The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-05
A GIRL AND A BARGAIN HUNTER.

i constant and humiliating reminder that
she was the better man.
She was a wood burner and eked out
her living and that of her mother by the
sale Of her quaint wares. He was
! painter OF rare talent, reasonable industry
and an utter lack Of business acumen.
There had been weeks since his return
| from Paris when his whole revenue was
derived from unsigned pot-boilers which
/ Amy had sOiled for him. The serious
! things he had completed would not sell.
He never could master the ART OF crack
! ing up his own STUFF, and the few quar-
rels he had with Amy were brought about
/ by the seedlings she gave him for what
she called childish diffidence" He re-
! sented the term childish" but he was
aware OF his lack of self-esteem, and
forever promising that he would master
it.
Being proud OF his sweetheart and
sure OF the honest merits of his work,
be was deeply inundated when the ears
end drew nigh and the Handwriting on
the WALL told him that he had not only
fallen short OF her achievement. but that
! the wedding must again be postponed IN
/ less he could make & coup and make ii
quickly. Upon his dusty wall hung his
chief work. There * had hung for two
years, admired BY many, praised, talked
about, but-unsold. lie had sworn 2
thousand times that he would never part
with il for less than 81 000 and IN his
heart he wished that he might never sell
it. For il was an inspiration 10 him
II reminded him of the Old, palmy DAYS in
Paris; the master had wept over it and
had hugged him when he offered il 70
the jury. Amy had posed for one Of the
+. figures; in a word, it was his retrospect
and his pledge to the future. But when
/ December came and his savings showed
/ less than hers he abandoned his resolu-
+ ton and made UP his mind 20 sell his
/ treasure If he could.
I'm going to sell my salon picture
Amy" he said to her when she came in
+ the next day.
Good for you, Horace" she laughed
for she was a practical little beauty
who gets the treasurer"
IT don't know yet" he hesitated
What's the least you'd take for IT,
Amy?"
"Oh. don't know" she sighed. And
I his heart faltered when she added glanc-
ing askance at him under her picture
hat, It'd be dirt cheap at"
''What?'
Five hundred" she ventured
He was half angry at her CONNER
cialism" as he called it, and as he looked
sull1y she founced away with a reassur-
ing laugh. Then he pulled his hat down
over his eyes, and with shame and the
+ courage of desperation almost ran to the
downtown Office of Manheimer. the
+ banker. connoisseur, who had once talked
about buying Horace's picture. Face to
face with his prospective customer, Hor-
ace began badly by saying that he was
hard up and wanted to sell his salon
picture. The rich man began we'll by adj
hitting that he might buy il az half
price" That put matters at ance on
H hos hrrf fr1ef Of hold fs4cr f4ral
poor Horace. driven by shame over Amy
; superior savings. and piqued to think that
she and AIanheirner (whom ne despised)
had appreciated mis- picture at the same
price, blundered into a weak. haggling
argument. during which the shrewd buyer
'Jewed" him down to $500. The picture
was sold.
I'm send it up to your house this after
noon. said Horace, flushed and half
angry as he pOcketed the check.
He went back 70 his studio and with
shaking hand scrawled at the bottom of
the column of figures the final $500. Then
he called an eXpressman, and with I'M
spoken pangs parted forever with what
had been the pride and hope OF his young
+ career.
Amy came back toward dusk and made
some tea for him. It was five minutes
before he spoke and then he lighted
lamp. led her up to the figured sum Of
their savings showed her the footing
81 coo and kissed her. Then they were
happy for a while. but before she left him
she got into a fine little frenzy over
Nanheimer's hateful, stingy. bargain
hunting littleness." That's what Amy
called it. and she was so angry that Hor-
ace now fully regretted his haste. But
as she fingered in the hallway she
turned again, pinched his ear. and said:
BY the way, Horace, ! want another
pot-boiler. a water color this time. II
must have, let's see. some sheep IN Il,
q brook anG-Oh, yes-about ten by
twenty. so it'll fran up twenty by thir-
~ Make a pretty good thing, but don't
sign It. Remember, now, don't sign
: it,"
About a week later Horace was invited
TO visit Mr.. Aianheimer's galleries, osten-
sibly 70 see his own picture in place but
in reality TO adorn one OF those little
functions which the upstart regard as
incomplete without an atmosphere Of "BO-
hemia." whatever that is. When dinner
was over the guests went strolliag
through the fine gallery. and Horace. 20
evade the senseless dattery that was
shcwered upon his picture. wandered
away to inspect some Of the mere famous
works. He paused. astonished, In front
oC a water color that looked strangely
familiar Il was gorseously framed ard
signed Ivan Saint-Geran. Paris. ISL
He had studied it for two minutes before
he was perfectly sure that Il was the
very pot boiler. faxed Up with sheep
brook and trimmings that nc had given
( 10 Amy unsigned a week agoi Yet here
. L. was between a famous Corot and a
l costly Gerome. weak. false. miserable
daub. incorporating among the masters
j How DO YOU like ny Saint-Cieran. Mt
. Duras2" asked Manheiner over his Shout
der.
oh. very-that is. TO be truthful.
/ never heard Of him--I.
"No2 Wen. YOU neesn't be ashamed Of
Il He was genius Who died before he
even reached the salon. a prodigy mere
. boy-starved 20 death in s.. the very
year he did this one"
Where did YOU get fl. may askg'
( -Querest wav IN the world ratified
Ianheimer. picking his BIG. yellow tee.h
"A Miss StrirE or Strane or s1rsetflag
/ r. wcol-aurner who gives ms daughter
lessons. brought u 40 the other day She
Nas hard up. sou see. and o1ere4 b 70
ire fer teo hundred Hated T. part with
Rot Il Tar q hundred and friv. Wouidn 2
take thousand for &. III Pct there
isn't another SsiEt-cieran So Sew YORK
u don't think there IS murrnured
Horace. going Tor h's hat
Amy. said Ho-ace the next d7y zhen
she ssunterea into his srudio Ter morn
ing vislt what did you Cd With that
v4ter color. thar sheep fake. { made fer
{ sou last week
SIZE losked re hIm a moment with arch
rrim5rrv % her smiling face Then ere
: u.cked Up ncnca. vet e hzfween heF
poriinE iips and a5deI nsure ID the