over. The
ire demon was dead. Hargus flung
Town the rug and looked at Mrs. Har
gus. There seemed nothing the mat
.er with her. The front of her dress
vas slightly scorched, that was all.
He raised her hands and looked at
hem. One palm was slightly red
lened, that was all. His own hands
we're uninjured.
Mrs. Hargus suddenly tainted in his
lrms. He carried her to a couch in
he living room. And then he real
zed that he was trembling all owe
Mrs. Hargus opened her eyes. "Oh,
Iarling-"
"Are you all right, darling?"
Eyes. Are you, darling?"
"Yes. My God, when I saw you In
ames I had the fright of my life"
would you be sorry to lose me,
For Gods sake, don't make such a
lggestion," said Hargus, kissing her.
After a while: "Are you really all
ight. Well, I suppose 1 must go and
nish that d. cover"
I~fnfoIdinn I eafona