Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-10

than In seriousness that the work went
on. "ens
In few weeks, however, the head o.
tne Venus was freed from the stone and
70 the wonderment Of Mildred. the face
tnat she had seen hewed bit by bit from
the cold white marble seemed ali AZ onca
70 have life. to be real, and more. 10 he
her own. ~ W
She laughed, and she cried.
u feel as II some one had shut me mn
IN tnat stone. ages and ages ago. sbe
sad, and that only now you had come
TO take me out"
ana what do you suppose you would
have done had never cameY' Cnama,,t
aeked. chiseling away at the Cupid lips Of
his statue. |-f" -
Always been dead, suppose she
said with sigh, looking up at him with
> roguish smile. -
Inc look was too much for Clement
The marble lips could not hold him
when the red ones were there. inst wait
Ing to be kissed; nor could he work more
mat day-he was too happy.
Dnt Tor some unaccountable reason
society had got it into its head that
young Scott, 1.-THE distinguished Amer
lean sculptor" as lie was commonIv
called, had left society and gone into az.
clusion to work. Strange stories rot
about He was finishing a statue he
had been at work upon for years. It was
said, and Immediately artists began q
interest themselves concerning his where
aDouts. The newspapers, working in
the interest Of the public, had made Il
their particular business to look into the
matter. In part they were successful.
They found that he was at HuIl and
because he would not be seen. thew in.
ferred that he must be working mon
some masterpiece.
That was the story that went abroad.
Artists and newspaper men by the
score came to Hull, all anxious to catch
first glimpse Of the new work OF art
Scott had finished little more than the
head and bust Of the statue Of his venns
OF Milo; one of the broken arms tn ba
was still in the crude marble, and he
absolutely refused to have his work
viewed and criticized by this curious
crowd-at least before he had finished.
1t was perhaps week after this sort
OF curiosity concerning Scott's new work
had set in, that Mildred and he, in the
studio together, were running through a
batch OF letters. They were, as usual.
chiefly requests for interviews, or the
like. Among them was note from the
president Of the Society Of American
Sculptors. He wished Mr.. Scott to give
him and few OF his brothers in art the
pleasure Of beholding what he felt sure
was to be the greatest of American
sculpture masterpieces.
Scott laughed. What perfect non
sense!' he said, as he read the letter
aloud. 1t was the same old fiattery, and
all caused, he thought, by his medal.
He got up and walked across the studio
to where his work stood, and pulling off
the sheet that covered it called to Mil
dred in dramatic voice:
"Lookl the masterpiece of American
sculpture!' and he pointed his finger at
the half finished statue.
They both laughed, and then Mildred
added more seriously. But, Clement, it
is fine
81 am glad you like it." he said. 81
don't care what they think; and, besides,
what do those cads, who haven't seen
any of my work, know of my work?
Their praises annoy me. doubt if some
of them could tell plaster cast from a
marble cutting. They are ignoramuses
in regard to art-the most of them" and
Scott threw the sheet back over the
statue, Disguised.
"They can't tell sculpturing when they
see it" he went on. "Why, if were to
fix you up as the statue doubt even if
they would discover the deception
And, by Jove, Mildred, I'll do It'll I'll fix
box to look like marble, stand you in
it, drape your shoulder and whiten your
hair and face. With the use of some
plaster of Paris we can make your breast
seem to come directly out from the
rough stone; and your arm-why, Mil
dred, we can take that off. You will be
the real Venus of Milo, and I'll wager
they won't see the deception. Are you
willing, Mildred?' he asked, all excite
ment now.
do you think they would be de-
ceived?" Mildred asked. What joke
if they were," she went on, catching the
spirit of his plans. "What joke!"
And so it was decided. Scott sent the
president of the Society of American
Sculptors favorable answer to his let
ter. He stated the day and named the
hour he should be pleased to receive his
artist friends, and though he assured
them his statue was quite incomplete,
still he said they should have a peep at
it. Mildred and himself at once began
preparations for the exhibit, and long
before the appointed day came they were
in high glee over the prospects, for their
private rehearsals had proven more than
successful.
And then the trial and the end of it all
came. 1t was beautiful day about the
first of June. The studio had been ar
ranged with especial care for the occa-
sion. There were bits of the sculptor's
art about the room, some profiles in
white against black plush upon the
walls, and draperies hung in profusion.
At o'clock the invited guests, artists
and journalists, about dozen in num-
Der. arrived at the little summer home
of the SCOTS on the hill. Clement re-
ceiued them and entertained them over
cigars with the talk of men and things
which ,sna1lv interest such people, For