The Richmond Virginian., March 12, 1910, LAST EDITION, THE PROGRESS SECTION, Image 17

About The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
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to witness s storm. I disc or and II
soon alter I earns here. Thai* Is a
narrow opening in the rocks thorn and
the water as it comes up”—
“la an mss and Tiolent taxf" hs
quoted, laughing.
She laughed too. “Something of the
kind. But iron must look where 70a
set pour feet, for there are dangerous
places.”
“Ton hare been here some tinsel”
be questioned carelessly.
“Poe some months, and I hare been
before.” She caught her skirts deftly
together and turned. Ho made no
movement to accompany her. ”1 must
go. TUI tomorrow, good by,” she said.
“Goodby," said the artist.
Idly be watched her descend the
rocks, wondering that she made her
7. It V*'
"How ilk* a woman r h» thought.
He stood oo tbs old spot, fuming. Pot
be bad not been standing than long
when ho perceived her coning round
the torn of the rocks. With a sigh of
relief he sat down and began to un
pack.
Bbe was out of breath and eonghing
when she reached him, and upon her
face was a hot. hectic flash.
“Ton are late," ho greeted her. "I
thought you were not coming, as I had
forgotten to ask you to come.’*
She strove to control her breath,
and her gray eyes, dark and shining
with the air and bodily weakness,
looked down at bln.
“I knew you had taken It for grant
ed I would come, ao I came."
"Yes; X still need you,” said he. His *
H
B WM sitting agon the rocks, tbs great painter,
watching with a cynical amnaement the little strip of
sand beneath, which was covered with strolling ladles
and dotted here and there by camp stools and Invalid
flairs.
Perhaps It gave the touch of cynicism to bis Ups as he leaned
forward, hie idle brushes lying et his side. Then bis eyes clouded
harshly, for upon the racks near he heard a light, firm tread. A
•light, gray Ague crept Into hie solitude Upon a rock but a
stone's throw from him e girl set down.
Her perch wae nearer the tea and on a level with the man's,
bud a Jawed rock stood between them. Through one ef the gepe
hi It be could eee her profile, could eee a pale, cool face with pas
sBmate eyes turned toward the sea.
The fltgt glimpse of the craving hunger of that gase startled
him; then the Intensity of bar stillness held hie glance. Nut a
touched her; la her still attitude wee no suggestion ef
She teemed absorbed, locked, centered In one sweeping
thst esprened toy the searching glance toward the see
and tbs tittle shore and unconscious of all etas.
“She might be trying to etch It all upon bar heart and as carry
ft •way,” thought the painter. Even that Idea seemed week,
tfigdaonata. Ha thought of a drowning maa turning bis gets
toward haavon ere be sank; be thought of a soother looking her
lent upon a dead child. Then his though bp merged Into a concep
whieh took In the tragedy of the girl's face, the frivolous
the strip of plneM see with its violet bine. That had net
1 him baton, but the asaseesiy note was now added. His
! faor setdag, he got silently to wuefc.
The girl wae all nnconsdona of the foot that she was being
wed ae a model and of the other's presence. Had she been posing
for him she could not have kept a otlllsr quietude. Her gray
gown, simply made, fell In soft folds about her. A little frill
hpng round her nock; a wide hat shadowed her face; the hands
locked In front of her were ben.
The painter worked on, forgetting the womsn—If he bed ever
sp«Migfc« of her aa a woman—la the womsn’* face, forgetting the
raalitrof the scene la the keener reality—to him—of that growing
beneath bis hand.
Then quite suddenly a he stirred, end two Uses appeared
between his eyes.
"Please sit still, if only for e moment longer,” be said.
His eyas went beck to hie work, and he did not aee the start
of painful surprise, the outraged feeling of her fee* But the
anger slowly died, sod when his eyes again sought her face It
was merely quiescent
Many minutes bad passed when et last be throw down his
brush. “That is all 1 can do today.” he said.
The girl turned. He sew a smell, pale face In which wens set
gray eyes wide apart, very calm now and holding almost e mock
fog light
fihq crossed the rocks and looked ever his shoulder. Then he
heard bar draw her breath sharply.
"Well, doesn't It please yon I” be naked lightly, as one might
Mb • child.
eBfoaft met Why, nor she said. Her tone was so unchiidtsh
that his attitude toward her suddenly turned. But he did not
recognise the startled pain in her voice.
“What la tbs matter with }tr
"Nothing.” fibs moved a little away from him and began to
laugh softly. "Too need not mind toe. | am only laughing at
myaelf.”
Ha did not reply end began to gather up his materials.
“Toq Sfo going nowl" be qsked.
