| Show WANTED A MODEL by anna Shell sheilds ds T seeing 1 41 10 s so very lo stra strange 1 K dear not 1 exactly proper miss seymour expected to see precisely the expression it upon the face ace of her niece as did follow this opinion lena seymours great brown eyes flashed her pretty lips curled with scorn and a rich color mantled in her cheeks proper society does not rule down here aunt margaret besides it Is a mere matter of business A twinkle danced in miss bliss margarets eyes but vanished presently oh she said you mean to make a profession F slon of your art p oh dear sighed lena iana how many times I 1 have told you aunt margaret that art will not accept divided homage I 1 hope some day to call myself an artist now and the large brown eyes grew luminous the lips smiled as it if some vision of beauty woke a glad response in lenas heart and her little white hands moved unconsciously to clasp each other now I 1 can only hope and dream work and pray then sho she came suddenly out of this little ecstasy and said 1 I sent an advertisement to the grantville gazette yesterday and it Is P published today to day she took a folded newspaper from her pocket opened it and read WANTED A fisherman to stand as model tor for an artist terms liberal apply at no 3 terrace ocean place wilton dy by the way aunt margaret the utter absurdity of that address never struck me so forcibly as it does docs at this moment ocean place a strip of sea beach halt half a mile in extent Se seaview aview lew terrace tour four empty and one occupied cottage I 1 suppose all the population of wilton will apply tor for the position but nearly a week passed every day bringing a repetition of the advertisement slid and not an answer reached sea view terrace lena worked busily at her picture a seascape sea with a group of children in the foreground a woman watching the baies upon a rock to the right and a great blank space for the fisherman who was waa to come to greet her the subject was not very new or very original but lena was waa treating it with wonderful power for a young artist ahll had worked faithfully under good masters in london parts paris and rome tor for six years and was an artist born her father had been proud of other her genius giving it full scope while she was yet a mere child and when he died he charged his sister to let lena have her will it if she wished to continue her studies so the girl then only seventeen when her routine of studies with her masters was over took her easel earel and brushes for rest for salve to the bitter heart pain her fathers absence caused and with her aunt for a companion went abroad to study she had been at home only two months when she took board at seaview terrace and began her sea picture her first large one on canvas it was too W t WORKING WITH RAPID FINGERS early in the season for seaside visitors still april weather and wilton was but a small place so she worked outdoors her easel facing the wide blue sea the she copied with sometimes fainting inting ta often exultant heart 0 s mortimer gilroy called himself weary of the world at thirty two he had exhausted all the pleasures a liberal fortune strong health a cultivated mind and plentiful leisure afforded when I 1 say eay exhausted I 1 merely quote mortimer gilroy ellroy he had done europe egypt and his native country had been petted by society escaped numerous cunningly spread matrimonial webs and while he counted his flirtations by dozens he was heart whole as he lay upon the deck of the firefly his own yacht reading the grantville gazette lie he had come from a winter cruise on the tha coast of florida through the gulf of mexico winding about the west indies till weary of sea as well as land he was sailing for new york when he put in at wilton for a supply of fresh provisions he muttered 1 I do believe this is the beautiful artist I 1 saw through my glass this morning painting on the beach wanted A fisherman to stand as model tor for an artist terms liberal apply at no 3 sea view terrace ocean place wilton she was very beautiful I 1 was sorry when the sun became too glaring on the water and drove her indoors A fisherman lie he mused a moment then called bob drugged aa rugged sailor answered at once bob I 1 am going to stay at grantville tor for a few weeks you will take the yacht home bob was too much accustomed to his masters sudden freaks to make any comment and mr gilroy hastily selected a few articles in his cabin packed a valise and went ashore june had como come lena had spent the tha merry marry month ot of may tn in a dream ot of perfect happiness she meant no deception when sho she told her aunt margaret it was waa the rapture ot of artistic success that painted her cheeks and made her eyes brilliant her voice thrill with musical cadences every lay clay when the weather permitted she was upon the beach borki working ng with rapid fingers and swelling he heart art over her canvas every day at the hour agreed upon james smith fisherman presented himself as her model upon the liberal terms offered in the grantville gazette had lena bee been brought up in society I 1 know it would have been impossible for her to accept james smith at his own word as a wilton fi but the young artist r was a child yet in many ways she had been educated with the seclusion of a nun in spite of her foreign experience peri ence and her devotion to her art had kept her still secluded from choice after she returned to her home it was therefore no amazement but simply a delight to her when the hand band some fisherman who looked one of natures noblemen in his rough picturesque dress conversed with her intelligently and paid her the courteous respect of a gentleman little by little as they drew more closely together in their dally daily intercourse james smith let the brilliant intellect the traveled knowledge he possessed creep out into sight he gave her to understand without actually lying that he had been a sailor and so accounted tor for his bis familiarity mili arity with the scenes she had bad visited and carried graven on her heart and brain he looked over many of her sketch books wondering at the tha power in the slender hands the genius of 0 the youthful brain the fidelity of touch and eye and as the restraint of strangeness wore away his true manhood asserted itself and his heart rose bis master how could he but love her with all her wondrous gift she was the purest simplest maiden he had ever met ladles ladies he had known by scores finished in every graceful accomplishment but never one more exquisite in in refinement than lena peasant girls he had seen with beauty unadorned yet not one more unaffected than this artist mald maid in her dress of cheap print her hair simply bound in heavy braids ot of golden lustre there was the unaffected grace of girlhood with the well stored mind of one who made books music and art dally daily companions his conscience cone clence rebelled often at the deceit he be was practicing but be hugged the thought of the luxury lie he could otter offer his love the toll he be could spare her june was yet young when the picture was wag completed and in the early morning james smith aunt margaret and lena tood stood upon the beach looking upon its beauty it was to be packed and sent to new york in the afternoon and lena her heart full said softly how can I 1 live it if it Is a failure believing she spoke of actual poverty should her art tall fall to win will money james smith with a sudden overwhelming wh elming love controlling him spoke out it would make my story too long to tell the words that made lenas heart tremble and her eyes grow misty while aunt margarets wrath w was as ki kindling at the fis hermans presumption but when lenas hand was fast pris boned in his own when her eyes love lighted were drooping and her cheeks blushing under his gaze james smith said eald but though I 1 have once deceived you lena you may trust me now for all time deceived me she cried I 1 shrinking a little 1 I am not james smith but mortimer gilroy not an honest hardworking hard working fisherman only an idle useless gentleman you will not need to work when you are my wife lena but can paint for or pleasure only then lenas leilas eyes flashed merrily and she would have spoken even if aunt margaret had not said dryly perhaps it would be a good time to tell sir mr mortimer gilroy who you are do not look so bewildered lena said 1 I am not masquerading I 1 am simply what you know me Al madeleine adeleine seymour artist but aunt margaret wishes me to tell you that I 1 paint now have painted for or years solely tor for pleasure I 1 love my art I 1 have loved it better than any earthly pleasure since first my hand could grasp a pencil but I 1 am not working tor for money because I 1 have more than enough I 1 am rich too though I 1 do not paint in satin dresses or wear jewels at the seaside still I 1 did not mean any deception and you would have bestowed your wealth upon a poor fisherman asked mortimer gilroy with glad heart and loving eyes she smiled answering 1 I think I 1 found the pearl in its rough case I 1 did not know your social position but I 1 did know you were a gentleman in heart and education I 1 could not have loved you had your speech or manner been as rough as your dress so aunt Al margaret argaret was satisfied and society welcomed mortimer gilroy artist wife guessing nothing of the little romance that wits was founded upon advertising for a model new york ledger |
