The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-10-08
7TEI[E ARTIST WHO
PROMISED WELL.
BY JOHN H. RAFFERTY,

J0nQ ddrRer OF hduSdS, OuItSu CldlCS
of America, pupil of Lefebyre, hadn't
been in Paris two years, but every stu
dent in the Quarter Latin knew him.
He was poor when he came, and what
with buying colors and brushes, paying
models and scraping together his tuition
fees he grew poorer month by month.
He tried to learn French, but couldn't
and finally, in his hot tempered, brusque
way, gave it up, with an oath and swore
he'd never waste another hour upon it.
He was "a, a giant in physique, boy in
temperament, sudden and quick in quar-
rel, already bearded like Vandyke and
already his masters favorite pupil.
When ne began his first trial for the
salon, he owed his landlord 24O francs;
he was living on potatoes, which ne COOK
ed over little gas stove in his own stu
dio; he was reduced to maximum OF
ten cigarettes a day, and he had not
tasted meat for eight days. He had no
credit with the cafes in the Quarter be-
cause he had thrashed half dozen OF
their surly walters and was in bad odor
with the proprietors. He had enough
friends among the American, Scotch and
English students, but most of them were
almost as poor as himself, and he scorn-
ed to borrow so long as he could get
few francs for a sketch. His friends
called him 'tthe Buffalo" and often urged
him to join their periodical drinking
bouts; but, though he loved frollc al
most as well as a good picture, he con-
trived to convince his friends that he
could not be inveigled into their gayeties
till he was In a position to reciprocate.
So he had bolted along, working like
fury, studying necessarily and hoping
against hope in his headstrong way till
the day came when he must begin his sa-
lon offering or be left out of the compe-
tition.
"M'sieu Lefebvre." he said bluntly to
the master at last, "Im afraid | shall
have to give it up. ! can sell enough to
get materials for my picture, but will
have Mile. Courbois for my model or none
at all. She must have 20 francs the sit
ting or she will not even look at me. She
is demon after money. She trusts no
one, butt will have nobody else"
"Ah, mon pauvre Buff'loo," said M. LIE
febvre, laying his hairy hand on Harker's
broad shoulder, 81 can max re arrange
wis M'sell Courbois on one condition
Eat you will not max re loaf wis hair"
"Make love to her! To her" laughed
the big American. "Td as soon think Of
making love to a she lion. Why, every
man know has tried it. She is incapable
of being loved. She is an iceberg, a cold
blooded, mercenary"-
"But 500 vair, infinite, beauty fool!
Re young man he cannot rezeest. But
eef you will promees / shall sent hair to
you on re morneeng."
Harker was up with the sun the next
morning, making ready for the momen-
tous sitting. He gathered up a hundred
cigarette butts, saved for the rainy day
when he might not be able to buy fresh
ones, arranged his platform, assembled
his utensils, set his palette and, restless
with fierce energy, began to walk from
his single window to his door, eager for
the Courbois to appear.
She came at last, in a cabriolet, with
smart little maid bearing her draperies
and her few toilet articles in a tidy leath-
err bag.
Theriot, the landlord, was at the door
almost before the cab stopped. He was
bowling and scraping as she set her tiny
foot on the pavement, and he escorted
uGI up the IlChGlg SLAMS " LIN w HNNA'
where Harker met them, bowling, at his
door. When the visitors entered, Theriot
fingered in the doorway, leering at the
Buffalo.
''WeIl, what do you want" said Har-
ker, trying to modulate his voice.
"My dear M'sieu Harkair, could you
not let me have something on re rental.
Eet is now more than
"Get out" growled Harker, "and don't
come back till you're sent for"
The landlord shook his head threaten
ingly, but the door was shut in his face,
and away he went as mad as a wet hen.
Meanwhile the Courbois, who knew ex-
actly what to do, had taken her position
on the platform. The maid was dis
missed with permission to return in an
hour, and the painter sat down to his
work. She did not speak to him after
the first salutations had passed, and he,
astonished in spite of himself at her
splendid beauty, worked with fierce speed
as though afraid that some poise of her
wondrous head and neck or some tint of
her radiance should escape him. She
watched him narrowly with her sea green
eyes, tanning herself lazily and in abso-
lutte silence.
'I'll bet she is a devil" the Buffalo
was saying to himself, "a selfish, grasp
ing, heartless, plotting fend. but, gee
whillikens, Caesar can hardly be blamed
if Cleopa'-
"Time's up" Mile. Courbos suddenly
broke in. "Mr. Harker"-with a win
ming smile-"you are an eager workman"
st seems about five minutes since you
came" he blurted, ready to get angry
with his model, but glancing at the clock.
And then. as he thrust his brushes back
into jar, but ! suppose beggars can't
be choosers."
She laughed a merry note of admira-
ton and mock terror and said in perfect
English:
''Why, I'm afraid you're mad with
mel Come, now, you enthusiast, I'll give
you FIVE minutes more" And she bounded
back upon the platform with the pref
test gesture of fright possible. He
laughed in spite of himself, and when she
stepped down again another half hour
had sped She praised his first rough
sketch with rare judgment and many
suggestions, modestly and naively given.
Then the maid came in. and in five min
utes they were gone. Harker bowed
them out as Raleigh might have bowed
before Elizabeth, but already in his heart
there was something more poignant and
insidious than the surface worship of
fawning courtier
"By lingo. I'm half sorry promised
Lefebvre," he growled, pulling his beard
rs he watched the cab disappear around
the corner.
But he stuck to his promise. For weeks
every day she came, and the picture grew
till Harker's heart felt as big as bush
e, and the very lukewarm water with
which he washed down his meals of po-
tatoes seemed like Falernian. He was
already in love with the picture and be
lieved that when the time came he could
yet part forever from his model.
But one day during the sitting, while
the Buffalo was in very ecstasy Of
ferocious enthusiasm. there was loud
rap at the door. The painter and the
model, in silent sympathy, frowned, but
needed it not. Then the door was thrust
rudely open, and Theriot stood there
with an ugly grin on his red face and the
bill for rent in his hand.
''Here, Harkcr," he bawled; 81 will
have my rent today, here, now. No nar-
lez."
The landlord was drunk, but there was
no "parlez," as he insolently put it. Har-
ker pluckcd the bill out Of his hand,
seized him by the shoulders, whirled him
round as if he were top and, delivering
a mighty cuff and a forcible kick with
Simultaneous accuracy upon the most APP
proprate portions of Theriot's anatomy,
sent him rolling, bouncing and sprawling
down the stairs.
'Bravor cried the model, clapping her
hands bravo, Mr.. Buffalo, You fight
as you paint-quickly, ferociously and
very strongly" And she laughed till the
bright tears swan in her great eyes.
Halker laughed, too-frst at her, then
with her and finally at himself. He had
no malice in his heart, and already he
Uras sorry for rTboriot Resides he he