Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 32, Number 79, 31 March 1907 — Page 7

By I U EMERY POTTLE. ! J

Copyright. 1907, y Tkomaj H, MeK. THERE la no occasion to make excuses for Fanny and Fritz. When one Is or rather when two are frank and twenty, and. at the same time, complacently and conspicuously In lore with each other, I J am not aware that It Is a condition In which excuses are prop&rly made. Unouestlonably they would themselves. I dare nay, rudely resent anv extenuation of their conduct. And any one else, as matters ultimately turned out. will not greatly be Inclined to lay at their doors the obsolescent charge of Indelicacy. Cecelia Cecelia Francesca Purvis and Lucius Prettyman did not. To elaborate a bit Fanny Denton and Cecelia

Francesca shared together a battered apartment on the roof of a great, gloomy, rambling structure, devoted to the housing of courageously Impecunious I art students. I say on the roof, since the case was ' Just that: they lived In an insecure-looking story which the thrifty owners of the building had hastily constructed on the top of everything to contain a Slew lot more courageous and more impecunious than the rest. Somewhere down the canal-like halls Fritz Allen also had a studio and Lucius Prettyxnan another. In the daytime the four of them worked at an art fcchool nearby. Cecelia did miniatures, in a very ladylike and miniature way: Fanny inclined to conventional designing: and as for Denton and Lucius, the former dashed out fictitious Illustrations for his fictitious imaginings, while Lucius toiled ' worrlsomely along In the "life class" and brooded deeply over the possibilities of large, depressing canvases devoted to the depicting of death scenes of Tamous generals, and like inspiring subjects. Of a truth It cannot be said of Cecelia and Lucius that they were In the bloom of their youth, though, to be sure, Cecelia's spirit was innocently Inexperienced to an appalling degree, and she was wont to clothe herself in garments of a limply artistic drapery, suggesting. In hue at least, the Immortal, blithe Botticelli maidens. At any rate her aoul was youthful and her nature unselfish and h-autiful. Lucius probably never was young. The unpllatle strands of his nature seemed never to loosen. His high, pale brow betokened, in Its concentrated little knot of lines above the nose, a spirit furrowed with thf) ploughshare of Serious Effort. ... He moved In and out among his fellows, a gentle, shabby, good-tempered, abnormally shy creature whom all loved, when they were not consumed with a helpless rage at the ponderous precision of his mental and physical workings. It wa3 natural enough that the four of them, living together in the "Roost" so they called the parlous top story should be much In each other's company. Youthful art Is not a peculiarly solitary profession;' and, moreover, their frank poverty, and the franker attachment of Fritz to Fanny gave additional strength to their bond. To Cecelia, the wooing of her roommate afforded a first-hand observation of what to her was the most thrilllngly beautiful and complex emotion of the world. Fanny, herself, being somewhat practical even In the affairs of her heart,. did not encourage Cecelia's sentimental -out-breathings. So It happened that Cecelia fell Into the habit of .confiding the progress of the delicate footsteps of love to Lucius Prettyman. The two men, of an evening, would drop Into the studio of the girls a very proper apartment, to be pure, with the beds converted artlessly into divans and all the feminine evidences hid In the closet. Lucius really was brought In the beginning by Fritz to divert Cecelia from the fascination of his methods with Fanny. And Jt generally turned out the two serious ones would early retire to the kitchen an elastic apartment made by the folding of a screen about a little gas-stove there to whisper and to cook up Indigestible messes for refreshment: while Fritz and Fanny well, it really Is not our province to disclose the sweet story of their affections. It was in late October when Fanny briefly apprised Cecelia that she was engaged to Fritz. Cecelia kissed her rapturously. "My dear, my dear," be cried softly, "Isn't it wonderful ! " "O, I don't know," remarked her friend, sharpening a lead pencil judiciously. "Fritzie is a nice boy. And I'm sure he's very lucky to get me." Cecelia was staggered. "Oh, Fanny! How- can you! Oh, It seems to me love is the most beautiful " "O, yes. everybody gets it sooner or later, they say," broke in Fanny prosaically. "It takes an awful lot of your time, though. Heavens! I haven't done a thing In a month." "Dear, how can you Joke about It?" sighed Cecelia. Fanny looked up In surprise. "Mercy. Cecelia. It's no joke. Lend me your gamboge, will you?" Poor Cecelia, she was too bewildered to reply. That same night Fritz lounged into Prettyman's room. Lucius was brooding solemnly over a pipe. "Well. Lucy," Fritz let fall casually, "the little rlrl and I have hit it off." "I og your pardon." said Lucius uncertainly. "Fanny and I, you know engaged "love, true lore, undying.' grinned Fritz with appreciation. Lucius rose with grave ceremony and putout his hand. "Allen. I I congratulate you. sir, she's a splendid woman. Tou are a fortunate man." "Sure, Lucy, that's the eye. She's a little peach. Guess we'll do the trick all right." Prettyman sat down heavily. He could not grasp the insouciant Fritz's attitude. "But -" he hesitated laboriously. "You aren't going to cry about It. are you?" said lis friend briskly, lighting a cigarette. Lucius seemed about to reply; Instead he lapsed Into a mood of Impressive thoughtfulness. After a Ions silence he stammered blushlngly, "Ah Allen did you ah If you don't mind my asking was It ah hard to do?" "Was what hard?" Why. the the the asking her, Allen?" Allan's ayas twinkled. "Well, old boy. It It was harder not to, you know." 'Ah," ajaculated Lucius uneomprshendlnglv. 'Evar tried it?" confidentially remarked Fritz. Lucius flushed. "No sir, I I I "It's grsat." said Allen, as he departed, "yon aarar can tall til! you try."

