Evening star., 1925-05-10

my surprise.
Lucia had snatched suddenly at the
hem of her skirt, pulled it up, and be-
came suddenly absorbed in some part
of her anatomy.
I Lucia said, sharply, you
"But there's a hea biting me-" she
protested.
Wade laughed outright. Lucia looked
at him and smiled.
You can be thankful that it's your
| eyes and not your arms" said she.
What If you hadn't any hands to
scratch yourself with? And you'd
have to be fed like baby goat" She
looked suddenly at me. Have you
got my goat, Mr.. Brown"
4 Wade laughed again.
h "Gee," he said; 'it seems good to
Estrike somebody who isn't sorry for
me-" He held out his hand. "Come
on, you Lucia girl" said he; Tets go
down to the beach-that is, If you feel
like it. l want to hear about you and
what is responsible for you"
Very WELL" said Lucia, and they
went out, hand in hand. I heard Lucia
say, "I'll shut my eyes, too, and we'll
see Ii we cannot go straight out the
gate without running into a prickly
tree or something"
Suzanne" said / to myself, had
better get hard on the job-and
quick"
| A FTER a few days in which to get
wonted, F'iske started in painting
with the high-powered energy which
appeared to characterize all of his
efforts.
Besides being powerful colorist,
Fiskes forte was figure and portrait
work, and his first requirement, there
fore, suitable subject. I had been
| able to secure such models as / need.
ed for mermaids and water nymphs
and Nereids and Tritons and things
from the waiting benches Of the NOV
Ing picture colony, but none Of these
candidates pleased Fiske.
Mrs. Smith was intensely interested
in what I told her about my guests,
and plainly desired to promote them
II. on inspection. they appeared to
merit such attention. 1 took him and
Lucia there for tea. Wade may have
made some mention of Lucia, but not
much, having no desire to share his
find.
| Fiske and Lucia became immediate
| ly the center Of interest, which did
| not embarrass either Of them in the
slightest.
Then Suzanne Talbot came in and
we were presented, and presently I
noticed Eliot watching her with a sort
of eager intensity. She was really a
very beautiful woman, and did not
seem at all the siren / had expected
| to find her. She was dark and will
lowy, with soft Eurasian features,
dreamy eyes, and such a form as
dressmakers love to clothe. Her
| IT ~ yyyoS sal, ~
voice delicious in its soft cadences
There was, in fact, an almost tropical
langour about her speech and motions,
but she impressed me as a highly tenn
peramental creature underneath her
smooth exterior.
Fiske presently attached himself to
| her and appeared to be getting on
rapidly when the time came for us to
leave. We had hardly got started for
\ home before he began to chant her
glories.
There's a woman I could paint. Ar
thur" said he, enthusiastically "Such
Did you notice her eyes? There's a
suggestion Of subtle, feral force about
her. Did you get it?''
| Il asked her to sit for me, and she
said she would. AS you don't use the
studio In the afternoon. old chap. /
thought might as we'll start right in.
She's coming tomorrow
You didn't lose any time about it, .
| said, wondering how much OF Su-
Eliiot's power OF persuasion and how
much to discover the source of the
| studios attraction for Wade.
why should I? Might as well make
start since she's willing to pose"
Il suppose you know that she's en-.
gagged to Wade Smith," 1 said. and
| felt Lucia stir at my side. Elliot
| looked decidedly startled.
| What he cried. THAT lovely
creature marry blind man! Impos-
sibie! Besides. he's too young for her.
He's a fine chap and all that, but he
/ just a boy, and she's a splendid, full
| blown woman. e&
Elliot looked very much upset, and
so did Lucia. Later, as 1 was sitting
| alone on the yeranda, she came out
| and seated herself beside me. Elliot
was In the studio.
'Mr. Brown" said Lucia. II don't
want Wade to marry Miss Talbot"
why not?" 1 asked.
Because I have decided to marry
him myself. Ithink that he Is just
the sort OF husband that I want He
will have plenty Of money and Is very
good looking, and as. he cannot see
other women, there Is no reason why
he should not always Hike me best
Those are excellent reasons"
agreed, but you see he has already
| she may feel the same way about it
| that you do"
THE first doesn't make any differ.
| ence," said Lucia. because he has
! told me that he Is not the same man
! he was before being blinded. Well
| you can't expect one man to keep a
, promise made by some other man, can
! you? And so far as Suzanne Is con.
cerned. she is perfectly free to try to
try and see which one succeeds.
! am going to begin tomorrow"
! IT should say that you had already
got flying start" answered. How
do you purpose going about it-if
may ask?"
"You had better. wait and see," said
| Lucia. Nov I am going to ask father
to help" And a few moments later
heard growls from the studio which
did not sound helpful.
60 waited and saw, and must say
~ that Lucia's candid procedure had
its points. Wade had formed the
habit OF coming to the studio every
morning now.
When Lucia Joined US the following
day, she started her Offensive
Wade" said she, "do you want tc
marry Suzanne Talbot?'
Wade turned his sightless eyes to
| ward her with an expression Of as
| tonishment such as one seldom seea
! in those of the blind
WHAT" he demanded
| Lucia repeated her question, and
/; the color surged up into the boys
face.
why do you ask that?" he growled