She sodded tom heed, “fee, 1 am gtong, \ tft mi «f gtotew
i find E H IZBTlfiC ASM:* gj» ifcflfiWtf
-■eios |n TLi baHm} thf gnAdtO told fllMl fkat
i3f 1 -'w ww
m •» tw*." te wid
rudwstirety "tom, l thought whoa I saw yon hero you were
minded to stay longer; 1 don't know Why.* Ho swung a UUle
package la 4ta hand- “1 *foh If yw cpuld find your way to the
Same'spot you would sit for me again—another day.”
"It would be bettsr-for the picture,” she sold.
will eapel” he said. —
yea, 1 will.*
yon?”
*1 1 can safely promise for tomorrow.* She smiled
•nth. • sad Ufofo wwk ted h« bft <
"ftoout the same timsl*
He edll lingered- They stood together, watching to a desultory
J the gay figures passing to and fro beneath,
ft M iw h»w I
n
teach of
beneath,
r she ached him suddenly,
and aha kaqw '
thlnWngof his arttot'a perception, the keeness of which she
will
could hardly gangs. “Ton were too simply dressed and moved too
ItoWly M hi *oytbln» ffoe.”
torn seemed eatlefied—indeed, pleased. "Of course 1 knew yon
by your perfect Bngllah,” she agjd, “and your tenet No, 1
be trank. I guessed at once wh» you wets. 1 aew to the
r—have you seen the local papert It v
| think It would-that you wore bee#.”
I know my name, tteql* hq 0**4 Wiy.
ffgn,"
U 314 net occur to him to ask bora, and she smiled again.
tKto tea hot boon a
would amuse you; *t
was one shortly
Mot They pro
2LX.,
vtofont tury for a short time
ou came,” ate ss|d lightly,
wonder If yon know the
and
dm* mtle thlnga-au fust
snfi the world coming to
•*1 suppofs hfig must aspect that at a Eranck
Hljfttftte tote* stop yon wfH find *a Uaai ptaoe Wow wt
way so (Jowly. From her figure ebe should have been lighter, bo
thought. Whoa she had finally disappeared he turned abruptly
and vent away.
Oa the following day aha was there before him. He could flee
the gray blur ma4e fay her figure aa ha otamfeared ewer the rocks.
She was lost is bar thoughts gad did not oottoo hte approach.
**Tou are bora before me,* he acid. "I believe 1 am a Uttte
lata”
She toned than. *1 have been here all day—so ter,” ahe said
quietly. He noticed a little basket at her side and soma papers
which looked as If they were In their first folds stllL
"You are very fond of the sea,” he remarked, with his first
touch of sympathy. He eat down la his old place.
“I tore it,” said the girl Her breath caught, and he noticed In
her eyee the first tragic expression which had arrested him. He
was glad that It remained there until he was at work.
The man worked In alienee for some time, then he glanced up.
“You may talk now If yon like.”
8be started. “Talk! Oh, I suppose you think It would be a
relief to me to speak. As It happened. I was not using any effort
to remain silent.”
“I am a silent person.” said the artist, "so I am continually
told, hat I believe women like to wag their tongues, although you
seem to be an exception to tha rale.”
*T have lived very much alone,” ahe said. “It makes a dif
ference.”
“In an ordinary way 1 should feel grateful, bat I can bear
with your talk eery well You are not es foolish aa the majority
of girls."
"Thanh you,” said she, with twitching Ups.
By chance, glancing at her face, he waa struck by tha gleam
of fan which flashed serosa it It waa speedily gone, and be
reflected upon tha wistful took eyee so wide apart gave to a face.
“This picture will be unlike your other paintings.” aha said
musingly after a pause. ”1 don’t think 1 have seen a quiet aaa of
yours.”
“I may have painted one. I don’t remember," be said indif
ferently. “The storm Imre la not la the sea.”
“Yon mean my face supplies the stormy element," aha said.
She laughed under bar breath. "Well, you must make baste and
take what you want from It, for the etoym ts nearly over."
The remark struck him. Looking at the pictured face, the
sensitive lines, the pawtenstd ayes, he could no* believe 4 to pe
”lsttrh»MM4.
"fSS- I am growing philosophical"
•fan will asm ho that,” ha said decidedly.
8ht laughed, with a pother fleet change to gayety. "Then 1
shall be nsmethlag else," atm said, with inconsequence. "There la
a calm even greater than that of philosophy, 1 suppose.”
"There is no calm In philosophy.” said the man, "except that
of dead ashes. And any wind can blow that away.”
She was silent When aba spsks again her thoughts had
reverted to his picture.
"This painting will be unique to me ta another way," sba said.
