Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19

Il
| his spread-out knees and leaning toward me.
| IT know you in the best kind of . way. have
l one Of your pictures. Now don't 60 and SAY
you are no. the artist, Henry G. Ashmesd"
II am that man." replied.
hack In his chair. 'You look like II am >
bachelor sir, and II takes . good deal TO keep
| that sort OF o mKn content and easy In his
| mind Pictures and books help lot in hat
way. and mako it point every year 70 buy
good picture. got one Of yours last fall, and
! I am very fond Of looking at It. Come With
| me and I'll show il to you"
| The major then preceded me to q medium
sized room in the front Of the house, which he
| called his reading room.
ut isn't study" said he, 'for never study,
and it isn't library, for it hssn'tbooks enough
| for that, but it is as good room to read In as
| know. A fine light, and always cool in sum
| mer-there is the picture" and he held up
lamp before one Of my large landscapes.
II thought Burnet owned that" exclaimed.
"Yes, he did, but he's been hard up lately
| and had to sell off part Of bis collection.
| snapped up that as soon as | saw 1t. There are
things in that picture that you seldom see in
paintings. That's timothy grass in that meadow,
and cut about the end Of june would make
hay worth about $40 ton. It's ready to cut
now" said he, land from the looks OF the
leaves on the trees and the size Of those mullen
plants l should say it was in June that you took
II made my studies in June" said.
"Good, he cried, II knew it. There's no
nonsense about that meadow, such as you
would see in most pictures. No bushes and
Struggling briers or patches Of red clover and
orchard grass. l am q straightforward and
practical man and like a straightfor ward and
practical picture. OF course you couldn't help
the daisies and no more can l in my own
meadows.
Now them" said he when we were again be-
fore the fire. "you can see for yourself how
know and I tell that il daliohts
me to have In my house the man who painted
that picture. After q while I'll brew bowl of
Regents punch. But it isn't late enough for
that Well have bachelor night Of it. BY next
Christmas l suppose the young lady will put
veto on bachelor nights"
"Veto," said 1, what do you mean?"
"You will surely be married by next Christ
mas, he replied.
Married. exclaimed with q laugh, I'VE
have never thought of being married"
The major took his cigar from his mouth,
put his hands upon his knees, leaned forward
| and looked at me.
"Do you mean to say, sir, that you and Miss
Weldon are not engaged to be married."
Not at al, said /; We have known each
| other long time, but We are friends and
nothing more"
well, I'll be hangedr cried Mai. Pendallas,
throwing away his cigar and rising abruptly
from his chair. Then, standing with his back
to the fire he looked down upon me.
"Now l am disappointed. 1 surely thought
you two were team, and fine one. had
made up my mind to it, and now am set back.
feel as if were driving big Percheron and
polo pony. am practical. cOmmon-sen
man and don't mind asking practical, common
sense questions Ihave done that all my life
and though have made a good many people
mad, it has always been better for me in the
end. Now would you mind telling me if that
young woman is engaged to somebody else or
if you are? Don't get angry If anybody is
angry ought to be-
/ was not in the least offended. There was
an impetuous but kindly earnestness about the
man which impressed me very agreeably.
There are some people whose liberties are
pleasant rather than otherwi the major was
one Of those people.
Il am not engaged" said with a smile.
''and have no reason to believe that she is"
Major Pendallas thrust his hands into his
trousers pockets strolled to the other end of
the large room, and then turning came back
and sat down.
81 believe" said he, "that the man who lives
alone does more thinking to the minute than
other people. When she was pouring ont the
coffee tonight, and you were handing your cup
to her, and both Of you were laughing about
the sugar, stopped eating and said to myself
that is as perfect a match as l ever saw And
in regard to human beings it is very seldom
that think that And now you turn around
and tell me that you and she go single"
1 could not help laughing at the serious way
81 am sorry to disappoint you," said I, 'sbut
Miss Weldon and are not marrying people
For myself cannot afford matrimony"
That's what once thought" he said, "and
for thirty-fi years / have regretted that was
foolish enough to think sou
1t was plain my host was q man Of nervous
temperament He could not sit still while con-
sidering this subject, evidently of deep interest
to him. He now rose, folded his arms and
looked at me steadily for full a minute. As he
zad at savaa 10 III
and larger.
ut was my intention to make a business
proposition to you. founded on what you and
Miss Weldon said about this par: of the country
and how much you liked it. consider it one
of the happiest thoughts had ever had"
"What was it?'' 1 asked, good deal amused.
but careful not to show it. II shall be glad to
hear it whether accept it or not"
..All right" said the major. seating himself
with decision, ''you shall have it. L will make
the proposition in the common-sense, straight
forward manner in which intended to make
1t. For over ten months have been kicking
and Tuning at being obliged to live here in this
lonely house. Tonight l said to myself over
and over again, What would give if these two
would eat all their meals with me; would come
here and live in this house. And then said.
why shouldn't they2 Hess landscape painter
and they would want to live somewhere in the
country. and are not likely to find any place
more beautiful than this. Now perhaps that's
for, and the best thing you can do is to make
them the offer without loss OF tlme.' While
was thinking Of this, my spirits went up to
about hundred in the shade, but when YOU
told me you were not an engaged couple, down
they went, don't know how far
What did you intend to offer?" asked
"Offer! he said, everything intended
to put at your disposal, as soon after YOU mar
red you pleased, the handsomest room in
the house, second floor front. with beautiful
flower garden in summer directly under the
side window would have given Won the run
OF this house, reading room and everything and
made you feel at home. If the lady is q must
clan would have bought new piano: if YOU
are fond OF driving or riding my stable should
have been at your service. / have to pay men
to exercise the horses and it would be- favor
to me to have you do some OF it. Moreover. I
have a carriage house on the other side Of my
garden. which do not use and / would have
htted 1t up as studio for you, with a big north
light and all conveniences. Then again. if YOU
would have liked to come here and spend your
honeymoon, / would have vacated the place for
month and let you have it all to yourselves.
"For the accommodationsI should have offered
you should have charged you no more than
what your living would cost me; certainly not
over 81 a week each. For the rent Of nv STU
dio should have asked you one landscape
painting every year."
was most cheerfuIly impressed by the pro-
ject thus laid before me.
Gus indeed. Will you make me the same offer
NJ nu Ill. Ii l.