next week 66 The Proof of

Lucius Prettyman sat for hours that night alone battle scenes and let his mind wander to the deIn his room, scarcely conscious of the chil!fnrr at-ii.Jlgkts of statuesque hours with the face of Cecelia mospbere. musing modestly on the strange :adde

lng ways of love. The result of his cogitations amounted to this: "I couldn't do it. I couldn't I don't see how they do." The next day he overtook Cecelia on her way home from the art school. For some reason they both flushed scarlet at sight of each other. It was very diffeult to start any suitable topic of conversation. At length Cecelia timidly referred to the flames of the divine f.re which now publicly lit the souls of Fritz and Fanny. The two discussed the situation evasively. They wondered If, after all. "thefr love was They seemed so Love, real love, was such a Yes. it was a noble, a " But there was a new and discomforting element between Cecelia and Lucius that attracted and compelled, even while it distressed and bewildered. Tt was precisely as If these two onlookers somehow were vicariously assuming all the sweet confusion, all the tumultous emotions, the modest ecstacies that Fanny and Fritz seemed rot to undergo. Cecelia, Indeed, took the conversation so seriously that sh went to bd with a nervous headache. Once the crucial hour of engagement was over. Fanns- and Fritz had more leisure to look about them. They bore the rosy wreath of love with great composure. And since there is that In love like misfortune which dislikes singleness of ex prience. they presently cast about them to involve thefr unattached friends in a toll like their own. "Wouldn't It be simply perfect If poor old Sissy and Lucy should fall In lore with each other?" considered Fanny, one afternoon. "Those two?" replied Fritz. "Why, there's no more chance " "Oh. isn't there! Watch them. Cecelia Is a mush." "But Lucy why. you'd as soon think of a Methodist chapel plaving on the beach at Coney Island, as Lucy in love." "Pooh," retorted Fanny, airily, "he's mad about her. Don't tell me. When they're old and get it they're perfectly dotty. I've seen them." "Have thy said anything?" inquired Fritz, fascinated at Fanny's idea. "Said anything! They don't dare." Of a truth, It would seem that the astute Fanny bad accurately diagnosed the situation of Cecelia Francesca and Lucius. Up to the time of the culmination of Fanny's romance, the two had taken ' f JtJ 9hfT'8 society In a grateful, unconscious freetn' I nW slighest encounter covered them til ;revdfK1 c,onfusion- The-V became ton-ue-thom vLS t desire to taIk wa3 riotous within "as uisiressing to observe. Ocplia dart hot-coif in . . ' -iv mo, iu rcyrLiui, . dull draperies of a somber hueas if she were doing r. penitential oPice for the soul of love In fact, instead of performing the light-hearted service of cup-bearers to the young gods. "Fanny and Fritz, they hung about funereally in corners. This abysmal condition was. in the early stages, a delight to the lovers. They considered it an ephemeral affectation, due In part to age and In part to extreme inexperience. Therefore, to help matters along, they made jovial comments with ill-concealed meanings to Cecelia and Lucius a form of diversion of so ghastly and so Indelicate a character to the serious pair that Cecelia was wont to end the evening in a burst of tears. So brazen were the manifestation of affection on the part of the engaged ones, and so poignantly barbed were the insinuating arrows of their wit. Cecelia could no longer bring herself to comment upon the case to Lucius, while he, in turn, almost dreaded the sight of her. They avoided each other. Prettyman no longer came of an evening to the studio of the girls. And Cecelia, anguished of heart, would retire alone to the kitchen, there to sniffle weakly her ears stuffed with cotton that she might not Lear the lovers. The very necessity, as they conceive it, that sundered their companionship, worked. . s one might expect, to the Incandescence o their es yet. unnamed emotions. Cecelia, in a i?ush of maidenly Indiscretion, secretly painted from memory a miniature of Lucius which on completion she hid. Prettyman left off the Imaginary composition of

