The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-29

and in his excitement overturning
saucer of paint on his coat. He wiped
it off with a napkin, while Margaret
scolded. lamented. and advised all at
once.
GO and change your coat, there's
dear" she said.
What's the use, Margaret" answer
ed the boy; he'll never notice."
Mr.. Charlton's proposition was to
take Charlie into his law office.
L suppose you can read and write"
he said grimly, land if you have any
brains at all, I'll teach you to reason
Yes, sir, can read and write" said
Charlie sullenly Che was always at his
worst in his fathers presence), but
don't want to learn the other thing
What, to reaSon?''
No. sir, to be a lawyer"
Probably you would like to go to
college? Well. you can't. I don't be-
heve in it. What do you want to make
of yourself?'
I'D like to be an artist said Charlie.
AN artistic draw pictures like the
one MaKsaret showed me? Nonsense.
Put that out of your head-it will never
buy your salt. If you don't want to ac-
cept my offer, I'll not force you. Stay
at the high school for a year longer,
and then decide on what you'll work at,
for l promise you you'll have to work
1 did,
This ended the interview. an unsatis-
factory one to both parties, for it con-
WINGED Charlie that his father hated
him and it confirmed the father in the
impression that his son was a Ounce.
It's worst effect. however, was to bolster
up Margarets belief that her boy was a
born painter. Charlie had some doubts
about this until his fathers rough
speech: after that he felt positive that
nature and fate both intended him to
be artist. Hitherto he had made but
little progress under a process of self
tuition which consisted mainly in copy
ing from pictures and coloring his out
lines ''out of his own head" Now he
| decided to procure instruction, and sur
reptitiously he did so.
That was mistake number one in poor
Charlie CharltOn's career A little con-
Sideration, a little sympathy, might
have shown him the error he was MAX
wasted, but his father gave him neither
and at twenty the boy had his way.
Six months afterwards he opened a
little studio. furnished it with the
queer fiotsam and jetsam of an artists
life, and began to paint au serieux. Mr.
Charlton had agreed to allow his son a
small income, and it was paid in to him
promptly.
At this period Charlie, as everybody
called him, seemed to be perfectly hap
py. 1t is true that he never, by any
chance, sold a picture, but this was only
crumpled rose leaf, for Charlie used
to laugh and say frankly that his works
weren't worth a purchase.
A couple of years of studio life, some
debts. of course, some compiled lions,
and then young Charlton made another
mistake-the crowning one. When
his fortunes We're at their low
est ebb. he married his own model.
The elder Charlton, when he heard
of this step. promptly stopped the al
lowance and cut his sons name out of
his will.
That might have been endured, but
the marriage itself was most unhappy.
Nobody ever said a kind word about
the young wife, but she may have been
driven to it by poverty At all events,
she went on in the chorus of a musical
comedy. and, as her figure had grown
too blowsy to serve any longer for an
artists model. it was, perhaps, the only
thing she could do
But, if all that was reported was
true, she found the temptations to lead