Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28

J ilAht luH VI mI uNltCI. NOulu Nuus VI
course not. Well, why should you resent a
defect of manner when you know my inten-
lions are good?'
81 don't resent anything about you, Bar
ney-at least. only spasmodically."
You know I'd go to the end of the world
to serve a friend-T would, honest. Yet
I've no luck. Here Is a poor devil OF a
musician I'm trying to befrlend. l can see
he dislikes me intensely. | got a pub
Usher to bring out some OF his music
paid all the expenses-yet 1t was like pull
ing teeth to get the organist to allow me
to help him. end he's a genius IL there ever
was one. l got a select and appreciattve
audience together to hear him play. He
didn't come, although he promised to do
so, and the people thought / was trying
to make fools of them. 1t must all be my
accursed manner. Now you always know
the right thing to say. | don't. My gen
ius doesn't run that way. I'm an artist"
Haldiman threw back his head and
laughed. Barney stared at him, displeasure
on his brow.
what the deuce are you laughing at
now?"
Forgive me, Barney; I'm laughing at
the humping of your club foot, although
you did not believe me capable OF It,"
"Wha have l said?'
neutrality-suspicious., Barney. 1 love you.
You are the one and only Barnard Hope;
all others are base limitations. Now listen
to me. l haven't the ~faintest idea what
1t Is you want. This conversation has been
simply encyclopedia in the amount OF
ground covered; but I'll do for you what
you would do for me-, short of abduction or
assassination. I'd prefer not to land myself
in prison, II you don't mind, but I'll even
run the risk of that. What do you want?
Out with It,"
"But the moment l begin you'll say you're
insulted. You %terrorize me, Haldiman-
pom my soul, you do
&c on. For ten minutes insults are
barred. Will you go on?"
every well. | asked you how much you
made in a year, and you jeered at me-"
az never keep accounts. and never pay a
debt until the brokers come in, so l really
haven't the slightest il ea. You can guess
at the amount just as well as l can. Guess
and proceed"
"All right. I want TO pay you double
your yearly income for your help in this
matter"
THAT isn't friendship; that's commer-
cialism again. l beg pardon, ] forgot.
Don't look daggers. Barney, | accept. Can
l have the money in advance?"
"Of course you can" cried Barney glee-
fully, making a dive for his inside pocket;
then, as the other went into a fit of laughter,
the joyful look faded into an expression of
intense Indignation, aid Barney, with a
curse, strobe to the door. Haldiman sprang
to his feet and grasped the offended man by
the shoulders.
None of that he cried. Come back,
you villain. You are net going to offer me
a fortune and then sneal; off in that fashion.
~ No"h' b"ihNy OH uINh anu 81 vi WIN
the pretty talk"
ooh, it's no use,'' said the other, in tones
of deep detection. 81 said l hadn't a friend
in the world, and l haven't"
"Bosh. You're harder to humor than a
baby. If a man may not smile in his own
room, where may he? I'm intensely inter
ested an. want to know what crime I'm ex-
pected to commit. Never mind the money,
but state your case"
THE money is part of the case. / pay
or don't play"
Certainly. That's understood. ! accept.
Fire away"
well, you know all the editors of the
illustrated weeklies and magazines
For my sins I do-alas."
Then to come right to the point as be-
tween man and man, / want to buy a first
class critic and the editor of a first-class IL
Illustrated periodical"
"You mean you want to buy a going mag
a zine?"
e 81 don't mean any thing of the kind. /
u mean just what I say"
( Then l don't quite understand you. Elk.
plain
II "Wha / want is this: I want a first.
class art critic to write an article in q
frst-class periodical saying that Barnard
' Hope is the greatest artist the world has
: ever SEEM
oh. is that all?"
u "No, that's not all. I want the article
s%uperbly illustrated-in color, If possible
II with reproductions of my chief paintings
"Ah. l wouldn't do that, Barney, if
: were you. The pictures would be rather a
g~ive-away of the great critics ~eulogy."
Eyes, 1 knew you would say that. The
/ obviousness of such a remark would COM
mend itself to you. But you see I'm per
fectly frank with you. Now, could yor
manage this for me? Remember, 1 don
e care how much money I spend"
Haldiman removed the black pipe from
; his mouth. knocked the ashes out of it. ant
G thoughtfully reflled it.
5 well, for brazen cheek, Barney" he
said, at last, that proposal
= Yes, L know, 1 know, l know. But these
y things happen every day-or, not to ex'
aggerate, let us say every second day. II
is simply doing for me what Ruskin did fol
L Turner. Turner painted away all his life,
nobody recognized him, and he died In
Chelsea. Now In living in Chelsea, and
want recognition during my life. OF course,
J., my Ruskin will come along after I'm dead
), but, like the fellow who was to be executed
o I won't be there to enjoy 1t. Things rarely
r happen at the right moment in this world,
and my braZen proposal is merely to take
/. events by the coat collar and hurry them
u up a bit. You see what l mean. Besides,
+ am infinitely greater than Turner, don't
you know"
y, Haldiman smoked and medltated for SOM
moments; then he said:
I'm not sure but the trick may be done
although doubt if brutal barefaced bflber,
a will do it. How would a magazine lik.
! Our National Art suit you?"
a Nothing could be better"
: "And would a French art critic like Well
ieme be satisfactory"
Perfectly. What he says is taken for gos
pei all the world over"
, "Well l happen to know that the editor o.
Our National Art has been trying for {
! year to get Ciellieme to write about English
a art, but the Frenchman won't come over t.
London, even for a day, at any price. Wei
lieme Is great as a writer, but greater still
as a money spender. III run over to Paris
5 and sound him. You couldn't bride tbs
! editor Of Our National Art but he will prinI
/ anything Viellieme will write for him. Now
know the Frenchman doesn't care what hi
writes for England, although he Is rather
particular about what appears in Paris. Ht
7 thinks there is no art in England"
F, Hes right, too, as far as his knowledge
goes; but he's never seen anything of mine
Just so. Then, II Viellieme agrees, yor
would be willing to send some Of your i'm
3 mortal works over to Paris for his inspec'
Y ton"
A of them, my boy, all Of them"
c "Then well look on that as settled. II
D do my best"
4 God bless you, my dear fellow! Cos
bless you'll" cried Barney with deep emotion
e crushingly w~ringing the hand OF the wlncina
man whom he now declared to be his one
4 friend on earth. He c~lattered noisily dowr
Q the stairs like a stalwart trooper, sprans
into the waiting hanson, and departed.
n CHAPTER xxx