Mower County transcript., 1903-03-04
int al1 even funny sdE ,after shG
Ind, ,abeensinf the city : fssvsnonthss ~


that she had been obliged to draw on
the $25 check. She had used all the
money her father had been able to
spare. The work in the studio had for
several weeks been piecework, and It
happened that business was dull, and
several weeks she had been able to-
earn less than S.. -.:5 Vi a.5s.ss .... n.
Then came crisis that she had not
counted on. The studio changed hands,
and the new proprietor began to. cut
down expenses and dismiss some of
the retouchers. Faith was one of the
latest arrivals, and one evening as she
came down to the Office from the little
workshop under the roof she. was mott
fled that her services would not be
wanted after the next week. ;.@5
She went out Of hesstudio, and in
stead Of taking the car as she usually
was obliged to do on account Of the
distance to, her room she walked on
until she was at the corner Of Madison
and State streets. s.,5s.,i
She plunged through that boiling
crowd of humanity and started to walk
lay between her and her room. And
as she walked on she was deeply
thinking Of what she would do. The
idea of writing home for money was
so distasteful that she could not bear
to entertain it. Her lips closed firm
ly, and she said to herself: II never
will do it while I can live. I have
made failure out Of it so far here,
but can't burden father and mother
right now. know how matters are
going at home with all the expense
there and Hermon's illness last month.
No, no! I started out to be bread
winner. I must earn my own living"
She was suddenly brought to q stop
by a crowd that filled up the sidewalk
in front Of a large window. There
was picture on exhibition there, and
Faith, after running into one or two
people, seeing what was the object of
attraction, stopped herself and grad
ually was pushed up to the window as
the crowd went and came. ~:
/ 1t was an oil painting with life size
figures, representing the deck Of an
ocean steamer. A man was holding q
baby in his arms, and the baby was
looking up into the mans face and
smiling. The title Of. the picture siu
gilt letters on. the frame was simply
'Motherless." j. : s@a.%,- Ss#
It was one Of those pictures that ap-
peal to a. common humanity, and the
crowd on the sidewalk jwas irreaistibly
drawn to it; But thexenect on Fai&a
was electrical AS soon Yas she Ind
seen the face Of the man on the csn!
vas she exelaimedsa aloud, *Why, that's
fatherY .s 81. .. ..s..,s.sz .ss ,zc, e,::sI j
Those nearest her looked. at her I'D
surprise. she checked herself and was
client. =, but there before her was the
likeness OF Malepm Kirk as: she bad
seen him In the sketch her mother had
often shown her. And, the atoryasof
the baby whose mother had died IN
midocean was familiar to all the chill
dren at home. z .Hs3Jr -.
=" She looked at the corner Of the can.
vas and saw the artistic name, Francis
Raleigh. A card In the window an.
nounced the fact that the picture was
sold and that the artists studio Was
in one Of the new blocks on Randolph
street. - ~ .
Faith slowly pushed out of the crowd
and went on her way; But the picture
affected her deeply. The sight Of the
dear father protecting that motherless
baby made her cry. And It also
strengthened her purpose not to appeal
for financial help from home. She
could not have told why that feeling
accompanied her sight of the picture.
But It did, and she determined that she
would make every effort to support
herself without help from home. ~
The end of the following week found
her without place, and as she came
away from the studio that Saturday
evening she realized as never before in
her life what it meant to d girl without
any friends or home to face great
city without work or means. She knew
that she could 60 home at any time or
get help from that source If she asked
for it. But how about the great army
Of unemployed that had not even that
resort? She shivered as she turned
down. toward the great artery Of the
city's, human traffic and was swept
along with it.
She went up by the window where
the picture was still on exhibition, and
there was the usual crowd in front
Of it. =
She stopped again and looked hun
grily at it. It. was like getting q
glimpse into the dear home circle in
/ the parsonage at Conrad.
It was perhaps little strange that
she had not entertained the idea of
calling at Raleigh's studio and telling
him that she was. the daughter Of Ills
!; subject in tie p.c1urc. t:gt i':::..::., .w:ts
very shy III some ways. and she simply
never thought of trying to meet the
artist. ~ G ,t.5s .Sss:, Z
AS she stood there this Saturday
night two men In the crowd were talk
| ing about the picture. They stood SO
near her that she could not help hear
ing what they said. 5 ..i i
U ssIf eoorno fn0 had IN lfalxo tho M n&,,rn