The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-29
WHAT HE
VALUED MOST
s--.=--==--==-==
BY RALPH HENRY BARBOUR
(copyright, by Joseph d. Bowles)

{ movers in the hall and knew that
the fourth-tloor studio had been taken
+ The next morning unfamiliar sounds
fell from aboye--a mans voice, deer
and musical leaping up and down the
scale. a cheerful, companionable tor
rent OF melody that brought respon-
slve smile to her face
4 Next day she had learned his name.
Seeking letters from the pile in the
lower hall she had found a coorman's
catalogue addressed to John Tim
son, Esq She had smiled at the
name Timson was SO unusual and
/ quaint and-funny! John she liked;
/ her fathers name had been John. All
/ The morning, as she worked az her
copper bowls and candlesticks she
/ stroye to picture a personality be-
fitting the name of John Timson.
a week later she saw him
After that they bowed, and then
spoke. Meetings became frequent.
Aside from the little weakened
dealer in old worries and curl
osities on the first floor, they We're
the only occupants of the house
who made it their home. That served
as a bond of sympathy, and they soon
discovered others, They We're both
orphans and both without near rela-
tiyes, they were both struggling for
recoenition-he rs a painter of land
scapes in oils. she as worker in
metals And then there We're minor
sympathias born OF similar tastes and
views which came to light in the FIRST
year OF their friendship,
II became his custom to drop into
her room for a moment on his way
up and down stairs, and then in the
evenings for long, enjoyable talks, (
while he sat in her one easy.chair .
and smoked and she worked away at .
an order or did her mending Once a
week ne descended tremendously, .
Immediately clean. but diffuslng a .
strong odor Of paint, and took lunch
with her. gravely maryeling at the
display ana pretended alarm at her
recklessness.
Once he had returned her hospital
ity-he had sold a small canvas-and
they had dined sumptuously at one
end of the pant-stained table on lob
ster outlets and French peas and as
paragus sent in chilled. but appeIiz
ing. from he cafe across the square
And he had made marvellous coffee
in an old copper kettle, and had pro
duced a bottle OF olives. which, he sol.
EMMY declared, had been two years
awaiting the occasion.
Usually he called for her at the
institute in Brooklyn-she still at.
tended an evening class three times a
week and brought her home.
Once they had walked back across
the bridge on a brisk winter night,
the white stars above them, the pur .
pie lamps advancing and meeting
them along their path, and the lemon
and red and green lanterns twink
ing up from boats and pierheads.
That night she had heard his story
He had told her of boyhood spent
L a little town in western Missouri
ii his first dim dissatisfaction with
lis lot ana his growing hatred for
oil in his fathers squaid general
.tc~e:" how at his fathers death-his
mother he had never known-he had
zone to St. Louis, where he had
lerked by day and studied art by
light, until. with $4,000 saved he had
.ome TO New York and entered the {
eague. He had spent three years {
here and then had buried himself !
n the Jersey woods. living like her
nit. in a hut OF his own building. and
aintiug from dawn to dusk, fair days 7
nd foul.
And now" he had ended, they're q
esinnlns 10 know me I've sold f
ew canfases. mostly through Ruy
err Ruyter believes in me The r
hing I'm working on now is for the +
cademy. It's going TO take a year; a
ut it's good, it's the best I have in +
its going to be hung 2
On ! do so hope so!' she had said
a
I've never doubted IL" he had an h
wered simply IT'S a big stake,
ut-I'm going TO win'' h
And so that first year had passed.
nd the second Of their friendship n
'as three months old. IS
One afternoon-the morrow was the d
,st day for receiving canvases at the il
cademy-he entered her room. and
lnk silently into his accustomed d
hair She looked mp questioningly d
ON the silver buckle on which she
as working q
Finished" he said gloomily. v
Does it go today
Tomorrow; il isn't quite dry vet
suppose ] ought 10 BE- glad. but T
e smiled fOriOrnly--"I only feel rath- d
r lonesome" lie filled and lighted b
Is pipe DO you care 90 see it ~
zain?'
oh. yes" she answered. eagerly o..
Upstairs be drew aside the yellow a
b cloth. and laid bare the canvas on
hich he had toiled for almost a year
was large six feet by four and 81
an ambitions effort for %
nat might b. called a first picture