"It Is tbs fisst of yens* I bars seen in which the central interest
If a human ana.” 1
Bor s moment be paused in his painting to realise bow true
her words were. The little strip of sea, the sands, the sky-all
had becosm subordinate to that central still figure, to the pas
sionate hunger of the unconscious face. They existed merely aa a
background to tbs girl’s gsse.
“Yon are a witch!” he exclaimed.
The remark was 0m most personal, tha most human, he had
made to par. 8b* Aid not reply.
When seme considerable time afterward he set down bis
brushes, saying he bad dons aU be could do ter the present she
was still iflv end silent Tbs gray «yts watched Mm with a tired
expression as bp forsook M* porch and came to alt at the foot of
They stayed them a long time after that The man was sur
prised to nodes the boor when obe lifted her Impedimenta at
length as* sate she must go. Wot all tha dm# had bees spept to
talking. Them bad boss times efaUeace. unnoticed hr either.
The painter wondsmd vaguely why she had not tired or vexed
him aa other women did. fibs waa an Ideal companion, with the
gifts of silence and of speech. He did not arrive at that con
clusion. but be felt tha influence of the fact
Sbs vast so suddenly and with such an svsryday air of com
radsship that ho forgot to ask bar to sotat again.
It wan only whan bs was on bla woy to the cliffs on tho next
te**tobsrsd big omission, and misgivings aalsad
Wat. A tew steps farther told him she was not there.
face, strong and eager, was full of the ardor of wort. She wen*
silently to her old seat and sat down.
Both bar quiet and her gay wit seemed to have left her that
morning. She seemed disinclined to talk. The painter fidgeted a
little, wondering why the sOenoe oppressed him, and hie hand’s
„ conning seamed to bsvwgono.
"I wish yon would talk 1 bettors I could work better," he
murmured at length.
She roused herself then and began to give him the news of the
place. She seemed to know It very well, although she declared
that the people no longer Interested her.
“That to an affectation of yours—that people do not Interest
you.” he said brusquely. _ _,
She toughed lightly at his tone end accusation, bat afterward
grew very pale. She did not defend hereelf at all. Other thlnga
came to her tongue, and she made him tough more than once.
Bat altlmately she lapsed Into silence, and he sulkily reflected
that It eras as life went that she should hare a silent fit just
when he felt an Inclination to hear her talk.
He worked for a longer time then he knew, end when at tost
be said he was finished with her she did not speak or turn her
bead. She slid dowp gently from her perch and sat at the foot of
It, her head leaning back, every muscle relaxed, her face wsn and
pale, like e flower But when at last be came to look for her she
had recovered, end he came to the conclusion she had moved to
get a new view of the see.
“I can really do without yon now," bs said. "Ton need not
make a prisoner of yourself any more.”
“1 should like to see whet yon have done. If I may," she said.
She rose. She bed taken off her hat; tt bung In her hand. He
sew her hair, dressed simply end wavy end beautiful like a
child's. For the first time he noticed great shadows under the
gray eyes.
She looked at him, smiling, as If at the artist’s blindness.
Then she pointed to the picture with a slender forefinger. -My
chin to not quite like that.” she said.
“No; It to thinner la reality,” said he readily. He looked at tt
and laughed at her keenness, but he sew no further than ahe bed
pointed, end she set the painting down, with a whimsical sigh.
"It to going to rain, and I most be moving home,” she said.
He toughed again.
“Ton need not tell me yon are afraid of a little ram."
-I did not sty I wee afraid.” said she. “I am only afraid of
WPP thing.”
-And what to Ibatr asked the man.
She looked at him aad shrugged her should era. "Why, death,
of eenrae, or. rather, not death to itself, hat the going out of the
world end the sunlight, which death mesne.” She shivered, and
the man made an abrupt movement
They clambered over the cliffs together, side by side.
-Although 1 shall not be painting yon, I hope yon will come
down still.” he said, “to nerve my right hand and to Improve our
comradeship. Ton an not going away tor awhile, are your
“Not just yet" said she. legging.
He slackened bta pace to catch the reply.
“Then I shell see yea again very often. I have no doubt Here,
X believe, our ways pert"
"Tea; I Uvt over there—to the right," she said, nodding her
hand.
His glance followed hose
“Tee; that road.” she soldi "the third house. It's not very far
Sway, yon sen Goodby."
