The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-11-13

booked up with commissions for months to come through the rich mans influence. . .s
 ''He is coming in for a cup of tea, and hope you'll stay and meet him. We'll have tea in here, shall we? Do sit down over on this couch by the fire. Gideon will be here directly"
 The girl hesitated. As she did so, the door opened, and Gideon was announced.
 Judy could not help being flat tered by Gideon's admiration. No girl could. Bruce Gideon was a personality, quite apart from his money. With women in general he was very popular-perhaps for the hackneyed but still cogent req son that he was supposed to dis like them.
 At this time he must have been about 40 years old, but his name had never been coupled with that of any woman of his own class. There were various stories about him, over which even very nice people shrugged their shoulders, because he was rich. He lived Tn a bachelor apartment on Park ANGHuGs hlu Alhu AlV ObhOA AOoe0NASO in America, though several abroad. Sometimes he gave 8 really big entertainment, when his sister, Madame de Toros, acted as hos tess for him. she was the wife or a South American banker who had been largely responsible for financing the Transandine Rail- way.
 This arresting looking, soft voiced, immensely powerful indi- vidual had set himself out to woo little Judith Grant.
 They had tea, which she poured. The atmosphere of the place could not fail to influence her-the rich colors, the space, the scents, the blending of the forms of antiquity, with their perfect economy of line, and the most daring experi- ments of modern art in the shape of landscapes and figure pieces given eo Stornaway by colleagues of his struggling days.
 Max Dickbread's studio was a barn by comparison; but then Dickbread was a genius, and would have burned every stick of furni- ture he possessed to make fire to warm his hands by, if they were too cold 'to paint
 Miss Judy must see my sisters portrait" Gideon said to storm away, when they had finished tea. and his subtle flatteries had made the girl sheath her prickles to an all but imperceptible extent. ."l should like he ropinion of it"
 The artist smiled, though he might not have been pleased to have an uneducated model, whom he had called only Common lit- tie cat," asked to pass judgment on his work. However, with perfect good grace, he led the way to the other end of the studio, and wheel ing out an easel, disclosed an un- finished canvas.
 Judy saw q foreign looking wo- man who bore certain resem- blance to Bruce Gideon. She wore a low cut black gown, and huge, pear-shaped diamonds dropped from her ears. Her skin was yell low, her eyes startlingly black. It was a very fine piece of work. Stornaway had let himself go. The subject was a great relief from chairmen of companies and alder mems wives.
 Judy admired it immensely, partly out of gratitude to the arr list and partly because the bold, half humorous stare and the finished assurance of the woman of the world appealed to her.
 So it was with everything dur ing their stay at the studio. Gi- deon deferred to her opinions as If she were a connoisseur in art mat ters. When she left, he insisted on accompanying her.
 "Where can I drive you to-" he asked, as they came out by the garden gate, where his big car was waiting.
 You can't drive me anywhere, the girl answered. Pm going in a bus" ..
 But surely you will allow me?"
 'T will not"
 "Then I'll walk to the bus with you"
 He made a sign to his chauffeur to stay where he was, and set off beside her. Judy looked mp at his great hooked nose and fleshy, pal lid face with kind of dislike that was half timidity--an emotion that she had never experienced before. His sheer bulk affected her: and the light in his pale eyes. once they were alone. made her put all her prickles out again.
 You were very cruel to me the other day. Miss Judy" he said.
 q don't know what you mean," she answered coldiy.
 "Why, you said goodbye to mo In such . final tone. I thought was never going to see you again." He smiled down at her, and she ahrank again from that big. graepihg personality. As she would have put it. lt seemed as if | no had only to stretch out his hand | n n6 ,sltt har i'm hia nookot HNn