Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28

NNS~~S~A~N0-S N~>
suggestion as IL 1t were his own idea
Such trfing incidents as this, attending my
further acquaintance with the happy and absorbed
couple, constantly whetted my interest in the prob
lem they presented. In my zeal for studying the
painter / almost forgot the portrait-which, by
the way when completed, was pronounced notably
successful. had, as l say, watched its growth
rather carelessy yet had oberved that subtle
changes came on 1t from one sitting to another.
Slight as these changes were, they were unmis-
taxable often startling, although set them down
In large part to my own fancy. Olafs ofhand
statement that when he was painting portrait he
completely in the grip of the subject that he
worked and studied over it necessarily, in the abb
sence we'll in the presence of the model, act
ually left something still to be accounted for.
Nevertheless l accepted it for the time, for l was
blind, ignorant as was, and am, OF the mysteries
of the painters art
had opportunity to observe more closely the
workings Of this method" when, soon after, l
attended to the studio a relative whose portrait
Olaf, thanks to his success with my own features,
to paint. My aunt was woman of vigorous
intellect, of great decision under gentle demean-
or. l fanced at first that Olaf was misled by her
mild manner as to her character and she in turn
frankly confessed that she found him devoid OF
ideas and rather complacently stupid. Indeed,
she pronounced the colorless little wife more in
teresting companion--but that might have been
accounted for by the fact that Esther Jansen de-
veloped, under my aupts encouragement, palpa-
BILE admiration for the older woman In the inter-
walls of the periods actually devoted to the object of
her presence my aunt held Esther in subdued, in
timatc talk. while engaged Olaf in conversation
I
closely to the growth of the portrait noted more
plainly the evidences of the painters activity in
the absence Of his subject Watching thus the
progress of the work from the first "sketchng In
of the outlines the first rough indications of the
values TO the finished canvas, saw come into
the .ind face the almost imperceptible lines and
shf Gows that told so we'll to one who knew her
the story of my aunts gentle firmness But not once
did I surprise the brush stroke that gave the life
touch to the inert figure; saw these creative, vi
talking additions not at the end but at the be-
ginning of each sitting
Gradually the pose had undergone subtle
changes; the background and decorative ideas
were not the same; above ALL the entire compos-
ure had been transposed to another key" in the
painters phrase. The result showed no uncertainty
or lack of harmony; everything was as bold, as
sure and masterful as any work he had ever done.
Even my aunt, with her clear-eyed vision of men,
was won TO concede a tardy recognition of
quality of preception-perhaps of intuition-in
Olaf which her first judgment had denied him.
Moreover she more than once told me that the
neutral little New England woman was rare fine
creature-too fine and rare for the understanding
of us coarser beings with our rough measuring
tools. On this point I felt myself competent to
carry on an investigation, opportunity for
which l should have welcomed; but it placed
beyond my reach just then by the departure of
Olaf and his wife for their summer holiday. The
condition Of Esther's health had for some time
been a cause Of anxiety and it was with
view to its improvement and the arresting of GER
tain alarming symptoms that they had gone to
some place in the far West.
Although l knew this, was nevertheless totally
unprepared for the brief despatch which I re-
ceived from Olaf about two months later, announc
ing tho death of his wife. I learned in time that
she had faded away quietly, painlessy, swiftly, as
is otter the with the remnants OF these
older New England families, in which stamina has
been sacrificed to the over-refning of the race.
She was the last Of her family.
Still after tho moInentary shock had felt at
learning Of Olaf's bereavement, 1 reflected that
after all it was not an irreparabe calamity. He
had been fond of her. no doubt, but man OF his
age always recovers from such sorrows. 7
At last one dty, in prowling about the studio,
discovered the o1ly canvas he had brought back
with him from the West. 1t was a half-11ished
portrait of Esther. He met my eye with some
confusion, thought as 1 looked at him inquir-
ingly.
"sho wanted re to do it," he said, when she
knew sho couldn't get well. didn't have time to
fnsA it,
His Indifferent tone annoyed me. "Of course
you must complete it now" spoke rather
sharply. THE drawing is so far along that you
can surely, DO it superbiy from memory. That
should be her monument
ooh, yes, I'll finish it sometime" was his an
swer. "Not now, though; I'm too busy. Did
tell YOU had commission to do the Honorable
Martin Fiaherty, Tammany boss of the Ninth?"
eotd no more, convinced at last that this in
difference must be feigned-that the great out
spoken boz had learned to wear mask. And
was really glad to know that instead of wasting his
days in regrets and memories he was bent on the
wiser course of finding forgetfulness in work.
That way lay sanity and ultimate recovery.
never saw the portrait Of the Honorable Mar
tin Fiaherty, though it was finished early that
winter and exhibited. l was away from New York
at the time. AS soon as returned 1 received
note from Olaf Jansen begging me to come to his
studio. for he needed my moral support.
For Gods sake come!' it ran. ''Tve got to
see someone, and you're the only one dare talk
to-" The note was wretchedly scrawled
l found him alone, sitting at table with a big
bottle of whiskey and glass before him. In all
my association with him I had never seen him
drink. Ho had the look of a beaten man. have
such utter detection, such hopeless mis-
cry, in any face So startled was that essayed
an namely cheerful tone.
''Wel what's wrong, Olaf?" said when we had
shaken hands and he had relapsed again into his
shrunken attitude in the chair. Let me hear
about your latest successes. Don't tell you've
fallen on any Ill luck"
He gave little attention that I was no.
sure ho heard. "Then you haven't seen what the
papers said about the portrait?" he began. "Per
kins and Mccartney were the only ones who praised
md