Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-12-21
: THE CHANCE
OF Art.
90.
BY ISABEL MOORE.

It EsE Murrays were a comfortable
L middle-aged couple with one
daughter, Katherine, who, as an only
daughter should be, was the pride OF
their lives. And in spite of this,
though it is hard to say how she man
aged it, she really was a very attrac-
tive and sensible girl. Katherine was
away at school when certain events
tranSpired that led to portentOus re-
suits
1t all came about after this manner:
One day a short time before Christ
mas, Mrs. Murray went into an auc-
ton room not far from Sixth avenue
while an auction was in progress, and
though she only remained half an hour,
she came away the possessOr of a
good-sized oil painting. Mrs. Murray
had never been noted for her judg-
ment in matters artistic, whereas Mr..
Murray laid some such claim to this
distinction; therefore it was with a
little trepidation of spirit that she an
nounced her purchase.
May l ask the subject?" was his
Suave inquiry.
Its nymphs-three, / think-im-
pressionistic treatment. The picture
really isn't worth anything at ALL but
l bid on it because of the frame. 1t
lis a beautiful frame of California
redwood, quite wide and we'll made; it
would have been a pity not to have ia
ken it at so cents
rs that what you paid for it, pic
ture and all?"
Eyes, and you couldn't get such a
frame under two dollars and fifty
cents
What do you intend to put in it?"
ooh, I'll leave that to you; you
know so much more about such things
than do, and I'm quite sure you will
like the frame. Anyway, if you don't
fifty cents isn't any great matter"
Mr.. Murray laughed. He had heard
this form of reasoning before.
Sounds attractive" he unused, 'im-
pressionist nymphs; always was fond
of impressionist nymphs.
q tell you the picture isn't any
thing-it's the Frame" reiterated Mrs.
Murray with conviction. Nevertheless,
considerable interest.
"Ah," said Mr. Murray, viewing their
new possession from a safe distance,
that's not SO bad my dear; upon my
word, it isn't. The greens are really
we'll handled and the figures are not
out of the way, In fact quite like the
flesh tones, and the drawing is all
right, too"
mo. it isn't so bad as you say
admitted Mrs. Murray; but isn't the
frame lovely!"
"YeJ it is a high class frame all
right enough; but quite like the pic
ture."
We'll, you know, rather did, too.
though l hardly liked to say so be-
cause if it was really any good they
wouldn't have let me have it for fifty
cents, would they?"
"One would hardly think so. Of
course 1t is only a rough study, never
was intended for anything else, and
was probably done out on the coast
where redwood is cheap, for nobody
would be likely to buy such frame for
It here. Signed too," and Mr.. Murray
CoASluliy cAduIuSQ the leIC-na0Q cor
ner, "Theo. E. Butler-never heard of
him, but what's the odds; it is really
very clever"
Mrs. Murray looked exceedingly
gTNtified.
And l think We shall put it up Just
as it is" went on her husband. at
first the color of the frame strikes
one as being too great p, contrast to
the cool tone Of the picture. but the
longer look at it the better / like
It"
"a man bid over me-" confided Mrs.
Murray, ''he said sixty cents and the
auctioneer said, sixty, sixty, sixty, did
hear sixty?' Surely l heard sixty
bid, but you know, the man didn't say
It again. He probably thought better
of it and made up his mind he didn't
want it at any price; so it was
knocked down to me-"
well. we must never tell anyone
what we paid for it, or. indeed where
we got It." cautioned Mr.. Murray.
''Oh. II anyone asks US we can just