San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-14

past to change brush or heat razor;
but there was no sign or movement
under the folds, and he gradually be-
came treasured, especially as it excited
no remark.
| But as evening drew on he felt that,
| for the success of his experimental was
necessary that the cover should be re-
| moved. 1t was dangerous, supposing
| the Inspector were to come in uneX-
| pectedly and recognize the statue, but
he could only trust to fortune for that,
! and hoped that even if the detective
came he would be able to keep him in
the outer shop.
| 1t was only for one evening, and it
was well worth the risk.
A foreign gentleman had come in, and
the hair-dresser found that fresh
wrapper was required, which gave him
the excuse he wanted for unwilling the
Aphrodite. He looked carefully at the
face as he uncovered it, but could dis
cover no speculation as yet in the calm,
full gaze of the goddess.
The foreign gentleman was inclined
to be talkative under treatment, and
the conversation came around to public
amusements. "In my country" the
customer said, without mentioning or
betraying what his particular country
was, "in my country we have what you
have not, places to sit out in the fresh
air, and drink a glass of beer, along
with the entertainments. You have not
that in London?"
"Bless your soul, yes" said Leander,
who was a true patriot, "plenty of
them!"
"Oh, i did not aware that-but who?n
III IL ~
the Eagle in the City Road for one; and
there's the Surrey Gardens-and there's
Rosherwich, " he added after a pause.
(The Fisheries Exhibition, it may be
said, was as yet unknown.)
AND you go there, often?"
ave been to Rosherwich,
WAS it goot there-you lake it,eh?"
"Well, said Leander, "they tell me
it's very gay in the season. P'rhaps
went at the wrong time of year for it"
what You call wrong time for it?."
SLACK, nothing going on" he ex-
planned, alike it was when | went last
Saturday."
"You went last Saturday. And you
stay : lag Uime?"
"I@Idn't stay no longer than could
help" Lcander said; "all our party was
Eldu 10 get away.
The foreigner had risen to go, when
his eyes fell on the Venus in the corner.
"You did not stay long, and your
party was glad to come away?" he re-
peated, absently. IL am not surprise
at that" He gave the hair-dresser a
long stare as he spoke. mo, am not
surprise. You have good taste, my
friend: you lake the antique, do you
not?" he broke off suddenly.
"Ah! you're looking at the Venus,
sir" said Leander. YES, I'm very par
tial to it..
said.
He looked back over his shoulder as
he left the shop, and once more repeat
ed softly, ayes, it is taste that costs. "
al suppose, Leander reflected as he
went back, at does strike people as
queer, my keeping that statue there;
but it's only for one evening""
The foreigner had scarcely left when
an old gentleman. regular customer,
looked in on his way from the city and
at once noticed the innovation. He was
an old gentleman who had devoted
much time and study to art in the in
tervals of business and had developed
critical powers of the highest order.
He walked straight up to the Venus
and stuck out his under lip.
where did you get that thing?" he
inquired. Isn't this place of yours
small enough without numbering it up
with statuary out of the Euston Road?"
81 didn't get it there" said Leander
al thought it would be andy to ang
the ats on"
Dear, dear" said the old gentleman,
"why do you people dabble in matters
you don't understand? Come here,
Tweddle, and let me show. you. Can't
you see what miserable sham the
thing is-a cheap, tawdry imitation
of the splendid classic type? Why, by
merely exhibiting such thing, you're
vitiating public taste, sir, corrupting
it"
Leander did not quite follow the re-
buke, which he thought was probably
based upon the goddess's antecedents.
WAS she really as bad as that, sir?"
he said. IL wasn't aware so. or 1
shouldn't give any offensc to customers
by letting her stay here"
As he spoke he saw the indefnable
indications in the statues face which
denoted that it was instinct once more
with life and intelligence, and he was
Mortified at the thought that the latter
part of the conversation might have
been overheard.
But I've always understood" he
said, hastily, "that the party this re-,
presents was pufickly correct, how
ever free some of the others might have
been: and | suppose that's the costume
of the period she's in, and very becom-
ing it is, I'm sure, though gone out
since"
"Bah!n said the old gentleman, ats
poor art. I'll show you where the thing
is bad. happen to understand some
thing of these things. Just observe how
I the top of the head is out of drawing:
IL. e Il