"The screen door opened with a screech and banged shut behind a
plump lady wearing a print house dress. She dried her hands on the plain
cotton apron that hung limply over her shoulders, and stepped to the edge
of the veranda that ran the length of the house. "My, ain't it a pretty
day," she sighed, her gaze sweeping the neat fields of sugar beets
and winter wheat, backed by rows of purple and blue mountains.
"You must have ordered this weather just for our visit, Josey,"
replied the slim blonde lady seated in a straight chair before a canvas propped
on a large easel. Her back was to the Colorado mountainscape.
|
 |
Josey turned and stood a moment watching the artist lay caressing brushstrokes
on the likeness of a handsome white-haired gentleman. "How'd you like a
cup of coffee, Lucy? You've been out here most all mornin' dabbin' at that portrait."
"I'd love one, Josey," replied the artist, turning around. "Come
look, I'm almost finished. Tell me, is it Pop? You knew our father-in-law better
than I did. So tell me, is it Pop?"
Josey leaned over Lucy's shoulder, her nose almost touching the wet painting,
her eyes darting back and forth between the canvas and the small black-and-white
photo thumbtacked to the easel. Then she stepped back, tilting her head first
to the right, then to the left, staring hard at the picture. Her lips pursed
and the hint of a frown puckered her brow. At last she spoke.
"Oh, yes, honey, it's real good. I'll swear, I don't know how you do it,
but..." Her voice trailed off, and her frown deepened above her friendly
smile.
"But what?" the artist laughed. "Come on, you won't hurt
my feelings. I want to finish up the portrait while I'm here just so I can
get your opinion and Fenton's. What do you think?"
"We-e-ll," Josey answered slowly, still studying the silver-haired
visage on the canvas, "there's something about the eyes... It's the
color--Pop's eyes was, uh, bright blue. Yeah, that's it, a bright, sparkly
blue. Yessir, that's somethin' I always admired about Pop was them bright
sparkly blue eyes."
|
