The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-08-08
AT the Eleventh
~ Hour. ~
BY Anne shannon Monroe.


II looked up from my painting.
Bruce Blanchard stood in my door
way as coolly impudent as when /
had parted with him in Yakima five
wears before. | did not start nor ex-
claira. l pointed 10 my match case
and said quietly. TEL me about it,"
lie came in on this halfway invi-
tation and, seating himself on my
divan, lighted his cigarette. His to-
bacco-stained fingers trembled as of
old. i did not iatter myself it was
from emotion-rather too many
cigarettes.
As ] leaned back in my chair and
eyed him curiously a picture came
before me-a wide. western plain,
ssge-covered and somber. the great
irrigation canal winding snake-like
down through the valley. and at its
headgates the small settlement that
had sprung up from the nucleus OF
engineers and contractors camps
On the ground in front of one OF the
tents stretched the handsome form
Of a man i'm canvas clothes. A girl
swung lazily in a hammock, reading.
The man was smoking a cigarette.
and as he smoked he turned h weed
with that peculiar little gesture of
his nervous fingers that Bruce
Blanchard now used as he sat smok-
ing in my studio
The gesture aroused me to the
present. 1 blinked my eyes to dispel
.s.~n L..x 49,. .nnfrrf fiO11ra StQld
on and the smoke was real.
Tell me about IL, Bruce" l said
again.
There is nothing 10 tell. Louise.
no color, nothing heroic 'Twould
only bore you. Got e new story"
In those olden days, when Bruce
and I had been all the world to each
other: when. in that PARKWAY iAo-
lated settlement on the pains. news
was rare. and we reyeled in month
old papers and year-old magazines,
ono u our means Of adding comedy
10 the prosy days was 10 hunt up
magazine Jokes and see which could
find one entirely new To the other.
Yes. here's a good one" l said,
lust for you. It's this: The other
art students think | am on fire with
artistic zeal: that ! have forsaken
home and loved ones TO follow my
hearts desire; that | would give my
life and think il cheap could l once
e. hung in the Parisian galleries
/ have n thing hung here in the
art institute. Go look at II some
day-in the east room. at the south
end-a wide stretch Of western prai
RE. with white tepts i'm the distance
and a man in the foreground They
saw it's after Remington Perhaps
But that's a good story. isn't IL. abou'
INV sou being welded to art? Sounds
well--
Bruce shipped the ashes from hi
cigarette. He did not seem amused
Tell me, Louise. how are you get
ting on?" he asked in a serious tone
.Tell me of yourself. dear boy"
replied.
.What's the use? Same old story
went to Africa for n time, then Il
China; later to the Philippines In
fever struck me and l came hom'
when I could. Haven't been doini
much Of anything since. ! came Z
Chicago. driftcd into the institute
and got to painting again. fester
day | found rooms in this building
through Todhunter. Know him? II
lives on this floor. lie said the,
we're mostly students here. a sort Q
American Quarter Latin. l didn'
dream Of finding you. Supposed 20
rad married n western cowboy Q
rancher. or something of the kline
You were quite in raptures over thos
products Of the soil. rs | remember.
.Onlv for skctching purposes
Bruce"
Been here longs'
"a year. | answered.
Like it?- Bruce lighted "A fires
s.gnrettc from the end ~ his old on'
.ymUensely." / told him.
"Going in for the real thing, Louis
art in ~carnest?"
"Of COURSE Then | laughed. "fo
spoiicd me in the camp. you boys
I addec. "You made me think ] wa
the whole thing just because ] w
the cuiy girl in the valley. wonde'
ed why l couldn't be a hit out in n
world M well. Ii was fearfully lon
" on the ranch after che engineer
camps broke up. saw papa couldn
make a success Of ranching VI
too old, you know. Bruce--and the