Show l ir- ir legram's legram s Daily Short Story I o CT ORPE'S S 'S Sv 5 Iv v i MASTERPIECE HOPE HOPE AINSLEE f l 6 B. B h by the McClure j h P r Syndicate f feeling toward the th perle per- per f rj le 11 treading lightly about worn orn a above Libor e e him wa was waR tin that of ot off otI I t. t f- f The former o occupant of or ore e sent Rt had Jn been 4 heavy of or step and r ready uly to drag furniture the no floor r or nr to dr drop P endless such th ls as s trunks trunk and piano pianos L thud just jUI over his hb n head l Poor been driven en I to 0 distracted cInd c- c ted Ind big bl painting had suffered tho hie hi ceiling Ue had J iC Calthorpe's nerves th the racket t above t I him hen bin tenant n a a. week Week had passed since nce nant took possession and nol noll noise had crashed down 1 ly Into hale hl hIli vary Vry brain hr ha Clr an wept Pt his relief rH f on the he shoulder Keen Even now n n s 8 hla hJ painting al nt hl hIel hie nerves Were l I Iely a en n Jolt which lIed to come COIne hopes f fame riot not mc as a landscape such t that his s can can- n- n Pt rw In e wery ery hitch avenue titer even In n em ery e shop fair every but heat he Income at lily Hilt longing was I II a lands land cape 0 realistic as one min It i Lit the d of peoPle Jt lie Ht oven td flowers sniffing country o does Core his bill is w while bile mer merely l Bt canvas can th tbt l he there was U no 17 possessed a certain of color of tbd M also aleo the handling f of of r technical aut were there knowlt knowl knowl- jt b sting wua sus A dOUbt as a to hiat his hia f t I pc ht bete t the the I 1 tit confinement y e ork t of det determInation he had retorted with nt hen hen to follow his hia 0 Air d en the his hi friend Evert Everta J a tats current ot of his hi tal- tal laces fac s are 1 I ao 0 4 h lS shallow lIow evi ms evi ft dently E Everly said laId lrI dryly and dropped the subject So Calthorpe pursued his hili landscape career while hll ever er and anon nn SUI imp nf or genius whispered to him that there were weft heights to which he must mUll some someday day a ascend If he were were to be con con- tented Landscape was not I loading leading him there and had abut his stubborn eyes eNI to the blaut beauty of the human face It H was wall while he h. was pondering disconsolately dis dia- over O the failure of or his lils great Path lath Through the Wood nods canvas that Calthorpe paused to listen for or the foott footsteps above p him It Jt seemed to hH sensitive Mt ears ar that the tho steps drained dragged m and anti were wert wear wears t He started suddenly The dull thud that broke brok the rhythmic tread e above sent Rent a u chIli chilly fear over O Calthorpe He listened with bat bated d brt breath uth for the continuation of the tread but hut a ghastly silence followed He lie waited seemingly hours hour's for tor a Ii sound from rom above when In reality a n scant three or four foul minutes held him In a a. cold p perspiration Instinctively eI he knew that all was not well in the room above lIbo and he hp could neither work nor think until he hart had Investigated d Ills His nerve ner returned to him the moment mo mo- ment he went into the hall and up the flight of or stairs that took him to the landing and end to the door of the th room above e his own He Hc knocked softly Thero Thera was no answer T. Cont Continued Continued Con Con- t knocking brought no response and arld fears were It was wan not nol until he lie had rushed down for a huge accumulation of ot k keys H in his possession and had tried each Cach one ont quickly that he lie succeeded In tn gaining access to the room He Be glanced in III caught a n swift breath brath and closed the tho door gently It was wa RH as h he had t feared The thud had been the falling of or a a. human bod body and Ii Calthorpe Caltharp k knelt down to toral ral raise e the thc girls girl's figure Into a sitting posture Her head hend fell inertly 3 against his hili shoulder Poor desperately weary ear little bod body he said softly and smoothed a mass man of auburn hair from the white brow The Tho veins were too blue and the l shadows circling the eyes too deep Th There re w were rc lines JInes of suffering about the lips lip that had gone cone white when they should be crimson Calthorpe Calthorpe Calthorpe Cal Cal- thorpe added e mentally He look looked d quickly about for means of or recalling her to life Tho rhe room was as pitifully lacking in nourishment either for the body or the soul He lifted her gently and bore her down downto to his studio Having put her into the sr great at arm armchair armchair armchair chair In which he dr dreamed amed his most improbable dreams beside the open fire tire Calthorpe went to his for tor wine an and to his cupboard for biscuits It was not many man more seconds be before before he- he