Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-06-06
LOST---FIVE DOLLARS.
BY ANTHONY E ANDERSON.

Nan Kendall held her pretty brown
head on one side. and critically ex-
amined the picture which she had just
finished.
Ihe easel stood by the open window,
through which the scent of hla6s was
borne into the low, old fashioned parlor.
Her box Of color tubes stood on the floor
beside the easel, and the palette and
brushes, with the paint still moist and
odorous upon them, lay upon small
table near by. ...
Eyes, " she said, with self satisfied,
dimpling smile, using the mahlstick to
aid her as she enumerated the good
points of her picture, II think it will
pass muster, mother, y ear. Confess
now thai [ Laanage those bits Of sunlight
and shade with the skill of an old
master! Ard s4n | not represented 'as
large as life, only more so q"
" Aud what shall you call it, dear?"
asked Mrs. Kendall, fair, bgoWn-haired
widow, who looked very like her daugh-
ter.
"'Uudtr the Llacs,' I think. It
doesn't look very modest, [ suppose, to
paint oneself; but in the deaIth of mod
els, I was compelled TO Go So"
As if a prettitr motel could be de-
sired! exclaimed Mrs. Kendall, with
.moLherly pride.
Yes, 1t was pretty model and a very
pretty bit of painted canvas. Overhead
hung great lunches of the fragrant H.
lac blooms, framing an exquisite,
smiling, girlish face. Her hand was
stretched upward, and the loose sleeve
had slipped carelessly back, disclosing
the white, rounded arm. Her apron
was almost filed with great, odorous
lilac lunches, while she was just in the
act of plucking another. Over all the
sunlight streameG-waIm, bright gold
en-.
Z shall 90 to New York with it
myself" said Nan, "and make-oh,
ever so much money on it, mother,
dearl Then we shall have a new carpet;
for this one, though almost hidden by
rags innumerable, is undeniably shah
by. And | shall gel my piano tuned,
and buy those new Waltzes Hetty spoke
about last week, and-I'm sure [ don't
know what all. thank the fates that
they have decreed Old furniture to be
very stylish and mice, for I'm afraid I
WON'T get enough to buy anything new
ID that direction"
"Dcn't build too many air-castles,
Nannette, " said her mother, warningly,
''foI you may be disappointed, after
ALL"
But brave little Nannette's hopeful
mess was lot dashed III the least. She
had worked so long on this picture, had
been SO painstaking. Surely III the
great city, ten miles away, there must
be some one who would admire it and
buy it.
Not quite a week later Mr.. Curtis Van
4assels sauntered istlessly into one of
the downtown cafes, toward dusk, aud
settled himself, with a dissatisfied sigh,
at one Of the numerous small tables,
covered with whitest, softest damask and
glittering with silver.
Business had been unutterably dull
during the past week, Notwithstanding
the fact that it was early IN the spring,
and Mr.. Van Tassels affairs had suffered
more than a little. Hence his unwonted
perturbation of mid.
So pre0ccup1el was he that he did not
notice he had yis-a-vis till coffee and
rolls had been brought him.
The cloud lifted suddenly from his
handsome forehead, and be glanced with
deep interest at the girl opposite him
Nannette Kendall herself. Curtis
thought it was one of tie most beautiful
faces he had ever seen-exquisite In its
modelling, perfect in its contour. Her
eyes looked sad and disappointed, as if
ready to drop taars.
Yes, Nan had met with q great disap-
pointment. She had been unable to dis
pose of the picture round which her
hopes had centered so long, and now
she must return home even poorer than
before.
She had walked about the city all day,
not quite despairing Of success until the
approach of evening. Then. fearfuIlest
her mother might be anxious, she had
left the picture at kind hearted book
sellers, who had promised to sell it for
her If possible. She had decided to take
the 5 o'clock train, but she had missed
1T, and now even her brave heart quailed
little at thought of riding home alone
at night on the cars.
FAINT for lack of food, she had entered
the cafe, never dreaming she was
guilty of extravaganza unparalleled, as it
was one of the most fashionable, expen-
sive restaurants IN the city.
Poor Nannette! her head was aching,
her nerves tingling; her eyes were hot
with unshed tears of modification and
disappointment. What relief it
would have been if she could have in
dulged in a good, hearty cry! But even
that little boon was denied her in this
great, bustling, hur1ying, noisy, sell
fish city. The adiectiyes are Mans
own.