The morrow was leaden, doll, tumultuous, with drops now aad
again of n heavy rain. The artist had letters to writ# sod did not
go oat until evening. When la the storm he sought the watching
piece among the rooks of which oh# had told him bf was not
altomother surprised to find her there.
pTo rato was falling than, bat above their heads to wild goats
the wind soared, end the white foam sprang up like snow and
fail at a point not tor below their feet
He sUd on to a ledge at her side and sat down. "Hare yon
g«fc* ho sfifd. “find enjoying the scene, I have no doubt”
“All team and fury,” ahe responded, “and yet thorn Is a apian
dor abent it Look!”
She bad hardly spoken when across the chanting see stg
SSfged a flame of yellow light Upon the bools of tt trod the
thunder, falling with a gigantic roar.
The girl paled. *T am afraid of the lightning," she said.
“Ton need net he; I am hero” said be quietly. He took her
bond and held tt between his own. Hto eyes ware fixed upon sky
ud see.
Her gees earns from the sea and fixed Itself upon hto head.
T« la grand!" said the pan, drawing to his breath, a# Utted
one band from here and poshed back his sweeping hale. XM
light fell upon his eager face.
When the heavens opened at last and the rain Cell 1b B tttn#
teg sheet she rose, with a sigh. “I most go now,** she said. :~1§1
Bat he forced bar back. “Go new, when It la at Hi MUtt MM| <|
■toy and watch the elements with me a little ta«a** He tea*
off his heavy coat and pot it about her. But he did a» eMaHb
and the gusty torrents battled with it and sent cold drop* aMUf
her neck and breast
But she sat on, saying nothing. Only when be rone he go ®l
she rise. The cate was rattling about then still. Be helped MV
over the rocks. '
"Do you know you have never told me your nameT* SB
looked down at her face from Ms tall height
"That is not of much consequence—since I shah so eooa bar*
done with it” murmured she.
But he caught the words. "You are going to be marriedT* ip
asked harshly.
She laughed softly, bitterly, under her breath. "Mantsdl
Oh. not My name la Hilda—Hilda Legrmnda.”
"But you are English?"
"Tee, quite English. Good night” said aba.
He watched ber move up the broad stepa.
"What a gloomy housef he thought As the doer epsusd ha
saw the number upon it—No. 85. It ran abstractly to his bralB
as be walked home.
When they met on the morrow the sense of <
tween them had deepened. He felt himself suHidesUy at
with her to be in consequently Irritable sad to show Ms 1
They seemed nearer than before—and yet wider apart,
moods Jarred.
He was painting, and she sat a little less distant than hag «l§
seat, watching him. The morning was fair and sunny after Hu
storm and the air fresh. The shore Was more closely throbgaf
than It bad been so far.
She began to talk, sad as she talked his Inspiration cat
listened, putting in s abort contradiction now and uagfj,
ward be became almost complacent, and aha knew tip
was coming right
She took two roeebnds from ber gown and was piaytag «M
them when be looked up and caught bar. It struck him this uigf
the first time he had eeen ber wear flowers.
"They get to the way of mg eanreptfou,” m am
"Throw than away."
She turned deathly pals.
them far.
She rose to go very eoon after, saying ahe had a letter la
He routed himself then and toM her ha weald ha ta
a week. ”1 fl» tomorrow,” he said. “Wa must plea i __
sions whan I come bach. This has all baas work. |M as Mpf
some pleasure then.”
She mailed assent "Give my lore to London” aha WM.
He want to London. Ten days bad passed
for affairs had kept him. He came bach to a
He bad strangely missed her, and the wide gray eyes had
at him from out so many sorrowful dreams.
But she no longer sat ee the rooks.
"She cannot hare gone a way r Ha felt his fever rise as i
after day passed Ha weat to the old seat where they
watched the storm, but the skies wen annay now, the atom
over, and she was not there.
Then be searched a directory, for ha thought ha
to her, but No. 85 was an EngUsb “home”-earoa*th
incurable consumptive#,” be found, and that wan abet
Bo at last ha want to the bouse, and as ha waited af tip ufmMt
door and read the number upon it hla heart chilled.
Yet the one shock and blow of hla Of*
him she was dead-dead and burted-aU thin white he was
"She died alone.” said madam, "the seemed to
Mends, and she died very suddenly. Vbe gave us a letter 'to i
to you. monsieur, and afterward reclaimed It That wm
night she died. When we found Mr It was Jytaf Ham
destroyed.”
He bad permission to visit Mr room alone, ate
letter there It contained ana word. “Goodhy.” XM
was cruelly short end she bad celled It back.
Upon her table lay a tittle abort pan and as lak pet B
beside them a heap of miscellaneous papnfit On
some sM had taken down to the rocks.
Ha stood, turning them over with a
them was a sheet of paper with aaom e
upon It Hs knew what they ware Oku
cream rosebuds, withered, deed, troddaa i