The morning call., 1894-01-10

tugged and lifted and lifted and sworn fol-
! an hour or more the mysterious piece oil
| steel had been placed in the studio. How
/ ever. staircase, walls and floors were
much the " orse for the consequent wear
and tear.
And there it stands, silent and grim and
! spectral as great piece of artillery. Ru-
mors were soon af0at about keith's new
| acquisition. and all day stream of visitors
poured in TO see the monster.
"What is it. keith?" was their unvary-
ing question. us it foOtpad protector,
or have you inside information via the
Corwin that leads you to believe that this
city will soon be bombarded ?'
Keith was about to give a civil reply
when his glance would light on that pro-
duction of the Union Iron Works. when
his usually pleasant face suddenly turned
tense disgust. Feelings of indignation
would follow so quickly as to prevent a
cDnected or intellig bic reply.
"Oh, i am Just peralyZed, and $500 hard
/ cash for poor painter. 1t weighs ton.
and | can't move il. and it isn't any good,
gToaned the afflicted man.
/ A close friend of the artist, more cheer
full than the others, looked at the work OF
science and saw in shadowy reflection the
| features of his face and said suddenly in
bated breath: 10! l have it. Keith, first
of artists and best of good fellows, has
/ found that which weds in indissoluble
! links the science of the Union iron Works,
1 the art of the studio and the subtle ele-
ments of the supernatural. Keith. I tell
| you. has become a spiTitualist."
mo. no! gentlemen all and friends, give
me but time and you shall know the ter
/ rible truth"
The artist succeeded in getting compare
/ lively composed by turning his back to
the great object of interest.
"H on see IL all cam1 frnTn nv trim . n
/ Madrid this summer. 1t almost cost me
nv lie, but l would have gone If 1t bad.
My worthy friend and patron, Irving
| NJ. Scott, was very anxious that | should
see Spain Without dwelling more OH the
/ terrible hot weather and the length of nv
stay at Madrid, l will say that while
/ there | saw great picture by Velasquez,
/ IN which, as well as the figures of the
/ royal children, were that of the artist
| Velasquez and his canvas.
Now figured out from this particular
painting that those old masters must have
used mirror of some kind. From their
splendid middle tones this mirror could
not have been silver or even Claude Lor
/ raine glass. 1t must have been of a ma
! terial which would give out from a not
too smooth surface only the essential
| lines, keeping back all the rest.
II then argued 10 myself that because
of the high perfection to which the Span
ards brought their steel-as is evidenced
by the famous Toledo blades and armor--
| their master painters must have had a
steel mirror.
81 could not Get this great discovery ont
of my head. The idea expanded more
aud more, so that when l returned / con-
fided my hopes to Se"tt, and decided that
when | should have fine great steel mir
ror l would take up portrait painting
again.
''Well, Scott warmed up considerably
and made me a small polished steel mirror
six by eight inches. That worked CAPT
tally. but in moment when l was tenn
pOrarily bereft of my reason | ordered one
on gigantic scale four by six feet, and
great heavens! look what they have sent
me. 1t weighs over ton, and its immense
ash frame would be better Oh Alcatra
Island than here. And the cost-three
hundred dollars. By George! Scott ought
to have told me that it would cost a for
tune. He will have To take a picture for
it, although Henry says that he wont, and
that the price was merely the actual cost
of labor and materials. The polish is not
high enough 10 make it of any service
and the mirror is too big and too heavy
L must have been crazy when | ordered
IT, / will paint him another picture if be
will only take it away. Great heaven I
tell me what l shall do"
But the melting circle looked glum until
the shaking sides of the sympathe lc
friends exploded INTO suppressed laughter
in the stairway below.