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conclusion that their amorous devicesto entraptheir friends were resulting in apparent failure for Fanny's intuitions, agile as they were, could not compass a concealed love, like the worm 1' the bud thv were franklv annoyed. . "They're a pair "of dubs." said Fritz. In Irritation. "Sissy is reallv the limit." acquiesced Fanny. "I'm snre we've done all we could to help the thing along", "Oh. well. I move we shake them both. They're too old to fool with. Thev've had their chance." And with this Fritz dosed the discussion. A few day's later Fannv was alone in the studio, dressing to go out with Frltr, Discovering that at the moment sh had no clean pocket-handkerchief, she reported slroplv to Cecelia's stock. Rummaging throneh the latter's modest trunk for the article In qrjoctfon, she 'inearth"! the miniature of Tcius. '"Well, my heavens! " she exclaimed. "The silly old thing." Whereupon she at down abruptly and shkd with laughter. Frits fotmd her on the fl nor, the miniature In her hand, giggling. . She held it out to him mutely, too overcome for words. "Great eoodness." he cried, "it's T,uev Lucy, looVfng Ilk a perfect !av of the tvpe!" "T ask yon!" besran Fannv. recovering sr-oech. "T ak ron! T found it fn Cecelia's trunk. I was loolfng for a hankv. She did it!" "The sly thing! Fan. this is great! What'll we do with it?" "Do with ft! 'Tlsn't ours we'll nut it back. SIsbvM die if she knew wo had sn It." said Fannv.

"Not on your Hfe we'll put it back. Let's have some fun out of it. "But Cecelia"fecella nothing! She's fooled us. We'll fool her." "Now, Fritzie I won't stand for " "Oh, that's all right it'll be the joke of our lives. h. say. don't fuss, think of the fun." "W1I," weakened Fanny, "it would be fun to do something with it." "I'll tell you what! We'll do It up and send It to Lucius. He won't think of Its being a losh, anvway. And he knows that no one but Sissy could possibly do a miniature of him." "It's a sweet ideaV replied Fanny rapturouslv. "We'll do it now while she's awa3'. . . . She must be crarv- about him. Do you suppose he " "Well, he will be. if he isn't now. when he sees this?" asssured Fritz. , The miniature forthwith was wrapped up dellcatelv in white tissue paper and tied with a Utile white ribbon. "That's bully." declared Fritz joyously, "and I'll leave it in Lucius's room when he's 1 v

' - - i " 4wf , " i i " - Jl i . ' ; JliS. ifti -r-r v til A rh?.?:', :

