Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-02-01

rent the picture he intended to paint
would become the property of the
Ironmonger.
The next day the artist arrived with
his big easel, roll of canvas ana a
stretcher, also some paints ana
brushes. Everything was taken into
the loft and Faniente locked the door
so that no one should disturb MIN at
his work Sometimes the lronmonger
downstairs would hear him humming |
and hanlmering and saving and drlV- ,
ing nails, but nobody ever got even
the tiniest peep at the work that was
going on.
Seems to me you are making
great ne,rse over your picture, SAID
the Ironmonger, as the Artist came
out one afternoon
Faniente smiled. still smile; I'm
letting in a skylight to work BY
And he locked the door tightly as
he always did
The DAYS and weeks went on and
the hammering had ceased Faniente
! was evidently hard at work on his pic
ture. He came early; he stayed late.
Finally one day an enormous gilt
frame arrived and Faniente took it up
the stairs himself
And all this time the Ironmonger
had received nothing for his rent.
well" he said to his foreman, i
get the picture. anyway, and if it hts
that big frame it will just about cover
one of the walls of my dining room.
So he was very patient. Indeed, ne
now began to think 1t would be better
TO have the picture than the rent.
AT last the Artist announced that
his picture was finished and would be
on exhibition. The price of admission
was rather high, but the curiosity OF
the neople was excited and they came
in crowds-the townspeople first, then
neople from the country and from
PARKWAY cities, for the fame of the
mysterious picture had Travelled
abroad
The people crowded up the narrow
stairs and found a small space roped
; off at the end Of the loft, where they
must sand: the picture was hung at
: the farther end. with the big gilt
frame around it. and while all the
!, rest of the loft was dim and obscure,
the picture glowed with a wonderful
light, and the people all said: on.
when they first looked upon it, and
then they said nothing more. they
lust stared with their mouths open.
: It was landscape and the curious
: who beheld it first saw some distant
! mountains. with soft clouds fecklng
them with purple shadows. Ihen "a
: stretch of meadow land, gentle
slope TO the band of stream that
wound and rippled its blue length
}. through the meadow. In the 1ore'
ground stood a grand old oak tree
nestled hlhln0
il The people stood spell-bound.
"He surely is a great artist" they
all said and they bowed low to Fan
J. iente who returned the salute, smil
e ing his still smile
e "The clouds actually seem te
novel said one, land when a bee
nassed in front of the canvas | coulo
almost have sworn it was bird pass
ing in the distance.
When each had gazed his fill, ne
hustled back to his work, to make w
< the lost time.
e Every dav came crowds and none!
IS flowed into the artists pocket. bu
a still the Ironmonger did not receive
e his rent. That did not trouble him
1t however. for picture like that woult
e bring him trade, and he already fel
k himself growing rich and prosperous
C. The out of town people hung arount
the little tavern of Nulleparte. AM
talked of nothing but the picture.
wonderful" they exclaimed, thu
light is marvellous
y, 81 though his mountains little to-
,s purple" said one.
=, - purple" said another; they wer
- almost black to me- 1t is marvelou
II picture of thunderstorm.
20 "You are all wrong, man., said
third. "That glow from the settin
sun was superb. | wonder how n
could ever paint that golden haze o.
the meadow
Then boy. who had been stan6
ing behind the others, whispered to
u. man next him:
~. ~ Il have been every day to see it.
- was never twice the same"
u What" The people all crowde
around the boy. with their eyes fairl
9 bullying.
peated the boy. Zone day it was gra.
y. another day the sun shone on it, al
lg other day it was storm scene a
ways the same landscape, but wit
different weathers.
ge at is not possible!" cried ever
body
y, 1T is true!" said the boy.
"He must paint it out every night
a eve will go and see the pictul
u. again" said they all
Or, So they crowded up again into tt
dim loft, as many at g thine as coul
in get into the roped-off space. All da
and all the next day they clambere
up and down the narrow stairwa
Even the busy citizens of the to"
found time to make a second tri
of Money flowed again into Fanlente
is; pockets till he was obliged to put
nd into large sack.
vn. The next morning after all had SET
ng the picture second time the Peep
xt. met at the tavern to compare note
sh- Business was abandoned everywhe1
ing Some had seen the same picture BIO
ief times. but most of them had seen
entirely different scene
lto eve must be colorblind. sa
'ge some.