The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-10

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both struggling for recognition-he as
a painter of landscapes in oils, she az
6 worker in metals. And then there
were minor sympathies born of similar
tastes and views which cane to light
il that first year Of their friendship
| It became his custom to drop into
4 her room for a moment on his way up
and down stairs, and then in the even
ings for long, enjoyable talks, while
he sat in her Gae easy-ehafr and
smoked and she worked away at an or
der or did her mending. Once a week
he descended tremendously, immacu-
lately clean, but di2using a strong ctiof
OF paint, and took lunch with her,
gravelv marve1ing 81 the display and
pretending alarm at her reckIessRsss
Indeed, those Iuncheons for two EeTe
invariably followed tie next day BY a
repast for one of Spartan simplicity
Once he had returned her hospitality
he had sold a small canvas-agd they
| had dined gumptaously at one end df
his paint-stained table on lobster cut
| lets and French peas and asparagus,
| sent in chilled, but appatizing, from
the cafe across the square And he
had made marvellous coffee in IN Old
copper kettle, and h8d produced bot
| t5R of oli@ea, &fhich, he sole1nnly de-
clared. had been two years awaiting
| the occasion.
| Usuglly he called for her at the in
| stitute in Frooklyn-she still attended
an evening cgass three times e week
| and brought her home Once they had
| walked back across the bridge on q
| brisk winter N5ght, the white stars
above them, the purple lamps advanc-
| ing and meeting them along their path,
and the lemon and geG and green Ian
terms twinlllins up from boats ana
pier-laeads. That night she had heard
| his story. He had told her oe boy
hood spent in d little town i'm western
Missouri, OF his first dim dissatisfaction
Wits his lot and his growing hatred
for Coil in his fathers squaliG general
| store" hos st bis fathers death-nis
mother he haG never kgowa-he had
goae to st. Louis, where he I1a2 cIerked
by day and studied art by night, until
Wlsh $4,000 saved. ne had come to New
York and entered the League. He had
spent three years there, and then had
buried himself in thu Jersey goods, liz
ing like hermit III a hut of his own
BUILDING, and painting from dawn to
dusk, 9air days and f9ul.
And now" he had ended, they're
beginning to know me. I've sold few
eanvases, mostly through Ruyter.
Ruyter believes gH me The thing I'm
wot5sng on now is for the academy.
IT'S going to take year: but it's good.
it's the best / have il me-and it's go
ing to be hung"
ooh, do hope SOL she had said,
earnestly.
I've never do6lbted it, he had an
swered, simply. Its big stake, but
-ffqn going TO Win!''
And so that first year had passed.
and the second OF their friendship was
three months old. Beth had not been
SO happy for years; the former haunt
ing sensation of icing alone, always
alone, no longer trGs.bled her. She had
found 3 friend and comrade. The
friendship had grown on the part OF
each into an affection: eacn would haVA
denied the existence of anything
stronger.
One fOrenpon-the morrow was the
last day for receiving canvases at TIE
academy-eesAs eI9ered her room, and
sank sileusT into his accustomed chair.
She looked up questioninEly from the
silver buckle On which she was work.
ing.
Finished he said. gloomily.
Does it 20 to-day?s
Tomorrow; it isn't quite dry yett.
| suppose I ought to be glad, but''-he
smiled forlornly-''I only feel rather |
lonesome. He filled and lighted his
pipe. DO you care to see it AGAIN.
oh, yes, she answered, ea#srly.
Upstairs he drew sside the yellow
ing cloth, and laid bare the canvas
upon which he had toi1ed for almost a
year. 1t was large, six feet by four.
and undoubtedly an ambitious effort |
tor what might be called a first pic
ture, yet the result was so splendid
that thE artists faith in its success
seemed justified. He had called it "Au-
snst-a wide, far-reaehing expanse of
ribboned with blue. breeze
rufised water; along the horizon a dim
purple haze. suggestion but no more
OF the city; against the clear sky great
white thunder-clouds rolled high upon
each other in majestic grandeur; oyeg
all the hot golden sunlight of midsum-
mer. Beth could almost feel the heat
and see the sedges in the foreground
bend and rustic in the sea-breeze. The
picture always made her hold her
y cath for q space, and to-day the eff
feet was stronger than ever.
It's glorious!" she whispered,
f1a3iy.
You like it," he asked, almost eag-
srly.
II love it! But''-she sighed-.heW
t makes one hate the city. doesn't it,"
His eyes lighted. Yes; and we're |
going away from the city, he said.
With ring in his voice. We're
through work for to-day, and we're go
Get your things on
But can't" she faltered, and
,beyed.
Outside. he locked the door and hand
d her the key. Il can't trGst myself
le explained. Il might give you the
Zip, and come back and work on it.
That was a day of days. Winter