Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-05
A Painters rlOdel.

iilo. AdNleI kept SAOp at the end
OF the street. Such a shop, with only
one window in it, and a bit of counter
piled high with punches OF CAV warn
and boxes of cheap tinsels. There was
a bird i'll cage in madam's window,
lie always sang furiousIy in the early
morning, and a pot of mignOnette in
blossom adorned the sill
Just across the road lived the SAILS
age Vender-a little old man, who wore
a wig and dressed in snuff-color. He
was early at his post every morning,
trying sausages, but, being cruelty af-
hlcted with asthma, he could only
speak in loud, hOarse voice; so his
daughter Annette, very dream of
health and beauty, would stand beside
him in her neat stuff gown and call in
voice as lusty as a chanticleer:
Hot sausages! Hot sausagesr
Now, uagonaIly across on the next
street was tall brick building used as
storehouse. Its lower rooms were
piled with dusty white bags full of
grain, over which the satin-cOlOred
mice frOlicked and grew fat the live
long day; but up in the peak of the
building was a large garnet, rented to
pOyerty-stricken artist. Here were
pictures strewn all about the room,
while in the middle OF the floor stood
stout easel supporting a bare canvas.
Every morning the artist crept down
from his lofty quarters to buy hot
sausageS OF NJ. Laubeau, and to cast sly
glances Of intense regard at Annette,
who, for her part, kept on at her call
ing as if there was no young men in
the world. But when he turned to 90
back to his garnet, then would Annette
smile and toss her head, with it's white
cap, in a coquettish nod to the little
madame across the road, saying as
much: See, | have an admirerr ana
madame would smile back, for she
dearly loved a romance. Sometimes
she would beclIon to Annette, and when
the girl ran lightly across the street
the old woman would say:
when shall the wedding be?"
UGH" Annette would answer.
Gould | eat paint? | thrive now and
am comfortable. Monsieur must make
his fortune ere Annette weds him."
And he shall do it." returned ma
dame; 4 will speak myself to mon
sieur."
That very day when the artist passed
her shop with a canvas we'll wrapped
in paper under his arm, the little
French woman called to him.
Come in, said she, and show me
the picture"
Reluctantly he undid it and disclosed
pensive-faced Madonna.
"Oh, monsieur" exclaimed madame,
"she has sickly look. l do not Won
der you may not sell her; we have
enough like her. Monsieur must paint
notwithstanding gay and cheerful
fresh, you know"
Il am too poor to hire model said
the artist, gloomily.
"Ah, true" replied madame. But
suppose l could find model; would
monsieur paint?"
perhaps"
Come, then"
She led the way through the tiny
shop to a timer living room. There in
one corner, looking very big and
clumsy, stood an oaken chest with the
lilies of France carved upon it. The
old woman unfastened key from her
chatelaine and knelt before the chest.
Monsieur must know" she said,
gravely, long way back in France my
people were not poor, but rich. That
was before the Revolution, monsieur
before their names were knitted into
the cruel mauame's stocking. They
fell. We have been always poor enough
since This chest contains my great
grandmother's ball gown. Monsieur
shall see"
She unlocked the chest and lifting a
covering of tissue paper shook out a
rich white satin gown, heavily en-
brcadered with pale forget-me-nots
The stomacher was thickly sewn with
seed pearls and wide ruff1es of rare old
lace edged at the neck.
The artist gave cry of admiration.
"A costume of the time of Louis XVI.
How exquisite!'
Here are the slippers" continued
madame, holding up a pair of white
satin slippers, adorned with furnished
gold buckles, land these are tie gloves
she wore To think / have them yet,
monsieur, and my great-grandmother