The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-15
Short Story Of
|fbe Day P4'H55R '..05f.

Let me make it plain at once that I am
a portrait painter. l lay no claim TO dis
tinction, though l have sufficient patron
age to make life easy. This Is on account
of the strangest and easiest commission
1 ever had. My chief hobby is oId-fash-
ioned frames. I don't care what is inside
of them, my fancy being to get frame
and later paint a picture which shall
seem to me suitable for such a setting
One day in December about a week
before Christmas, picked up a fine but
dilapidated specimen of wood carving in
a shop on Sixth avenue. The gliding had
been worn nearly away, and three of the
corners broken off; yet, as there was one
of the corners still left l hoped to be
able to repair the others from it. AS 70.
the canvas inside this frame, it was so
smothered with dirt and stains that I
could only distinguish 1t had been a very
badly painted likeness of some sort, of
some commonplace person. daubed in by
a poor pot-boiling painter to fill the sec
ond-hand frame which his patron may
have picked up cheaply as l had uone
after him; but as the frame was all right
took the spoiled canvas along with 1t,
thinking It might come in handy.
When l arrived at my studio a gentle
man was awaiting me. / put the old
frame against the wall and inquired his
wishes.
Il want portrait painted" he said
simply
Your own, slr?"
No." he answered. hesitatingly, that
of person who died several years ago. -
Such commissions are not altogether
uncommon, and though they are seldom
satisfactory, either to the artist or the
client. they are profitable. SO I asked
my visitor what he had in the way OF
photographs that I could give my work
by.
Il have a miniature on ivory" he said;
''It is a good likeness. and the coloring
is exact If you could enlarge
1 told him to show me the miniature
He hadn't it with him, but said he would
bring it next day, and departed OF
course, the matter dropped out Of my
mind in short time. I was very busy
until well into the evening, when 1 chanc-
ed to look at my recent purchase The
light fell on it In such way that my at
tention was attracted by a slight mark
ing that seemed to indicate that the can
vas had been used more than once. The
original picture had been painted out to
make room for this coarse daub
With some curiosity I set to work with
water and soap to clean the thing. This
process brought out the vile drawing OF
the upper protrait in ugly clearness. II
d
itician, clearly, with a plentiful supply
of jewelry displayed, as is usual with
such masterpieces, where the features are
not considered Of so much importance as
strict fidelity In the depicting of such
articles as Watchguard and seals finger
rings and breastpins; these were all
there, as natural and hard as reality
Having got the dirt off, I had recourse
to spirits Of wine and turpentine, with
W a 11a NJ 7
began TO demolish the politician ruthless
ly, in the vague hope that I might find
something worth looking at underneath
A slow process that was, as well as a
delicate one, so that it was close upon
midnight before the gold cable rings and
vermilliOn visage disappeared and an
other picture doomed up before me: then
giving it final wash over. 1 wiped II
dry and set 1t in a good light on nv
easel, while 1 filled and lit my pipe, and
then sat down to look at It.
i What had I liberated from that vile
prison of crude paint? I did not REQUIRE
to set 1t up to know that this bunrler oil
the brush had covered up and defIed q
work as far beyond his comprehension a.
the clouds are from the caterpillar.
The bust and head Of a young woman
of uncertain age, merged within a gloom
Of rich accessories, painted as only 2
+A-N~''NSA
serting his knowledge, and who has learn.
ed to cover his technique 1t was as. per
feet and natural in It's somber vet ouiei
dignity as If 1t had come from the brush
of Moroni
A face and neck perfectly colorless In
their pallid whiteness. with the shadows
so artfully managed that they could not
be seen, and for this quality would have
delighted the strong minded Queen Bess
AT first as / looked / saw In the center
of vague darkness dim patch OF gray
gloom that drifted into the shadow Then
the grayness appeared to grow lighter
as I sat from it and leaned back in
my chair until the features stole out soft
ly, and became clear and definite while
the figure stood out from the background
as If tangible. although, having washed
it, knew that it had been smoothly
painted.
An intent face, with delicate nose. we'll
shaped. although bloodless; lips and eyes
like dark caverns, without a spark OF
light in them. The hair. loosely textur-
ed, jet black and lusterless, which hid the
upper portion of the brow with the ears
and fell in straight, indefinite waves
over the left breast, leaving the right
portion of the transparent neck exposed
The dress and background were sym
phonies of ebony, yet full of subtle col
oring and mastery feeling: a dress OF
rich brocaded velvet with a background
that represented vast receding space
wondrously suggestive and awe-inspiring
/ was so fascinated with my discovery
that l sat staring at it until nearly feI
as.eeD in my chair Then 1 went ia bAd