"GREAT GOODNESS," HE CRIED; "IT'S LCCY-

out to-night he's going to some beastly lecture on rt " "Sissv's gone out for the afternoon and she's jroing to stav out for dinner, too. and the theater ilit terv.ards," reflected Fann-. "She has some grand friends who ask her once in awhile, you know. So we're perfectly safe. She won't miss the thing to-night. . . . It's really dreadful to do It, but it's so funn: !" ' That evening at an hour when he judged Prettyman would have returned from his lecture, Fritz Allen . wandered casually In upon him. Lucius seemed excessively confused at sight of his visitor. He thrust something hastily under a pile of papers on the table before him. "What you hiding. Lucy?" began Fritz without hesitation. "Nothing. I I " "Oh, say. Lucy I saw you now. What Is It? Out with It. Can't you trust me?". Allen made a sudden dash for the table. Prettyman tried to intercept him. He was too late.Fritz, warding him off with one hand, held up the miniature in the other, yelling with glee. "O, Lucy, O, Lucy! It's a picture of you!" "ive that here," demanded Lucius, peony-red. Allen regarded the little portrait critically. "It's mighty good. Lucy, it's fine. Who did it?" I 1 1 'Out with It!" "I don't know. I found It here," confessed the reluctant Lucius. "I suppose It's a gift." "Oh, tell that to the elevator-man! You can't 1001 me," giggled Fritz. "Naughty, naughty! Say. who did It, Lucv! Prettyman attempted dignity, llevs me If you don't care to. when I came home." "You needn't beI found it here

"Found It here, old man! You don't say so. That's funny!" Allen eat down and eyed Lucius solemnly. . "It was here when I came home." repeated Lucius awkwardly. "I It Is very strange." "Strange! I should say so. But say. Lucius, there's only one person who could have done It." "Mien, what do vou mean?" "Mean. Oh. you know. Cecelia Francesca Purvis! That's whom I mean." Lucius was flooded with sentimental blushes. "Oh. no. I Oh. no!" "Sure she did. old boy. I well, of course. I don't want to butt In on your affairs well, it looks you know, as If " "Allen. I won't have you talk that way about a 'adv." . . "Whv. no offense. Lucy. I'm sure. It was mighty nice of her." "Vou don't think. Allen, that she " "Well, Lucy, what I think is this: That girl is strong for vou. Of course, if you don't care for her. WpTTt barren that wjv at times. The most reserved and timid of ns reach a point when our doors are oneried wfd. when we sneak with the tongue of men about the angel. It was so with Lucius PretfrmjiTi. He bcnn to talk to Fritz. He talked wflnlr well. Ther was notHn? bidden In htm that wasn't revealed. Fven the If erht-mlnded Allen became nrvou and uncomfortable. And th burden of Luelucs's song was always Cecelia. Cecelia. Cecelia. Frltr bad a sickening feeling that the thing ha 'f3BfcI n be a Jok. "Tf vou feel like all this you sav you do. old rhfin." Allen exit ot Jamelv. "you ought to do some-thins-about it. T'd tell her." "Oh. T couldn't. I don't thin T could." stamrnerort Lnefns. cold with 'Jf at the thought. "I'll toll vou what." Frltr suggested bopefulv. "vou write her n note and ask her to meet you In the Park to-morrow morning, and av you have something Important to rll br. Don't mention fh miniature that would embarrass her. Just toll n,r yon want to talk to her, and I'll slip It unjor fho p-frlfi' door to-night." "Would she?" Lucius got ouf In awed tones. "Would se what?" rom if I asked her?" "Pure she would. Trv her." Frlfcz was growing more confident. "You just write her. And I'll leave It Pt their room now." Prettyman. between distracted love and awful self-abasement, after tearing un a doreii sheets of paner. managed to set forth his modest reauest. "Fin," said Fritz heartilv when the letter was submitted to his practised eye. "That'll draw her like a plaster, you know." "Allen. I don't know how to thank you for for " Lucius was wringing Fritz's hand in the excess of gratitude.

