The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-01
ANNE LEE, ARTIST.

Anne Lees wash drawings. Indeed.
1t was the ladies of the board who
had provided the materials for these
productions. Though they We're an
enthusiastic board they admitted to
themselves that time might some.
times hang little heavily at the Old
Ladies Home-that peaceful retreat
of decayed gentlewomen For. be it
understood, this was a retreat of pc.
culiar sort. and was not too inclusive
in its benefcence. The ladies who
filled its bare. clean chambers were
the widows of clergymen, the cousins
Of Bishops. the near kin of deans.
An atmosphere at once exclusive and
theological peryaded the place. and
if law and system have one spot
which they favored above all others,
that place was without doubt, the
Old Ladies' Home.
Anne Lee was as well born as any
inmate of its walls. and she measured
certain "reminiscences of a peculiarly
feminine character which might have
furnished a romancer with several
pretty tales. She had not. however,
known in the long course Of her life
what it was to draw the deep and
sweet breath of perfect liberty. As
a girl she was raised to account for
every moment of her time. and to ask
for permission to make a call or to
take q walk II had always been the
fashion in her family for the women
to do this way. Married she knew
no more liberty. and when she be-
came widow she went to live with a
sister who granted her house room
grudgingly, and who finally thought
1t best for Anne to resign her modest
chamber and her uuobtrusive seat at
her board for the kinder hospitality
Of the Old Ladies' Home. Anne Lee,
who was too proud to show her pride
entered its doors as If she had been
a Duchess returning after many jour
neyings TO her ancestral estates. She
bore herself with the greatest dignity,
was deliberately polite to the other in
mates, a trile condescending to the
ladies Of the board and was friendly
with the servants.
81 reserve all my Immature for my
equals" she once remarked to
friend. Her little chamber at the
home looked toward the north.
81 think l ought to have north
light, she said to the matron on en-.
tering. Il am something of an artist
as perhaps you know" The matron
glanced at the white wavering hands,
the gentle yet obstinate blue eyes. the
delicate chin, and narrow, lofty brow,
and smiled. The matron had become
a good physiognomist. and she read
sci IN, fsrh
bred and imaginative face. She told
the ladies of the board and they pro,
cured cardboard, and tubes and char
coal. and an easel and hoped they =
should hear little Of Anne Lee.
All might have gone well, if it had
not been for Mrs. Edward Appleby,
who. being a bride, had no business
on the board anyway. The views she
took of life were too irresponsible
optimistic for member of the board.
She was enthusiastic-and therefore,
disorganizing She saw Anne Lees
pallid landscapes and opaque-looking
marines, and uttered affectionate and
extravagant praise. Then. out OF the
fulness Of a pretty pocket-book she
purchased few of these things.
ut will give the poor old thing a
little pocket money" she refecteo
perhaps she would like to buy some
little remembrance for her friends"
And she thought no more about the
matter
But one day Anne Lee was missing.
No one had seen her leave. She
would not, of course, have been al
lowed even to walk upon the street
alone-for it was still her fate to be
deprived of liberty. Moreover. her
easel, her painting materials, and
part of her clothes were missing.
There seemed to be little doubt that
she had made her escape in the early
But where had she gone:
Inquiries were made of all her ac.
None of them knew
anything about her. The police hunt
ed the city. The physicians, the
coroner, the hospital superintendent
all watched. All waited. But she
did not come into their hands.
1t was Mrs. Appleby who found her
Mrs. Appleby who was so we'll
pleased with the world that she went
about constantly endeavoring to dis.
cover more beauties. She was visit.
ing a certain old historic building,
which for three decades had been af.
fected by artists for their studies,
when she came upon this single card,
written in an uncertain hand. and
tucked in the corner of the door:
Anne Lee, Artist"
what coincidence" said Mrs.
Appleby. moved by an idle curiosity,
she tapped at the door, hardly know.
ing why she did so. She more than
half expected to see the door opened
by some young girl to whom she
would tell the pathetic story of the
other Anne Lees disappearance.
But it was poor old Anne Lee her.
self, in her familiar black stuff dress,
who opened the door, and who, see
ing Mrs. Appleby, assumed an atti
tude of defiance. Mrs. Appleby tool
note of the attitude and perceived
that diplomacy was required.
"Am l not to see the work yoI
have been doing, Anne?" she asked
Perhaps you will have somethin
that will please me better than any
thing you have yet done. | am ou-
this morning on a picture hunt. and
have already visited three or four of
the studios"
Anne Lee could not resist the smile
OF this patron. She threw wide the
door Of her Studio" Then with a
realizing sense of its poverty, flushed
scarlet. The ambitious old creature
had spent every cent of which she
possessed and pawned every tlfnketto
ut out this retreat, confident without
doubt, that as soon as her talents be.
came known life would present no
further problems. The place was a
pitiful imitation Of a young art stu.