The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-02-21
HEART Of
GOLD !
a St. Valentines Day Story Z
~ HOWARD FIELDING.

O'S'S'SrsOTS-O
n PAUSED sutsise the door Of Aus
& tens studio sad fixed a dollar
l. pill DO shat corner Of it would
stick eat q my waisteost pocket.
There was no use asking him whether
ne needed money. He would always
repe the i1sinuation, even when he
hsaa't had any funehsea aad was fierce
eyed with hunger. Neither could he be
cassht By an ses. display ef eein or
Bills, bat II q bit Of money was in
sight and Austen dida't knew that the
owner AsssSf was aware Of it he
wssd ksesay kls Ased hy occasional
gSaaess fsi u ps1tis snd pathetic isag-
ing.
Let me hssssa 10 say that Austen
was ret a fslfwe in the ordinary, old
fasAisasA way He used 10 make a
gosd living from illustrations, cover
designs and the bstte, kind Of potbeil-
ing in general, but he had q serious III
ness, and while be lay unconscious
some OF his friends became overaAx-
iOus and called in too much medical
talent. In the present state OF the
world Austen might better have died,
perhaps, than have contracted such Il
heavy debt. He paid it and hadn't n
penny with which to begin work.
Conditions have changed in the last
ten or fifteen years. and capital is es-
Gential to the artist Life presses him
so hard that he cant both work and
live unless he has money in the bank
or enjoys some form Of special favor
from thoss who have. Otherwise he
will he like y swimmer in an undertow
the best that he can hope for is 10
keep his nose above water
When | entered the studio. Austen
was sdmIring the last fruit OF his own
toll. 1t was little thing in oil, a girl
looking at shield which bore a device
OF heart Of gold and a scroll in which
one could discover the date Feb. II.
took it to be a cover design for a
February issue of = magazine or for
some special purpose incident to St
Valentines day. and | deplored the
waste OF time. II was then the tenth
day OF the shortest month, and this
thing could not be used by anybody
until next year.
What do you think Of ity" he asked.
Its beauty" | replied You'll
sell tiff you live"
No, won't" said lie, with decision
Il didn't make it to sell"
My mouth was open to reply that he
shouldn't make anything for any other
purpose when the picture itself check
ed me. A flash OF memory illumined
my understanding.
Isn't that the girl saw her only
oncc-the girl who
Yes" said he, interrupting 1T is
the girl who makes all other girls look
like-like the crude and meaningless
objects which | usually draw when |
try 10 draw girls. But this is different.
isn't it,"
My boy, you are right" said l. This
is the only genuine, and all others are
base limitations What are you going
to do with IT,
Il shall commit the gross absurdity
Of sending it 70 her as a valentine, -
said he. Wish | could afford a frame.
but can't. The express charges will
wind me up. In fact His eye at
that moment lighted upon the green
bait protruding from my waistcoat
pocket and he gave little gasp as Il
man sometimes will when his stomach
is empty.
However, he continued, "she won't
be bound to go to the expense of franz
ing it. She can ask the butler to set
1t in the back cellar just as it Is and