With the letter In his hand, Allen harried surreptitously to Fanny. He Judged that Cecelia Francesca had not yet returned from her festal day. He rapped cautiously on the studio door. "Who is it?" demanded Fanny, opening the door a hair's breadth. "Me." "Mercy, Fritz, you can't come In! I'm Just " "Yes, I know, but there's something doing. I've got to talk to you, I don't want to come in. Can't you say, Cecelia isn't there?" "No. Wait a minute." Presently the door opened wide enough to allow Fanny to put out her head. What Is It?" she Inquired with excitement. "Did you give Lucius the " "That's It, I did. I've Just been In his room. He's foolish about It. Sat and grinned at his picture like a monkey. Went on about Cecelia till It made me sick. He's all up in the air saysthe loves her like anything. Oh, Lord." Fanny was instantly impressed. "My goodness! What did you say!" "I I told him she was crazy about him. I think T did. He asked me what to do." "What did you tell him?" demanded Fanny feverishly. "Well, you know, I I felt sort of rotten about it. He's so serious over the thing. I say, Fanny, It looks to me like a mess." "Stupid, what did you do?" "I told him to write her a note asking her to meet him to-morrow In the Park In the morning and I said I'd leave ithere for Sissv she " "It Is perfectly dreadful." gasped Fanny, "she sha'n't have that note." "Sha'n't " "Certainly not." Fanny was decisive. 'But why, you ean't you'll bust nn their show

the Princess9

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If you don't let her " "Idiot! If Cecelia got that note the first thing she'd do would be to go and look at that old miniature. And It wouldn't be there. And she'd accuse me. And there'd be a sickening time." "But Fan " Allen was utterly confused at the turn of affairs. "You've got to get that picture back, somehow. ' I don't care how. Give me that note. Give It to me. Cecelia sha'n't have it till you get the miniature." "How in the deuce can I get it?" "When Is he going to meet her?" asked Fanny. "At nine, I think." "Wei!, while he's out then, you'll have to break into his place and steal It and bring it here. I'll put It back. Then I'll give Cecelia the note and say I found it on the floor." "T can't see how that "No. of course vou can't. But I can. It'll be In her trunk, won't It? And she can't accuse me of having taken it at least, not right away. I'll get out of it somehow." "You're dreadfully virtuous all at once." retorted Fritz, sulkily. "It's worried me all the evening taking that picture. And I'd never have done It If It hadn't been for you! "Well. I like that! Who found It first, anyway, and " "Ssb! There's Cecelia coming. Don't you dare to arerue with me. You've got to get the rlcture. Cecelia, dear. Is that you? Yon must be tired to death. Come In and "let's get to bed right. ofT." sweetly finished Fannr. hastily concealing Pretty man's note In the folds of her robe de chambre. In all probability the somewhat Imperfect scheme, of Fannv would have worked In the fashion wb anticipated had It not been for a reason of which she naturallv, could have known nothing. Tt had be;n CeceM romantic custom, since the painting of the mtnlatnre. to take It from Its h!dlne-T!e and to bid It the tender, whiskered good-nlchts h might not properlv bestow on the original. She did this In the kitchen at a moment when Fannv was under the Imprenslon that Cecelia was waving her nrayers. Tn consequence, on this particular evening. Cecelia Francesca went to her trunk to nerform the last sacred rit of wbat had been to her a pecnliarlv haww dav. Hr fingers, touching the familiar tlace. did not fe! the miniature. She hnrrled'v dashed oit the content of the trunV, her boom heaving with anxiety. She could not find, th token. For a moment Cecelia utood Tetr1fled with ohitm and fear. Then wwddenlv he truth fashM In noon her. Fanny! Fb must have taken it. No one else conld have. Tb gentle Cecelia shook with a torrent of anger, the like of which h bd never known. Like a wild nocturnal avenger