fore ore he felt an emotional stab that l left him trembling It was when the theIrl's girls girl's Irl's eyes ees opened an and looked d af- af into his own There was aR revealed such a depth of or suffering of I miser misery nn and of or pathos in tho those e eyes that Calthorpe came n near ir losing the I rt remnant vf of strength th and reason he still possessed He lie was wa dominated I b by an nn Impulse either to w weep ep beside J sl e her or to press her hea face against his breast that he ml might ht hl hide e from her herthe herthe the till world worM that she had found so BO bit bitter ter I 1 think 1 must hn have fainted These Thene f were the first words she spoke Theres not much doubt about it It said gently gentl You did I taint faint That was wa very ery foolish of ot me the girl sighed wearily Then she straightened herself and looked about her wonderingly wondering Almost Almot unconsciously she accepted 11 the dainty bits hits bitsI of I nourishment that Calthorpe put into her fingers Her lIer hands were slim an and white Calthorpe landscape painter felt leU a a. hunger steal o over him a hunger to paint those lo el lovely lonely ex expressive ex- ex e hands hand It He lie drew l-ew l a sharp breath and found himself gazing in fascinated d wonder at nt the pitiful beauty of tho girls girl's face If IC only ho could ho-could could put on canvas can those lines of suffering those d deep pathetic pa pathetic pa- pa thelle c e eyes e es an and tho the drooping tired shoulders Yes I am frightfully tired of or life she Rhe said as If It divining his mental attitude toward her I am unutterably weary weary She spoke not bitterly or cynically but calmly hopelessly Calthorpe closed hIM hia eyes ees for tor a moment ills His blood was pounding through h his eln veins Never before had he been heen the victim of or a rampant emotion emo emotion emo emo- tion Uon such as now gripped him You see the tho girl continued d. d I 1 have havo lo lost t everyone who was dear to tome me I saw them all snatched fromme from fromme me In ono one ghastly moment I have hl been trying to work but I seem unable un unable un- un able to stand the strain You dont don't blame me fo for not wanting to live do o you you OU She had turned wistful tragic eyes C full tull upon while a tl shadow hadow of nf a a. smile senile struggled Into the th pallor of ot her face face- Xo Xu Calthorpe fi said and rose rosc quickly to tn bin hla teAt feet I dont don't LlamA blame you OU at nt all nil m my child She seemed d little more than a child a nH as she sat at gazing wonderingly upon tho the comfort comfort com omM fort of ot his hiI studio He turned suddenly nud- nud denly toward her I want to tn paint portrait If you oU will just alt aft I as nR you are for me I will do everything everything every every- I thing In my mr power to make the tite world a happier place for you Oll Also Aba 1 I will get et sittings for tor you ou from many famous artists and you will b he thrown thrown- into a a. world of or beauty at nt least exterior beauty that will lure lure I your thoughts temporarily from your our suffering We are a n. che cheerful lot we wI Bohemians Calthorpe was b becoming so excited excited ex ex- cited over tr the tho prospect of ot putting the exquisite lle face race on can canvas 1 that he moved nw toward his hia paints At this the girl with her painfully bought understanding and antI sympathy laughed softly You may begin to paint me now if IC you yon wish she said Maid Her IIer tone was that of or one to whom It mattered little what she did Calthorpe called his canvas A Study When hen it was hung hunK and the world of art had cast appreciative e eyes S upon it It Calthorpe was no o longer longera IL a struggling landscape painter He lie was wa a portrait painter of or rare genius one one who could by masterly strokes stroke of ot the brush bring forth forth the soul of or his subject His Study Study Stud could have havo been sold ten times over o and the 1 price it brought finally was a a. tri triumph triumph tri tri- for Calthorpe trl A slender woman In soft oft mouse I velvet et with wonderful auburn hair and glorious deep eyes stood beside beside him when hen tho the picture was wan hung I Everly who had advised ad Calthorpe to forswear landscapes was also aleo present Mrs Calthorpe he said with a agrim agrim grim smile your husband once told me there ther was no depth in the human countenance I 1 wonder If Ir he still holds to that opinion 1 Mrs Calthorpe glanced shyly up upward upward upward up- up ward at her husband lau laughed hetI rather shamefacedly I We are all creatures of ot circumstance circum circum- i i stance and subject to radical chania chango of or opinion he said Hald I I I dont don't pro pro 1 I tend to bu a a. whit less lens so BO than my fellows ellos ello s I |