Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-10-01

seemed 10 pfohlDlt the idea of an impos-
ture.
$50 understand. you're in luck's
way" he said. rubbing his hands.
i don't know, IN sure, sir" was the
rather pitiful answer
Come. come. you're the owner of a
masterpiece 'veritable masterpiecer
Its just my Sarah as a GAL said
Mrs NagiOrn. gazing up at the canvas
with 4 sigh
Understand answered Mr.. Ruston,
I've no wish to hurt Your feelings-not
for moment: but YOU can't be allowed
70 90 on receiving public money while
you've got y thousand pounds of Your
own. The fact is, you must sell that
picture''
"Sell-seIl Sarah's Portrait cried Mrs.
NaghOru drawing nearer to the mantel-
shelf as if for its better protection.
Bless my soul. how can you afford to
keep it, Mr.. RuSton demanded. Now.
thy to act like Il sensible woman"
Il don't knnS about sensible" she
said but ! won't sell Sarah's portrait"
The bare suggestion seemed TO shed
deSolation over her life Scarcely able
10 read her chief enjoyment during the
long days WAS to sit beneath the picture,
looking back to the time when Sarah
used to run in and out of the cottage
door. She c0uid remember as distinctly
as if it happened yesterday how that the
child had stood in the garden while Mr.
Sortain painted, telling his small sitter
all manner Of whimsical stories to be-
guile the time. Mrs. Waghorn couid
still recollect one about n duckling which
had turned out Il swan
As soon as Mr.. huston had left the
cottage, she climbed on TO n chair, as
Dnbison had done the other day. to take
down the portrait When she had affec-
tionatelY kissed the face. she carried il
into the adjoining bedroom. which was
little more than a cupboard. Taking off
her apron, she wrapped it carefully
around the canvas and placed it beneath
the patched straw mattress
When Mr. RuStOn came again. two
days later, and saw 10 sign of the David
S0rtain. lie began an urgent hut not en-
tirely nnsympathetic rem0nstrance. But.
although ne could understand Mrs. Wag-
horns reluctance, duty, of course, must
be done: the old woman was, in fact 4
capitalist. able to end her days in atilu-
ence. and the idea of her continuing to
receive Il weekly dole at the expense of
the ratepayers was monstrouS. mon
strous! Mrs. Waghorn. however showed
the most irritating and narrow-minded
obstinacy. and thus the war--the war
between the board of guardians and the
old woman-began. They might do what
they pleased. If they chose TO stop her
money She couldn't help it; she would far
sooner starve than part with her beloved
picture
In truth. this was what she almost did.
for Mr. Ruston carried with him the ma
jority of his colleagues. and not only was
it determined that Mrs. Waghorn must
not be admitted to the workhouSe. but
the outdoor relief which she had received
for some years was suddenly stopped
Although one or two sympathetic neigh
hors came to her aid, the old woman's
face grew more and more pinched. her
eyes appeared to sink further and further
into their sockets. when one afternoon
She received visit from Miss Lindsay.
Miss Lindsay was forty-fve years OF
age. and since her seventeenth birthday.
as she frequently remarked had devoted
herself to art She lived in n nicely fur
Hished house Mt the further end of the
town. where every foot of every inner
wall was covered with her handworl-
oil paintings, water colors, sepia draw
ings. the work of well nigh thirty years.
At intervals she journeyed to London.
where she expended a small fortune in
cab fares as she carried her canyasses
yainly from one picture dealer to another.
Twice she had succeeded in securing the
admission of still-life studies into small
provincial galleries, but both had been.
in due course, returned. On one occasion
however. group of rhUbarb and apples
had received two lines of notice in Il local
newspaper. iHe CutllUp Dell1 III present
framed with an enormous margin and
hung in Miss Lindsay's bedroom. Every
one with whom she could scrape ac-
quaintance was compelled to make tour
of the other rooms in the house. the Law
ish encomiums she received on such occa-
sions causing her TO marvel more and
more at the lack of Judgment of picture
dealers and the wider public She knew
that she possessed all the feelings of an
artist whereas she mad assuredly spared
no pains to give them expression.
OF course, the story of Mrs. Waghorn's
war with the guardians had reached Miss
Lindsay's ears, and. having befriended
the old woman before today, she set out
to the cottage, where, with some diff
Guilty. she persuaded Mrs Waghorn to
exhibit the David Sortain. To I I'll the
truth, Miss Lindsay would scarcely have
been impressed by the portrait if her
mind had not been suitably prepared.
In her opinion, it was far too gray and
cold; she preferred more florid style
she considered it more poetical.
Now. my dear Mrs. Waghorn," she
exclaimed, II want you to do me Il great
favor"
Il won't sell sarahs picture" was the
answer.
NO, no." said Miss Lindsay; but you
wouldn't like to starye, would you:"
Il won't sell Sarah's portrait.'
Still now that horrid Mr.. Ruston has
stopped your money, You must have Il
tight pinch. What | wish is to pay You
50 much every day while you let me take
a COPY
You don't touch Sarah's Portrait"
Il don't wish 10 touch it," said Miss
Lindsay. There's not enough light here,
but could manage very nicely in your
back garden. 1t would take five or six
days, and l am willing to pay YOU two
shillings a day. That would be great
help, you know"
Mrs. Waghorn certainly did know-far
better than anybody else. Ten shillings
would enable her to hold out still for
some time against her adyersaries, and,
having at last satisfied herself that the
picture need not on any account 30 out
of her sight, she agreed that Miss Lind
say should begin work the following
morning. Punctually at half-past ten
fly stopped outside the cottage. containing
Miss Lindsay, her easel. a folding chair,
mahl>tick, and an enormous paintbox.
coll