Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-04-12
Brownies
Portboit.

ASNh, IL SIllil ~ NlIIh IL I'LL anu az
last was admitted to the studio Of my
friend Collins. ! had never before eX-
perienced the slightest difficulty in
entering it, for the latch was free at
all hours, and l was in the habit of
dropping around for Il smoke and Il
chat at any time, sans ceremonie Be
sides it was New Years eve, and
there had been previous agreement,
that together we would smoke the old
year out with some very excellent
Turkish mixture l had picked up.
Jayne Collins was an old friend of
mine At school he did vile carlcatures
of me in the fly leaves of his books,
and there bad sprung from this in
suspicious beginning Il lasting in
timacy. At 20 he went to Europe TO
study art, and | saw nothing of him
for nearly seven years. Then he
turned up in Minneapolis and opened
a studio, so that for Il year previous
to this chilly New Years eve our
friendship had been as close rs in the
old days.
was surprised on entering to find
the anartmen cold There was no fire
in the stove, and the kettle standing
on it, Il particularly jovial little copper
affair. gave neither sign nor sound.
The purchbowl lay inverted on its
shelf The effect Of all this was paruc-
ularly depressing. additionally so. per
haps, that widely different scene had
been conjured up in my mind from
past cXperit noes in this very room
a scene in which the little copper kettle
sang merrily, the punch-bowl stood full
to the brim with Il special brew, or
which its owner alone had the secret,
and a cloud of blue tobacco smoke
formed the background.
Noting at Il glance the unusual CON
ditions, | turned to Collins for an eX-
PLANTATION, and saw he was carefully
relocking the door. His manner
seemed cllriously Etealthy. In fact,
there was something 50 thoroughly odd
and inexplicable in riy friends be
hayior that stood watching him for Il
moment in silent speculation as to the
cause of it, Just us | was about t"
voice my bewilderment he antici-
pated me.
Don't talk loudly" he said in an ex-
cited whisper. I'm hiding
"Hiding! l exclaimed, from whom,
pray"
What it possible that he had become
a lunatic? I thought. 1t was slow
and discouraging for an artist in the
northwest, and Collins was very de-
spondent at times, but so sudden col
lapse was hideous to contemplate.
"Confound it, man! don't scream he
cried, gesticulating wildly in the direc-
ton of the door. I'm hiding from Il
pack of news gathering devils armed
with innumerable pencils and whole
reams of paper. SO far | have eluded
them; but they keep knocking, knock.
ing there, but Internal ravens! | say,
Lennon" he went on. throwing himself
aStl.de a chair and glazing at me over
the back of it. I'm in the very deuce
of mess, old chap; compromised ever
laStingly The thing will be in every
paper on the continent tomorrow morn
ing"
WHO is the woman?' l asked seized
with sudden idea.
"WOman?" he repea ted; there's no
woman-or, Stay-yeS, there is. a very
pretty widow-nO, confound 1t, she's
not Il widow now, either. She was
this morning, though, but-hang 1t,
man. the whole thing is the yilest mud
die you ever heard of Why" he ex-
claimed, starting to his feet and point
ing nervously in the direction OF the
window, II left the corpse sitting up
in black shroud drinking champagne;
the widow mean the wife, in
mysteries; the servant in dead faint.
I left the undertaken cursing under his
breath, and left myself" he con
cluded, with a savage grin. lin hack.
oh, it's devil of mess all round
Crazy as a cockroach, was my in
ward comment. Collins had always
been little bit high strung, given to
fits Of exaltation and depression.
While these thoughts flashed through
my mind, the subject of them was
rapidly pacing the floor. Approaching
a partly finished Nubian girl, with
water jar on her shoulder he deliber-
ately kicked a hole in the canvas.
Look here, Jayne" ! said. you're
overworked. Get out that whisky OF
yours while I light a fire. Wen have
a quiet grog and smoke, and talk
this over sensibly. There's nothing
like a good. honest pipe when mans
in dilemma"
He sat on the very edge Of chair.
with his elbows on his knees. and hts
head resting In his hands. | was on
my way to the stove with an armful
of wood from the fuel-box behind the
screen. when | became conscious OF
something that caused me to drop the
bundle of sticks and start back In af'
fright. The kindling material struck
the floor with crash, and Collins
raised lis head. There was an apathe-
tic wonder in his eyes that changed to
a startled expression as his gaze met
mine.
whats the matterf' he asked.
What il this" / demanded sternly,
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