The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-14

Before Mr.. Lionel t'arQuhar descended
upon us, we, of Pennington, were, con-
corning matters artistic, in state of
dense and utter ignorance. All our lives
we'd reveled in red plush chairs for our
parlors and God Bless Our Homes" for
our walls. and other cheerful but mar
tistic things that we afterwards blushcd
to remember.
Mr.. Lionel Farquhar was a slim,
dreamy-eyed gentleman who wore clothes
that seemed strange to the unsophisti-
Gated eyes of the Penningtonites, and
who advertised n course Of lectures on
ART-spelled with three capitals-and the
Home-spelled with one capital.
Seats were dollar, and at the first
lecture 1 believe they were mostly unoc-
cupied. Then somehow the rumor got
about that only the elect were attending
Mr.. Farquhar's lectures. and of courss
after that everybody who could beg, Dor
row or steal dollar went. The second
night he was obliged to put out d
Standing Room Only sign, and the
third night we were packed in that hall
like sardines in box.
He stayed q month, and when he did
finally leave 1t was only because, as he
told us with tears in his eyes, we now
knew as much as he did, and there was
no longer anything he could teach us.
Then trouble began In Pennington. For
everybody being now soaked and satu-
rated with high art, wanted to sell off
their red plush chairs and notices and
buy art panels and the sort Of furnl-
ture that gives you curv!ture OF the
spine when you try to sit on 1t. But what
We didn't want We couldn't even give
away, much less sell. SO 1t ended in QUE
going on pretty much as we had before
the artistic wave struck u.s.
didn't 30 much mind, because mother
had let me discard my serviceable old
fashioned bureau for a packing-case
dressing table draped in stuff that Mr..
Fprquhar assured me was entirely COR
rect. And / made cushions of 1t for all
my chairs and spread for my bed, and
saved my pocket money for high art wall
paper. SO had sanctuary to which
could always flee from the horrors below
stairs for the soothing OF my newly
awakened artistic sensibilites.
But poor Alberta Clifford was denied
even the neagre consolation Of a few
yards of art denim. For her mother was
q hopeless Philistine, and declared that
not solitary thing in the house should
be changed.
That would have been hard on any
body, but 1t was particularly awfu! for
Alberta, for she had been SO enthusi-
astio over Mr.. FarQuhar's lectures, and
he had seemed to take almost special
interest in her. One could not wonder
Mt that, for she has q beautiful face ana
big, dreamy eyes. and just the figure for
the flowing draperies he SO much adj
mired.
we quite expected him to marry her,
until we learned, entirely by accident,
that he already had a wife and tiTs<9
children. OF course he couldn't commit
bigamy, even for Alberta-the conse-
quences are apt to be SO unpleasant.
know from the first that her mothers
unyiclding attitude In the matter OF bu-
reaus and denims would force Alberta
to some rash deeda and 1t did,
She announced her engagement to Basil
Wyntoun. am sure 1t must have been
his lovely name that attracted her. Mrs.
Basil Wyntoun would look 30 stunning
on ones cards. He had more money
tina many other two men In Pennington,
but that wouldn't weigh with Alberta.
She was too sweet n girl to be swayed by
mere worldly considerations. But. spite
of his name and his money, 1t did seem
pity for a girl like Alberta to throw
herself away on n man like Basil Wyn-
toun. You can Just imagine the sort he
was when Alberta's mother told all over
| town she was $50 glad Alberta was en-
gagged to q sensible man like Mr.. Wynn
toun," She even went tho length of
saying she hoped he'd stop what she
pleased to term "Alberta's foollshness.'
| was to be maid OF honor at Alberta's
wedding, and talked things over with
| the bridesmaids, and among us we de-
cded that somebody really ought to
speak to Mr. Wyntoun in Alberta's be-
half. She was Just the girl to let man