The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-12-23


q marb1e-h heart and silk-clad woman
beside IL; young woman who reads.
aloud, an old man who drinks coffee, a
waiter who serves with a tray, a lap
dog, yawning with tedium detest
that sort Of pictures. shall not mar
~ until the whole world recognizes
whom am. When connoisseurs begin
to vie with one another for the pur-
chase of my pictures: when have
reached that point at which shall be
able to come to you with a blank cam
vas on which nothing has yet been
painted except my name, and ask
you, What is this canvas worth 2 and
you say, Twenty thousand francs and
reply, 1t shall be ready for you in a
| week. then I will be ready to we'd
My own self-respect demands that
be able to say to Miss Deborah Stops.
the, silver queen, I take you.
Nobly spoken!" said NJ. 4 Luchs.
That's the kind of youth like"
few days later M. Diomede was
awakened at 10 o'clock In the morn
ing. He was told to hurry to the art
dealer. A purchaser had come for one
of his pictures. ].
Who is hep
An American"
What is hep ~
A cotton king"
Diomede hurried to get to the art
dealer. He was there within three
hours. The American was waiting for
him. M. Luchs introduced them to
each other.
M. Diomede-Mr. Vanderguld''
Mr.. Vanderguld was tall, thin old
man, pale, with that complexion which
goes with total abstinence from spir-
| .ituous drink
Are your pictures for sale?'
That's why they are placed on ex-
hibition."
What is their price?"
you can see. The Sleeping Wench,
10000 francs; thu Drinking Cow H.
600 francs; the Sunshine $4,000
francs; the Still Life $4,000 francs;
the Battle Picture $4,000 francs-to-
tall don't know how much Just add
them together" n%
I Mr.. Vanderguld shook his head.
I'm my gallery, my dear sir, in
which Europe's most famous artists
are represented, there is not picture
that has stood me less than $4,000
francs"
That's easily remedied. Let each
of the five be $4,000 francs, them
1--WE can place the Battle Picture
at 10000" = "A
$50 that in round numbers it shall
all foot up $4,000 francs? Agreed"
| Mr.. Vanderguld took out his check
book and gave M. Diomede the amount.
Then he stuck his visiting card into
the frame of each Of the five pictures
as evidence of his having purchased
them. He directed the art-dealer to ad-
just the figures on the price-list tackled
on at the lower part of each frame
and to leave the pictures on exhibition
for another week, after. which he would
take them with him to the New World.
The report of this wonderful sale
| spread rapidly through the metropolis.
! And now the public rushed with ven
geance to admire the pictures which
America had captured And everybody
now discovered the hidden beauties
which nobody had been able to detect
before. And from that day M. Diomede
became one of the most celebrated
artists of Europe, whose pictures are
shown only for an admission fee, and
are placed on pedestals beneath can
| opies and illuminated with electrical
effects.
Now he could proudly step before the
silver queen and ask for her hand. He
got it, too. and became universally
envied husband :. - s.-.
| Thenceforth the Salon did not reject
his productions, eithef. And no matter
what price was placed upon them, there
was certain to be card stuck into
their frames the very first week of the
exhibition: Purchased by Mr.. Van
derguld" %
M. Diomede now possessed fame, a
brush, every stroke of which was well
paid for; a handsome, loving, cultured
good natured wife, a magnificent pal
ace and still more magnificent studio;
coach, a hunter and chef.
But geniuses have a way of never
being content with their lot. However
there are others, too, who when they
are very fortunate in love fall prey
to jealousy. M Diomede could never
understand why Mrs. Deborah would
not allow her cook to work on Sun
day, nor the horses to be harnessed
nor why she never went to the theater
His wife told him CURLY that she was
Ia Methodist and a strict observer OF
the Sabbath. 81.
| But what worried him more was the
secrecy in which his wife shrouded one
of the rooms It's door was always
locked, and Diomede was never permit
ted to enter. His wife w1.hdrew regu-
! larly every Sunday to this room and
i spent much time there. Eavesdroppine
servants ascertained that she would
4 speak with man in there. When NJ
! Diomede took her to account for it she
i replied that she was engaged in pious
\ exercises in the locked room according
to the precepts Of her religion, and the
man whose voice was heard through
the double door was az Methodist
!. preacher.
i Il should like to take look at that
preacher"
You would regret it exceedingly
Has the preacher such a terrible
look?''
1 He has"