Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-10-19

portant than plenty. She lighted her gas
stove, got her tea to drawing, and set out
a store of graham crackers, butter and
| cheese. Then followed a moderate repast
and conversation which lasted well into
| the evening.
Drawn out by sympathy, the guest told
| his whole story. His name, he stated
was Ernst Rodolf Hartmann, and he was
| the youngest son of an official in the civil
| service of Prussia. Carried away by the
| liberal ideas so common among European
| students, he had attached himself, after
| leaving the University of Berlin, to
| secret club of republicans, whose object
| was to substitute democracy for the
| Hohenzollerns. The club had been fer
reted out by the police Ernst and two or
| three other members had been condemned
| to a brief imprisonment; moreover, he
had been disinherited and disowned by
| his father, furious loyalist. Worst of
| all, beautiful girl to whom he was be-
trothed had during his confinement, been
| driven or coaXed into a marriage with
some old baron. This last sorrow, which
he related with childlike candor and sim
| plicity, made Janet 1lolcum blush to her
ears even while her heart throbbed with
pity.
| When he rose to return to his room, he
1
ciled to the struggle of life.
II will dry 1t leetle longer, if you will
gif me n hand, he said. Il will go to
painting again"
"Ohl how can you talk of 1t so coollyl"
she exclaimed with heartfelt solemnity
and even with horror. Don't you know
that what you have done today is very
wicked? Forgive mel" she added in
stantly, remembering how miserable he
had been and looking with pity at his
wasted face. By the way, she talked
very little of her Johnsonese to this
man; for in the first place, she sup
posed that he, being foreigner, might
not understand it; and secondly, she had
to be so earnest with him that only the
simplest words seemed suitable.
"What could l do?" he asked. "a
gentleman may not pc a peggar Pc
sides, | was not banter at home. Mein
faders were to make of me a panker.
hope of success in it. What could do?"
''Will you promise to come to take
breakfast with mel"
Il bromise-upon my honor"
Remember, now-upon your honor
Good night"
He took her hand, and before she could
guess what he meant to do, he kissed it.
Notwithstanding the perfect simplicity
of his manner, Notwithstanding that the
action was obviously a mere expression of
civilty and gratitude. Janet IIolcum
who had never before had her hand
kissed, blushed again until it seemed to
her that her hair was turning scarlet
Without noticing her confusion, this
ragged gentleman said sweetly Good
night" and bowed himself out of the
room.
From this good night forward Janet
was burdened and blessed with another
labor of love. She had suicide to re-
form; soul without hope to fill with
hope; a man without work to provide
with work; lover of lager to satisfy
with black tea; brand to snatch from
all sorts of burnings. 1t was not only a
heavy load to carry but delicate one to
handle. Her orphan, as she soon began
to call him, must not eat in her room for
fear of Mrs. Grundy. She must content
herself with letting him go to cheap res
taurants for his dinner, and with occasion
ally carrying him cup of tea to wash
down the dry bread which she knew
was his only supper. As for converse
she firmly invited him to see her every
Sunday evening; she sometimes dropped
into his den to look at his work and
took walk with him in the hall or al
evening promenade in the streets.
She was proud of herself, and ye,
ashamed of herself 1t struck her as al
most indicate that she should support
man. especially young and handsome one
Moreover, her labor of love was a fearful
/ expense, compared with her small income
+ She was soon obliged to draw on her say
, ings bank deposit, and that had always
been kept in consumptive state by tn,
= needs of her girl cousin. AT first sh,
, thought of getting up a subscription fol
y her painter, or of interesting some ricl
school committeeman in his behalf; bu
n very shortly she took such fancy to hin
| that she did not want any one else to earn
| claim to his gratitude; and so she wen
| on paying out her savings for his necessi
" ties. When winter arrived and fuel mus
be had, she bought 1t for him, although
he tried to do without. Next came al
> overcoat and pair Of mittens and SOM
/ heavy undertaking. because she coult
+ not bear to see him walking the street
+ with red nose and fingers. 1t was il
vain for him to refuse; she absolutel,
= forced him to take.
v Meantime small profits from his brush
s The picture which she had thought per
feet really had but five or six DAYS worl
q upon it, and needed month more. An,
when it was done it brought only $25.
q was of no use for her to scold the pictur
e dealer for his sharpness, and to endeavo
to move his pity by telling him the tai
b of the Germans poverty. The man o
q art replied that it was not a known name
that paintings sold in the American
n market mainly by force of reputation
that he had his own living to make. an,
+ that she might take the money or leave ii
a If he can do figure picture, and do i
+ first rate said this rational monster, +"
a can be more liberal with him. There ar
!. SO many landscapes! Every American
q artist can make landscapes"
:, On this hint Ernst commenced fgur
}. picture. 1t was his forte; he had simpl
:. tried landscape because he had judge
Il that to be the tavorite genre in America
4 he had known that he could not hope t
It excel in it. A beautiful group was 500