Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-07-24

news! Appreciation at last! lou llhNc
taken ton off my mind. But Forgot
the condition IL y satiiied hlinN'
His manner, bright for moment
sdggested shadows agnin.
ut will satisfy him. You need have
no, fear"
g wish / could be as sanguine as
you, Nellie. But have had so many
rebuffs."
But you know this is one of the
best things you have done"
II thought that of every picture up-
TIL recently"
But Iieimshaw praised this one,
you know. He would have bought 1T,
but that the sale Of unknown portraits
is so difficult"
" remember he said SO. | say, Mel
lie, you have cheered Die wonderfully.
Half an hour ago | was actually con
,emplating- debating the worth of life.
You are a dear, good girl, and I'm
going to kiss
He completed the sentence by the
action. Her eyes glistened. She went
out soon after, taking the portrait
with her.
There was iii Kettle now faint re-
Election of his old-tirne self. For the
moment he was again the boy. brin-
ming over with the hope Of youth and
gazing up toward his GRAND ideals
that, sunlike tinged the world with
gold. Since he had mixed With men
the sullen clouds had come between
his vision and the sun to obscure tho
brightness and to damp his ardor.
For years he had been the most pit
liable of mortals. n man of noble incll-
nations, emotions, and aspirations;
with every hope of attaining his ambi-
tons seemingly beyond his reach: Win
every endeavor to attain them utterly
lnappreciated. Now, the incident just
related together with the praise of the
dealer It recalled, sank Immediately
into his imprassionable brain, and for
getting the trials and rebuffs of months
in the mpmentary Joy, he felt a ridicu-
lous inclination to dilute his happi-
back with thirty dollars he did cry 4
little.
He liked the picture very much,
she said, land would have given more
for it. but that he has not the money
at present"
"Oh, thirty dollars is heaps moro
than ever expected to get for it. Oh,
Nellie, I feel that all the euiogies
which the poets and novelists ever be-
slowed on woman are inadequate to
you. Now am ready to face that ras-
cally janitor" he exclaimed.
In the days of success which came
after, Philip Kelde always spoke OF
the sale of Nellie's portrait as his sal
walton. After many weary years his
name became famous, and he was her
aided into publicity by paragraphists
thirsting for art news. and the voice
of society which deemed it 1.-The thing
TO see his pictures. Keldc felt happy
at his past inability to sell the works
of his youth, for which he now got big
checks from eager buyers.
Accompanying the popular acclaim
came invitations to make new friends,
among whom he found his sous af-
tinity.
With the acquisition of q wife came
the loss of an old friend. Nellie Dwin-
ing, the model of his bad days and
good went away, he knew not whith-
er For little time he wondered
where she had gone; then she passed
out of his mind.
There was Il certain day which,
crocking the knee to conventionality,
kelde set apart for 4 reception at his
studio. Thither went many people,
some by virtue of their eminence in
letters and art, others for other rea-
sons.
Another came, evidently unlimited;
he was a street urchiI, who lodging
through the crowd of Cabling guests,
pulled kelde's coat tails.
The artist swung round and the Wis
it0rs stared.
Please, sir, she's awful bad, and
wants to see you"
Kelde, bewildered, drew the boy out
OF the studio.
Almost Immediately afterward he
hurriedly excused himself, aud the
dinlinutive messenger hailed a cab,
into which they both got.
Blocker street, near Carmino Drive
FAST
Ten minutes later, by kelde's watch,
which he scanned anNiously, the hack
man put them down before poverty.
stricken house. The boy led The way,
and presently woman came to the
door.
Joe she said, you're a good boy
for bcin' so quick. Please, sir. be as
quiet as you can: she's very bad.
HAS she seen a doctor|
.'Yes. sir. He's been here twice to-
day. This way up, sir.
Kelde was in the room alone now,
but for the sick woman on the bed
Through an opening in the blind the
sun cast one beam which lay across
the pillow. He could not believe il
was Nellie at first. Her features. form.
erly as regular as chiseled statues
were not so now Rayenous conSump'
ton had eaten them to an awful hol'
lowness that had distorted her face.
She seemed asleep at first, and he
did not speak. Presently from her
blue lips came some incoherent words
Kelde heard. but did not heed till his
name was uttered Then he strained
to catch every gasped syllable.
He didn't know-he didn't know
loved him and / shall never tell him
now-never, never-He never loved me
he was a gentleman. They said they
would send for hinl-but De won't
come. He's a great artist now-I al
ways said he would be. He kissed me
once, and said | was a good girl, But
now he has forgotten me, years and
years ago.
A sigh came up from her heart quiv
elingly. She was very weak. The
artist passed his handkerchief before
his eyes, huskiness in his throat
making breathing difficult Gently he
stepped to the bedside and gazed on
the dying woman. Her eyes We're
closed now. and her face looked as
though death had kissed it; but the
tremor at her breast showed that il
was not SO. She clutched TO her bosom
a little unframed portrait of herself.
As he saw this he understood. and
agony gripped his heart. He leaned