Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-12

work, and just stared at her. The
light was dying outside, and the
twilight made her small face look
luminous. He had noticed particu-
larly the exquisite line of her throat.
His long fingers itched to mix paint
and transform her to canvas.
"Mr. Benton sent me-" she began.
"He thought you might be able to
use me-
use your Tom had said, huskily.
How about tomorrow morning."
He was subconsciously aware of
the fact that he had to finish the
black-and-white sketches Immediately.
But the joy Of painting this girl.
Well, he could sit up all night and
work, and then start a portrait ~Of
her in the morning.
And SO Nan had posed for him.
and they had become friends. He
was doing an impressionistic picture
of her that might never sell, but he
didn't care whether it sold or not.
The joy Of having her sit for him,
and after several sittings the progress
sion of their friendship, was enough
for Tom; who was terribly imprac-
teal.
They talked about everything in
could spare the time she arrived early
and cleaned up the place for him.
She had no idea why she did such
things, because certainly she did
them for no one else.
But Tom was such baby. People
always got the best of him in every
deal. And he had talent. Nan knew
that, just from what she had learned
around the studios. He could paint
if he had the time, but he had to
take whatever job came his way to
keep life going.
And now as she sat in her dingy
little apartment, her empty coffee cup
before her, and her tea roses filling
the small place with fragrance, she
realized that she was going to pose
! for Tom that afternoon. He would
work frantically, mixing colors, ap.
plying them to his canvas, and then
when the light faded and it was time
for her to go, he would tumble in
his pocket, flush a dark red, and ask
her anxiously if she minded waiting
until next time.
| She knew he didn't have it, but
what did she care? Tomorrow she
would pose for Duncan Malcolm or
John st. Clair, or Willis Dean, and
they always wrote her check imme
diately. She had to think of such
things because her rent had to be
paid and she had to eat.
Tom Elliott's dingy studio was on
East Fourteenth street.
As Nan took bus up the avenue
she felt singularly happy. She wore
a yellow tea rose pinned to the collar
! Of her coat. It's faint fragrance lin
gered in her nostrils. She walked
| through the crowds of pushing shop
pers, one block, two blocks, three
| and then turned in at a dingy door
| way. A cold metallic smell drifted
out to greet her. Then she began
to climb. At the top of the last flight
of stairs Tom Elliott stood on the
landing.
Hello" he called the word down
to her. '"Courage-don't despair"
Breathless, she laughed at him.
Don't be silly. ! still have my
youthful vigor."
Then she was in the big bare room
with its hard north light. 1t was
cold, too. Tom never seemed to have
enough heat. But for some reason
she had never minded posing for him
! even when her teeth chartered. Once
he had had to wrap a rug around
| her, but they had only laughed.
f, He grew absorbed almost immedi
; ately and forgot all about her. He
| always did. So that she was left tc
her thoughts.
| She thought of Martin Lee and the
! yellow tea roses now clarifying hei
apartment, and she looked at the way
| Toms dark hair was brushes off hi.
forehead, and the darling funny way
he had of sticking out his tongue
when he worked.
He would put some color on the
canvas. then he would step back an(
squirt his eyes to get the effect. How
he loved to paint
Once he looked up and their eye!
met.
do you lSnow something"
She shook her head.
You're so beautiful I sometime!
despair of ever getting you on canvas
That's the truth"
Nonsense"
There's a spiritual quality abou
you that's hard to capture. But In
resolved to do it. That is, If you cal
be patient with me-"
Patient with him, patient with hin
I-her heart suddenly swelled. Sh'
loved him. She loved the boyishnes
of him, she yearned over his imprac
lticality. She wanted to be with hin
TO- bring order out Of the chaos Of hil