The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-05-15
FAME AND FAILURE.
ny ESTHER woOD.

- WINS since sunday IOr MS
usual evening chat. For three months
noW we had sketehed, scrubbed and
smoked together, often far into the
Mshs talking art and poetry with all
ene 4ervor Of -impecunious youth, the
nor ~fergently for our bitter knowledge
mat each morrow must bring it's des-
Paeaole round of pot-boiling, it's dreary
prostitution of brush and pen to the
stern ~exigencies of a livelihood.
For myself I did not care much. But
TOT Teddy Brownlow, with his fresh
young life 50 rich in talent and power,
as head full Of high ideals and his heart
bounding with enthusiasm, I cared a
great deal. / took a jealous pride in the
possibilities of his future, and rebelled
against their continual subservience to
present need.
So I jumped up, delighted, when the
cid quick step came on the stairs, and
the old Arm hand-grip sought my own,
ana Teddy's slim figure was flung into
ms favorite armchair.
You've got three nights to account
2 Let's have it, old man." said 1.
A$e been up the river" he replied.
That's true" I remarked concessive-
~, as I looked at him. you've certain
~ been up the river, or down to the sea,
with that complexion" His fair, deli
cate skin was rudy and tanned as a
haymaker's under his curly brown
hair. "And who is the latest mash?"
Teddy's sensitive mouth twitched a
little, and / began watching it intently
to see if the corners would go up or
down. They went down. 1 knew that
weather-vane well.
'It's not a mash" he said; 'it's a COM
plication,"
drew my chair up, tossed the match
IS to him and looked away, understand
ing his mood. Teddy filled his pipe
thoughtfully and looked back, resting
his head against the old oak cupboard
door S % that his finely-cut profile shone
on clearly in the lamplight when I
glanced at him again, and his deep blue
eyes gazed wistfully before him, per-
picked and sad.
Presently, and with a few words from
me, he began to talk.
you know the Harrison girls? Well,
they're all right. It's that cousin of
theirs, Mrs. Roxburgh."
What That limp little widow we
met at the Earlham party?"
Eyes; she's a very interesting woman,
and has had experiences. She was kid
mapped in India as a baby and brought
up in q convent, and married very young
to some old rake, who divorced her at
the end Of two years. She's a sort of
faxen and fluffy type, you know; not
pretty, but lights up well when she's
talking; looks 40 in the morning and 20
at night. Of course, when l first went
to see the girls I didn't mean to p%articu-
larize. We were all very jolly together,
and, in fact, L felt rather safe with Mrs,
Roxburgh, because I thought she would
prevent my being paired off by mamma
with Kitty N May. But then she began
TO take a great interest in my work,
and made me tell her all about my diff.
hcuIties and ideas and plans for the fu-
ture. And at last one day she said the
only thing she cared for in life now was
to see me develop my art, and fulfill my
destiny, and all that sort of thing, anG
she wanted to be my friend and help me
to do so. Only, unluckily. she didn't
name her price just then, and I didn't
tumble to it."
sTm glad you didn't" said I.
eShe has got a little none of hel
own" he went on, and a jolly little
place up the river at Templecombe
where I've been staying this weekend
with her. And she's very anxious fol
me to go and settle down there. d
course, / should come up to town once
or twice a week, but it would be fine tt
live in the country; / could do sucl
good work there-that valley scenery
appeals to me so strongly, and then il
would be such a relief not to have to
worry any more about money-Ihate il
So"
"And this generous friend proposes
10 take all such petty details off YOU
hands-how kind Of heri" l cried, an.
grily, as the remembrance of a fair and
doIl-like creature with pink frills and
white laces rose In my mind, and
before me shone the fresh, honest face
of Teddy-our glorious Teddy-whon
we all loved, and for whom we cherished
dreams and ambitions perhaps ever
higher than his own. How kind Of
herr l repeated, almost iercely. '"Tc
save your art from its struggle with the
commercial world-O, and that's hard
enough, 1 knowl-she offers to buy you
out and out, body and soul together, and
endow you for life to paint what she will
inspire, and what she viii sell again in
her own markets, and shut you up in a
world Of baser commerce than ours,
where you would nave to sell your hon
or. your ideals, even your personal lib
erty and judgment, to a wealthy mis-
tress who cares less than nothing for
them. Do you mean to tell me that il
she did care she would make the offer
in the way you suggest it has been
made9"
NV harsh tones Jared upon Teddy,
for I saw him vince and shrink, as it
were, into himself.
..Dear old boyl' I said, "don't think
me unsympathetic, but really the thing