The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-03-01

sort Of an Individual the artist nigh
be. But nobody gave the least car
. 10 the drawing, and Frank was fsil
to go home 10 ignorance Of who ha
turned hin to such picturesque &C
count. This was on the Tuesday
Thursday was the press day.. on Fri
day came the private view; bu
= Hilary was not high up enough oil
the ladder Of DOtoriety t. be invited
and so he never got 8 peep into a cata
logue. However, he should find on
ali about it on Monday he thought
and was pacifying his impatienc
with this reflection and q final pip
on the Friday evening in question
when the last post brought him q let
ter. 1t was an impOrtant-lookins let
Ter, too, only the second Of its kiad b.
had ever received but be knew it
snd tore it open impatiently. Witt
the official heading of the Roya
Academy Of Arts, the printed form
with names, dates, &C., filled In, i
ran thus
SIR / have to intimate to yoC
that your work, No. 63l 10 the Cata.
logue of the Royal Academy for the
present year, entitled "A LadJ
SketchinR, Croyston Towers, st. Val
entine's Day." and priced e4O, ha,
been selected for purchase by Mr..
Raphael Madder, OF sSS Piccadilly.
As the Royal Academy only
undertakes to register the selec.
ton Of works, it is left to the artist to
communicate with the purchaser in
reference to the payment and deliv-
cry of the work at the close OF the ex-
hibition.
am, Sir, yours, -.
To Frank Hilary, Esq.
'iCapitsl ~ thought Frank, "this Is
luck indeed But who is Mr.. Raphael
Madder Why, IL Pm not mistaken,
he's an artists colored man; keeps
one of those fashionable West-end
shops, all polish and pasteboard, to
tempt the amateur (; and il so, he Is
only q dummy put forward by the
real purchaser, who does not want to
be known. He could not have been
himself at the private view. / shall
see about it the first thing tomorrow
morning.
And early on the Saturday Frank
walked off to No. 8S9 Piccadilly, to
dnd his conjecture correct.
"Yes, Sir" said the shopmsn, 1--WE
have been advised by our customer of
the purchase, and have been directed
to hand you q check for the amount
on Monday, on the receipt OF your
order to receive the picture of the
close of the exhibition"
"But your customer" said Frank /;
"who is your customer ?"
GgNIa . -,
was made 3 particular request that
We should not say. We often act as
agents for out customers in these mat
teri. 1t saves wealthy people q deal
OF trouble"
Him." said Frank, 'I should like
to have known where my picture was
going, nevertheless. You are really
stating facts, are you? / mean you
are not going in for picture dealing
yourselves"
"Oh, dear, no, Sir AS say, we do
a great deal OF agony business OF this
kind you will find our name and adj
dress given in tue catalogue frequent
ly /; that is for amateur ladies and
gentlemen who don't want their own
residences given. "See," went on the
maui pAOh1OihE nCH Oub 1uCA-
rumpled catalOeus Of the Exhibition,
"hers we are here's case this year.
Brown, COrissnde, No. $40, care Of
Mr.. Raphael Nader &C." His fin
ger was travelling down the alphabet
icsl list of contributors at the eud Of
the book. Frank pouneed on it eager
ly 4noW he should find out at
least the name of the artist who had
painted him y and saying, "Allow
me-" sought out the Water-cOlor room.
Quickly his eye took in page or two
of numbers, titles, and artists names.
Presently he blushed visibly /; there 1t
was undoubtedly that was it, No.
S42, "An Artist Sketchlng Croyston
Towers, st. Valentines Day ;" and
who had painted it, after all Why,
"Corisande Brown !" Then Frank
turned to the alphabetical list again
to make sure.
"What did you say was the name%
be was going on. "Yes, certainly,
'Corlssnde Brownp 1 see, care Of
Mr.. Raphael Madder. o, then" ad-
dressing the man behind the counter,
"this picture is by another of your
customers ?n
This mans eye was following
Franks pointing finger. "Yes, that
is so, Sir" was the answer.
'DO you know if it is for sale ?"
"Cannot say, Sir, out should fancy
not amateurs do not generally care
to SELL"
"And who is Corisande Brown,
may ask ?'
81 am not at liberty to say, Sir It
is quite anonymous ; in point of fact,
don't know Mr.. Madder manages
these things"
"H'm very mysterious, indeed
said Frank half angrily "YOu won't
tell me who bought my picture, and
you won't tell me who painted a pic
ture I admire and, suppOsing want
to buy it, you won't tell me whether
it is for sale. Strange way Of doing
business"
"These are my orders, Sir but I'lI
find out. I'Il ask Mr.. Msdder il be
THINKS the drawing you refer to is to
be had"
"WeIl, 1 wish you would. 1 saw it
on the vanishing day, and l should
like to have it il it is not much. Well,
then, If call on Monday" continued
Frank, after pause, land give you
an order to receive my picture, you
say you will give me a check for the
amount ?"
"Yes, Sir, and let you know about
the drawing at the same time. Good
morning, SIR"
Very much puzzled indeed was
Frank with all this. Strange that
the portrait of himself should be chris
tened his portrait of her. "a Lsdy
CrOystOn Towers, st. Var
entIne's Day" "An Artist Sketch
iDg CroystOn Towers, st. Valentines's
Day." Odd, too, that Mr.. Msdder
should be acting as agent for the ex-
of the one and for the pur-
chase of the other. Well, 1t Is coin
of course, but, all things re-
membered, it's strange one And |
Frank went on his way musing.
After a hasty run through the |
rooms on Monday, the opening day, |
he marched straight off again to Mr..
Ma1ders, and found the check, |
signed by that purveyor Of artists
awaiting him. Duly &C.
it, and giving his order
Tor the delivery Of the picture to Mr.. |
he said
"Well, what about that drawing |
Is it for sale ?"
mo, Sir"
Positively ?"
positively"
"Now, it is not by any chance the
work of the same person who bought |
my picture, is it ?"
Really, don't know. Sir / can
not say"
"Tbey are both customers of
yours ?n
"Yes, Sir"
"But they are not both the same
PERSONS"
"Upon my word, Sir" said the
man, smiling, "I am not at liberty to
say anything"
No, and strive as he would, Frank |
could get no more out Of Mr.. Raphael |
Msdder's man but he drew his own |
and he had to wait SIX |
weeks before ne obtained any relief
for the unusually perplexed state Of
his intellect.
The evening set apart by the Presi- |
dent aud Counsel OF the Royal Acade- |
my for their grand Soiree and recep- |
tiOn came round, as it usually does,
toward the end of June. Mr.. Frank |
Hilary, like the rest Of the exhibitors,
was hidden to the entertainment,
- Ian