The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-22
CHAPTER IL.

My rooms were on Twenty-frst street,
east of Fourth avenue; his were on West
Tenth street We crossed Union square,
walked through Fourteenth street and
turned into University place-all without
speaking. The town was silent, deserted,
asleep, and for my part L felt very queer
and nerYOus-as il l were hent upon some
risky midnight crime. Midnight was past.
indeed, and all the shops along our route
we're closed; only here and there the lights
were still burning in a saloon. Before one
of these establishments, within block of
the Studio Building, More halted.
. Pm going in here to purchase some pot
valOr," he announced. "Pll never have
the manhood to unlock my door and face
the cursed thing unless prime up before
hand. Come on"
So we entered the saloon, sufficiently
harmless drinking-shop, wherein the pro-
prietor-a fat man in his shlrt-sleeves-was
playing dominoes with n customer, while his
wife sat.enthroned behind the bar.
We took possession Of a table, and More
demanded, What will you have?"
/ declared for heer, but for himself my
friend ordered whisky neat. He swallowed
them, and glancing through Puck the
while. At last, We'll, forward march," he
cried, and we proceeded upon our journey
But at the very threshold of the Studio
Building he called a halt again.
II dare say you'll think Inc extremely
quite UP to it yet. Let's walk around the
block. Pm screwing my courage to the
sticking-place, but It's short by several
notches STILL"
80 in silence we walked around the block,
and | could feel his hand trembling upon
my arm.
the Studio Building, now come in"
He unlocked his door and we entered the
anteroom. He flung himself upon a sofa
nc, r,f.f ~.
its in there he said in sort of gasp.
''Slt down and let US rest Bit"
| sat down and waited. He was leaning
over, his hand supporting his forehead, his
eyes fastened upon the hoor;;. or,
presently.
''My dear More. know it's terrible mo-
ment for you. It's idle for me to tell you
that | sympathize with you"
No. sympathy wont do me much good.
| feel like Roman father about TO take the
life of his child
After that we did not speak for should
think five minutes. Then he started up
abruptly, and exclaimed, ''Ob, Pm ashamed
OF myself. never knew | was such cow
ard. Alions, pas de faibiesSe! The sem
tence of the law has got to be carried out.
Come
He brushed aside the portlere, aud we
walked into his studio.
1t was dark and chilly, and the air was
IOdueu Will the udulp OuOE OF clay. lie liz
the gas and turned on the steam heat, which
came with a succession of sharp explosions,
ike the burning of a package of fire-crack-
erS.
In the middle of the floor, on a movable
platform, stood his statue, swaihed from
head to foot in wet, clay-stained cloths. He
climbed up on his working ladder and be-
gan TO peel the cloths off one by one, fling
ing them to the floor. At last the General
stock unveiled, an heroic figure, twelve feet
high. with sword raised, urging his soldiers
on TO battle. could not suppress a cry of
delighted admiration.
-" Why, my Dear fellow, it's magn ifcenti
It's superb! It's one OF the best martial
hgures have seen In my liie."
He looked at it. smiling sad, fond smile.
But pretty soon lie shook his head
"Magnitcent2 Yes, so the committee told
me- ne said, and broke into bitter laugh.
But, More, really, 1t is The committee
was right" L insisted. 81 think TN
qualified to express an opinion, and tell
you the thing is a sumner. | can't under
stand your dissatisfaction with it. It's we'll
drawn, It's correct automatically; and for
the rest. it fairly breathes.''
"a sumner? Yes, exactly, SO it is. 1t
has just that sensational quality, that DASH,
that go. don't know what, which will make
everybody call 1t Il sumner wnen they first
look at 1t. But IT has no staying power. II
won't wear. IL has no dignity, no repose,
it's ftashy, insincere. Ii you were TO live
with it every day for week, you'd get as
disguised with 1t as 1 am. What merit it
has is superficial, it's faults are radical,
fundamental It's failure. There's no ex-