Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-26


| brend for & few days. He nodded his
head to the auctioner and, retiring,
took his seat in a corner.
| The sale began. After some paint
ings and engrayings had been disposed
Of Samuel's was exhibited. ssWho bids
| at 3 thalers? Who bids Z" was the cry
Duhobret listened eagerly, but none
answered. ayVill 1t find purchaser?,'
said he despondingly to himself. Still
there was dead silence. He dared
not look up, for 1t seemed to him that
all the people were laughing at the
folly of the artist who could be insane
enough to- offer SO worthless piece at
q public SALE
What will become OF me?" was his
mental inquiry. That work is certain
| " my best" And he ventured to steal
another glance. aDoes it not seem that
the wind actually stirs those sboughs
and moves those leaves? How trans
/ parent is the wateri What life
breathes in the animals that quench
/ their thirst at that spring! How that
steep1e shines! How beautiful are
/ those clustering trees!n This was the
| LAST expiring throb of an artists van
ity. The ominous silence continued,
and Samuel, sick at heart. buried his
face In his hands. 5s3a2
Twenty one thalers,'' murmured a
| faint voice Just ais the auctioneer was
| about to knock down the picture. The
stupefied painter gave start OF joy.
He raised his head and looked to see
from whose lips those blessed words
! had come. 1t was the picture dealer
to whom he had first thought Of APP
plying. 5 81
Fifty thalers!' cried sonorous
| voice. This time a tall man in black
was the speaker. There was silence
of hushed expectation. One hundred
| thalersr' at length Numbered the pic
ture dealer 5is
Three hundredr' Five hundredr'
"One thousand" Another profound ST
lence, and the crowd pressed around
| the two opponents, who stood opposite
4 each other, with eager and angry looks.
Two thousand thalersy' cried the
| picture dealer and glanced around him
4 trilmphantly when he saw his adver-
sary hesitate. Ten thousandw yocif-
| Grated the tall man, his face crimson
with rage and his hands clinched con-
vulsively. The dealer grew paler; his
frame shook with agitation; he made
4 two or three efforts and at last cried
out, Twenty thousandr'
His tall opponent was not to be van
quished. He bid forty thousand. The
dealer stopped The other laughed a
low laugh of insolent triumph, and a
n1urmur of admiration was heard in
the crowd. 1t was too much for the
dealer. He felt his peace was at stake.
Fifty thousand!'' exclaimed he in des-
peration. It was the tall mans turn
to hesitate. Again the whole crowd
were breathless. AT length, tossing
hissarms in defiance, he shouted, Zone
hundred thousandr' The crestfallen
i picture dealer withdrew. The tall man
/ VIGOROUSLY bore away the prize.
How was it meanwhile with Duho
bret while this exciting scene was go.
4 ing on? He was hardly master Of his
senses. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly
and murmured to himself, after such
dream my misery will seem more
eruelw y When the contest ceased, BIZ
rose up bewildered and went abou'
asking first one, then another, the price
Of the picture just sold. It seemed
that his apprehension could not. al
once be enlarged to SO vast concep
ton.
The possessor was proceeding home,
ward when decrepit, lame and hump
backed invalid, lettering along by the
aid of a stick, presented himself before
ana waved ms hand as dispensing s
with ms thanks aloi May It please your
n none :. sald tne supposed beggar, y
am the painter OF that picture. and
rryn :