Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-07-24
NELLEE'S LOVE.
An Artists story,
Nv Wm. bayfield,.

hind the modesty which Had repealed
the praises of his friends, there had
lurked dream that one day the world
a painter Later, when picture of
his gained the favor of the academy
judges, and u critic filed line by
speaking of Philip Kelde's work as
"prognostic of really good things to
come" the dream seemed to evolve to-
ward naturalization.
Soon, however, he discovered that he
had overestimated the Importance Of
these things, This was four years
after, He had two dingy rooms in an
up town office building.
During those four years Kelde en-
| deavored to follow up his success,
Nobody however. would buy or ex-
hibit his pictures, And because he
lacked fortune but yet desired to 1--we,
he manufactured 'old masters for a
scoundrclly Sixth avenue dealer, till
the fraud and the low pay Disguised
him, when he turned again to the work
OF his love, which waa altogether too
ambitious TO 'ae Successful.
1t haa taken him till now to recog.
hize the futility Of his attempts to
rank with the four or FIVE noted artists
Of the day without patiently climbing
the laddei Ring by rung. He called
himself a stupid ass. and the acknowl-
edgment of a fault being half way to
reform, Kelde forthwith grew saner.
He placed aside large, half-fnish.
ed, psychological scene. and applied
himself to an unpretentious one-tigure
which, because he could not SELL lie
cursed. Tie curses ceased when he
recalled TO mini the model whom the
picture represented, for he respected
Nellie Owning. She wac his only
comforter She always encouraged by
words OF praise. when most he needed
them, and thnt with no sordid object
for she had refused employment in
quarters whore payment was larger
and prompter in order to pose for
Kelde, He did not understand Why
blind man that he wa
He was expecting Nellie, as usual,
on this particular morning. He had
been working modify hrooding With
puckered brow over his professional
non-success, when n heavy, hollow
thud in the letter box was followed
almost Immediately by the entrance of
tie janitor with bulky brown paper
packet. y moment later he was smiling
CHASTITY at the rejected black-and-
white work which was the form of
art that kept the pot warm for him.
Your work, which l have been sorry
to see deteriorating OF late. is; | re-
gret to say, quite below our standard
this MONTH the accompanying note
expiaineti-a note from the managing
editor OF Il popular magazine, for
which lie had made several acceptable
designs.
So even his bread and butter threat
encd to cease. 1t was especially awk-
ward just now, when the Identical jan
itor who had brought III the letter had,
that very morning, brought him, for
the third time, Il bill for back rent.
KeltIe threw the drawings aside and
placed himself in the armchair. His
throat seemed TO grow dry suddenly.
and his temples to throb with a dull
ache. All inclination to work was
gone. He plunged into fit of mental
dissipation.
What was the use of living II he
could not sustain life by the art he
loved so we'll? Bad enough it had been
for years, living from hand to mouth,
but now--he cast a ruefui glance at
the returned drawings this scant
privilege was to be denied him.
Almost inveluntarily he counted the
little money he had seventeen cents.
The prospe}t doomed blankly before
him. For the, next ten minutes he at
tackled the question of whether life
was worth living, and then it had not
an affirmative leg to stand on. He
reached out to his tobacco jar ana
found it empty. The immediate in
yestmcnt of ten cents in tobacco, al
though it showed that lie had money
TO burn, also showed that his educa-
ton in domestic economy had been
sadly neglected. AS he was silently
smoking, giving full latitude to his de-
pressing recollections, there was a
knock at his door
Nellie Owning, the model. walked
In. She smiled till he faced her with
his look of gloom. Then she inquired
the cause with her eyes.
More Internal disappointment, Mel
lie" he said
There was familiarity between
them that comprised the use of Chris
tian names, and permitted him to tres
''What has happened?' she asked.
"Oh, merely that the editors are in
forming me that / am a human SUI
perhuity"
"a human superfluity? Explain
yourself, my dear fellow"
"Haven't you understood:" he in
quired almost piteously.
How could II
well, what / have said is the logi-
cal deduction of my life, the last Incl
dent OF which is recorded in cold ink
at your feet"
The model picked up the drawings
ana the editors lote.
BAH" she exclaimed with fine
scoIn. Cant you see that he's quite
right about your work.
II can; that's where the tragedy lies
he replied IF l thought the draw
ngs good l should treat rejection as
merely a difference of taste or Il symp-
tom of the EDITORS sluggish liver. But
| know my work is bad, and that |
can't do better"
.'Oh. you idiot!'' she exclaimed. fol-
lowing up the mood she evinced by the
tapping of her foot, you talk of log
zeal constructions"
deductions, my dear girl, deduc-
tons"
ooh, it's all the same. Why here
you have been supporting yourself for
years by drawing. and now, because,
through your idiotic carelessness, you
get Them sent back once, you give way
like--oh, well, there"
Words failed the infatuated model
There was silence for a short time,
ring which Kelde contemplated
edly the scarcely perceptible designs
the worn hearth-rug, and Nellie
even more keenly studied his gloomy