The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-10-28

openly. BaScOm, whose hearing was
singularly acute, caught the comments
as far up as the third floor.
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 extrav-
agances. 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 expressed
it, to have glaring new furniture and
things in ones studio. 1t argued the
possession of unseemly quantities of
money and small artistic merit. From
the moment that the first 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 Tollivers nick
name, but it spread rapidly, and no
French communist ever hated the name
more tnan the HolDelnlteS.
! AS soon as the place had been settled
Bascom went around one morning de-
livering invitations for a studio tea
that afternoon. There were many
moved to accept the invitation, for the
delivery wagon of leading grocery
had unloaded much that looked attrac-
tive that morning
But Tolliver made 4 personal canvass
and when Bascom hurried home that
afternoon, laden with additional pack
ages, he was met by a neat pile of re-
grets carefully pinned upon his door.
AS a result of Tolliyer's activity it had
been decided to snub this aristocrat
who sought by means Of the tea to
fiaunt his rich possessions before his
eyes. 1t was unbohemian, and while
his presence had to be tolerated, friend
ship and fellowship should be withheld.
Bascom was 10 fool. He readily per-
ceived why he was being snubbed and
quietly accepted the situation. He
nodded in friendly way to the men
when he met them in the halls and
gravely removed his hat when he
passed the women. For the rest he
went to work and found in this an alb
sorption which did not permit him to
worry about tie attitude Of his neigh
bors. He missed their companionship,
but he had letters in plenty. Since the
artistic colony refused to recognize him
he devoted himself to his society en-.
gagements when time permitted, there
by bringing forth additional comment
as to the gorgeousness Of his garments.
Then came Miss Alice Caswell. She
was but a decorator of china, but her
effects were pitifully meagre. and she
was at once accepted by the rest of the
inhabitants as q Bohemian.
She was bright, brisk, even-ten-
pered girl, and before the week was
out she had made friends, even with
( the janitor, 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 for
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 a draughtsman 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 jewellers in the
studio building had thought to warn
her of the intruder in their colony the
intruder had become her mentor, and
she grieved greatly as one after anoth-
or the rest Of the artists let slip some
caustic fling.