Amador ledger., 1904-09-02
BASCOM'S
ARlSTOCRACY
By JASPER COLlNGWOOD
Copyright, 1904. by E. Warner

whose nearing was s1ngularly acute,
caught the comments as far up as the
third floor What those on the fourth
lance. The singular unanimity of
opinion among the dwellers of the three
lower floors argued that those up above
would scarcely be moved to comment
approvingly in defiance of their fel-
lows
The only trouble with Bascom's eff
fects was that they were new-dis-
tressingly new. From the oilcloth for
the tiny kitchen to the Persian rugs
and Turkish hangings they all came
from first hand stores. The Holbein-
ties were unaccustomed to such ex
travagances They had bought second
hand things when they had first set
up and thereby had acquired merit in
the eyes of those already established.
1t was unbohemian, as Tolliver ex-
pressed it, to have glaring new furni-
ture and things in ones studio. 1t
argued the possession of unseemly
quantities of money and small artistic
delivery wagon backed up to the door
Bascom lost his surname, so far as
his fellows were concerned, and gained
the title of the Aristocrat. 1t was
Tolliver's nickname, but it spread rap
idly, and no French communist ever
hated the name more than the Hol-
beinites.
AS soon as the place had been set
tied Bascom went around one morn
ing delivering invitations for studio
tea that afternoon. There We're many
moved to accept the invitation, for the
delivery wagon of a leading grocery
had unloaded much that looked at
tractive that morning.
But Tolliver made a personal can
vass, and when Bascom hurried home
that afternoon, laden with additional
packages, he was met by neat pile
of regrets carefully pinned upon his
door. AS a result of Tolliver's activity
it had been decided to snub this aris-
tocrat who sought by means of the tea
to haunt his rich possessions before
their eyes. It was unbohemian, and,
while his presence had to be tolerated,
friendship and fellowship should be
withheld
Bascom was no fool. He readily per-
ceived why he was being snubbed and
quietly accepted the situation. He
nodded friendlily to the men when he
met them in the halls and gravely re-
moved his hat when he passed the wo-
men. For the rest he went to work
and found in this an absorption which
did not permit him to worry about the
attitude of BIS neighbors. He missed
| their companionship, but he had letters
in plenty. Since the artistic colony re-
fused to recognize him he devoted him
self to his society engagements when
time permitted, thereby bringing forth
additional comment as to the gor-
| geousness of his garments.
Then came Miss Alice Caswell She
was but a decorator of china, but her
| effects were pitifully meager, and she
was at once accepted by the rest of the
inhabitants as a bohemian
She was a bright, brisk, even tenn
pered girl, and before the week was
| out she had made friends even with
the janitor, a feat hitherto supposed
to be impossible. She had the studio
across the hall from Bascom, and be-
fore she had learned of his isolation
had already formed a friendship with
him. She had needed some material
which she did not have time to go out
| for, and he had generously supplied her
wants. She had noted with approving
| eye his skill as craftsman and fine
sense of color. After that she soon ac-
quired the habit of dropping in to ask
his advice about her designs, finding
his wide experience of great value
By the time the other dwellers in
the studio building had thought to
warn her of the intruder in their col
| ony the intruder had become her men
tor, and she grieved greatly as one
| after another the rest Of the artists let
| slip some caustic fling.
| But he is really clever man." she
assured Tolliver one day as he sat
perched in the window seat declaiming
against the Aristocrat. 81 assure you
that his paintings are very much above
the average"
Tolliver snorted contemptuously.
| "AIy dear child" he remarked pater-
nally, you do some very clever china
work. Don't try to get beyond it and
set up as critic. There never was a
man who settled here with new
| f1rr 10 10 ;-%3
the conversation dropped. There was
no arguing with Tolliver when he call
ed one dear child"
| A few weeks later she had a birth
day party. Early in the morning the
| occupants of the other studios began
to arrive, each with some little token
and the invariable inquiry as to wheth-
er Bascom had been invited to the
evening festivities. 1t seemed odd to
her that they should be so interested
in bis possible appearance, but she
readily answered that he would. Nc
objection being offered, she personally
rounded up Bascom when the time OF
the party arrived and got him across
the hall on the plea that she needed
help in the preparation of the supper.
Bascom had interposed many obiec
tions when she had invited him, hTl
she had pleaded with him, and on ne,
assurance that the attitude of the 9th
ay had materially changed he decided
to risk 1t because she wanted it.
She never realized that the abate