she flew at Fanny In her bed. "How dared von!" sho cried, snatching tt hedcTothlng from the terrlfld conspirator. 0. how dared you!" She whooV her vlolentlv. "Don't lie! T know ron took ft! You stole It! You you vou thl-f! T bate yon! Where Is It? Where is it?" Cecelia .WVd the collapsing Fannv from her cot and towed sbovA her. cowerlne on the floor. "It'a cruel? How could you? Beast! Fannv esavd to eak. hat Cecelia looked o 11 and terrlfvtnr In the dim rllrht of the room that, for the life of her, she could not get out a word. "Beast! repeated Cecelia, with awful traglcaHtv. Fannv recovered herself nHghtTr. "Cecelia, sheinvered. ft was only a Joke. T Pnt Cecelia" ra was nnt. She sat down weakly on fh trunk-ton and nobbed. Tong. whlvrlnc drdful. convulsive nobs. "O It's mean! rVnet! Fannv. how could yon! O dear! O dear! O dar!" To deserlb the mental state of Fsunv Is hard'v nocossur-. She dared ot speak, she lav wretehdlv on her bed for half an hour, fn her ears the monotonous moans of the srlrl over there on the rnnk. Sometimes Fannv was enraged, sometime ronntnt. sometime hvsterleally tearful and eomottmes fi! of nervons laughter. I shall die If she Voon tbt "P mnch lonrer. sh assured herself. Ffal'v she leaned from her cot. tlons on " wranner nd slfrprr. tied tin her bead In a crf nd preclpftafelr lect the room. Kbm ran straight to Frit;. "Fritz. Fritz. she whispered1, a she heard lov sound within his quarters. 'Frits! "T'anny! What 'h1 nat Is It? Are yon HIT "Come ont her, quick! Tn a moment" the astounded" ATlen emerged. Ms ed tousled and over his pajamas a bathrobe. "Wnt on earth " "Don't talk. Cecelia's discovered that th vdetnre Is gone. Fine's made an awfnT scna. She poitrlv tore me limb om limb. T was r frightened T nearly died. She' sitting there now moanIn and rolnr on like a maniac. T tieveraw wneh n fool. We've rot to do something." "Do something." weakly repealed" Fritz. Do " "RlgM now. Do something. Tf you oonlff near br! My heavens, I never had such a tlma In my life." "Put wh wh what aro you going to Hoi" ha act-orf holnlesslv. m "I've thought It at! tit. There's Jnsl on chanea to save our lives. You've got to go and gat Lucius and tell him Cecelia wants to sea him." Allen gasped. 'Xncy. But O. my good Lord Bnt suppose "Yon needn't suppose anvthlnr. There's lust one chance! Thevre both alllv abort, each other, nd If he gets there and her. he'll try to comfort her and go now. Tell him to bring the picture, too." The thoroughlv confused1 Allen rteparted rubbing hi eye. We found .T uclua atlM sitting In a dav befor bis little table.' the portrait In his hand.' "Rav." F-tz began awkwardlv. "Cecelia has sent for von.t She wants to sea too to-night now. Don't wait. She's In a hurry!" "Wants to see ma?" asked Prettyman. "What " - "Now right off In tha studio. T don't know what for. Come on. Bring the mlnlatnre. Tt hut "O. sav, Lucy, the girl wants von. Coma on." And he half lTfrA, half mshed" the older man from bis room, feebly protesting. Fanny stole behind them on tiptoe. "Don't mind what sha savs," encouraged Allen at Cecelia's door. "You go in and make It all right with her!" Without lttetiing to Prettyman's vague rmhlings snd distressed protests. Fritz opened! the door and shoved him In. "Reach In snd ret tha ev and lock tha door on the outside," commanded Fanny at his elbow. Th. key turned In the lock. "Now. well bara to stand here and wait and began Fannv. "And prav." finished Fritz. From within came low murmurs then long elTezces then again the mnrmurs. With chattering teeth and shivering limbs Fanny and Frit waited waited. It seemed to them, for h ours. A few dwellers In the top-story passed them and stared cnrlously. bnt Fanny and Fritz were oblivious. After a long time they heard some one rattling at the door. Fsnny drew a long breath. "Open It," sho directed. "For better or for worse." Lucius Prettyman emerged. On his face was a sentimental smile of utter bllssfulness. "We we're engaged," ha grinned bashfully. "Thank heaven, I can go to bed." remarked i- anny. M. Hyde.