The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-05-03

| bread for q Few days. lie nOQQeQ MS
head to the auctioner and, retiring,
| took his seat in a corner.
| The sale began After some paint
ings and engravings had been disposed
of Samuel's was exhibited. who bids
at 3 thalers? Who bids?" was the cry.
Duhobret listened eagerly, but none
answered. Twill it find a purchaser
said he despondingly to himself. Still
there was a dead silence. He dared
not look up, for it seemed to him that
all the people were laughing at the
folly of the artist who could be insane
enough to offer so worthless a piece at
public sale.
"What will become of me?" was his
mental inquiry. 'That work is certain
| ~ my best" And he ventured to steal
another glance. "Does it not seem that
the wind actually stirs those boughs
and moves those leaves? How trans
parent Is the water! What life
breathes in the animals that quench
their thirst at that spring! How that
steeple shines! How beautiful are
those clustering treesr' 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.
"Twenty-one thalers," murmured a
| faint voice just as the auctioneer was
about to knock down the picture. The
stupefied painter gave start Of joy.
He raised his head and looked to see
| SS
had come. 1t was the picture dealer
to whom he had first thought Of ap-
plying.
"Fifty thalersr' cried a sonorous
| voice. This time tall man in black
was the speaker. There was silence
of hushed expectation. "One hundred
/ thalers! at length Numbered the pic
ture dealer.
"Three hundredv give hundred"
| zone thousandv Another profound 81
lence and the crowd pressed around
the two opponents, who stood opposite
each other, with eager and angry looks.
1.-TWO thousand thalersv' cried the
picture dealer and glanced around him
triumphantly when he saw his adver-
|
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
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
low laugh of insolent triumph, and
murmur Of admiration was heard in
the crowd. 1t was too much for the
dealer. He felt his peace was at stake.
| FIFTY thousandv' exclaimed he in des-
| peration. 1t was the tall mans turn
| to hesitate. Again the whole crowd
were GREATNESS. At length, tossing
his arms in defiance, he shouted, "One
hundred thousandp' The crestfallen
picture dealer withdrew. The tall man
VIGOROUSLY bore away the prize.
How was it meanwhile with Duho-
| bret while this exciting scene was 60
| 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
| cruel" When the contest ceased, he
rose up bewildered and went about
asking first one, then another, the price
of the picture just sold. 1t seemed
| that his apprehension could not at
once be enlarged to so vast concep-
| ton.
The possessor was proceeding home
ward when a decrepit, lame and hump
| backed invalid, lettering along by the
aid Of stick, presented himself before
him. He threw him a piece of money
and waved his hand as dispensing
with his thanks. May it please your
honor" said the supposed beggar, II
am the painter of that picture" and
| again he rubbed his eyes.
| The tall man was Count Dunkels-
back, one of the richest noblemen in
Germany. He stopped, took out his
| pocketbook, tore out a leaf and wrote
on it few lines. "Take it, friend"
| said he; sit is a check for your money.
Adieu."
Duhobret finally persuaded himself
that it was not a dream. He became
the master of castle, sold it and re-
solved to live luxuriously for the rest
of his life and to cultivate painting as
a pastime. But, alas for the vanity of
human expectation, he had borne pri-
walton and toll. Prosperity was too
much for him, as was proved soon aft
err when an Indigestion carried him Off.
His picture remained long in the cabi-
net of Count Dunkelsback and after
ward passed into the possession of the