West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-06-18

"Au right, my jortdl ruler Of Ba9ddd"
ply out OF you, with footnotes. ap.
pendix and unpublished fragments.
oh, | know what to do when ! see
victuals coming toward me In little
old Bagdad- The subway. strike
the asphalt three times with my fore
head and get ready TO spiel yarns for
my supper. / claim descent from the
late Tommy Tucker, who was forced
TO hand out vocal harmony for his pre-
digested wheaterina and spoopju."
81 do not ask your story" said Chal-
mers. IL tell you frankly that 1t was
n sudden whim that prompted me to
send for some stranger TO dine with
me. | assure you you will not suffer
through any curiosity OF mine"
"Oh, fudge" exclaimed the guest, en-.
Enthusiastically tackllng his soup. 81
don't mind II bit. I'm a regular orl-
tntal magazine with red cover and
the leaves cut when the caliph walks
abroad. In fact, we fellows in the bed
line have a sort OF union rate for things
of this sort. Somebody's always stop
ping and wanting TO know what
brought US down so low In the world.
For sandwich and n glass OF beer
tell 'em that drink did II. For corned
beef and cabbage and n cup OF coffee
give 'em the hard hearted landlord
six months in the hospital lost Job
story. sirloln steak and quarter
for n bed gets the Wall street tragedy
OF the swept away fortune and the
gradual descent. This is the first
spread OF this kind I've stumbled
against l haven't got story to fit It.
I'll tell you what, Mr.. Chalmers, I'm
going 70 tell you the truth for this IL
you'll listen to It. It'll be harder for
you to believe than the made up ones"
An hour later the Arabian guest lay
back with a sigh of satisfaction while
Phillips brought the coffee and cigars
and cleared the table.
did you ever hear OF Sherrard Plu.
merT" he asked. with strange smile.
IL remember the name" said Chal.
mers. "He was a painter. think, OF
good deal of prominence few years
ago"
Five years." said the guest Then
l went down Ike chunk OF lead. I'm
Sherrard Plumer. sold the last por-
trait ] painted for $1,000 After that
L couldn't have found a sitter for a
gratis picture"
What was the trouble?" Chalmers
could not resist asking.
Funny thing" answered Plumer
grimly. Never quite understood II
myself. For awhile swan like n
cork. / broke into the swell crowd
and got commissions right and left
The newspapers called me fashlona
BILE painter. Then the funny things
began 10 happen. Whenever finished
picture people would come to see II
and whisper and look queerly at one
another.
81 soon found out what the trouble
was. had a knack OF bringing out in
the face of portrait the hidden char
acter OF the original. / don't know how
/ did it-I painted what I saw-but I
know 1t did me. Some OF my sItters
were fearfully enraged and refused
their pictures. | painted the portrait
OF very beautiful and popular society
dame. When II was finished her hus.
band looked at II with a peculiar ex-
preston on his face, and the next week
he sued for divorce.
II remember one case OF promi-
nent banker who sat TO me. While !
had his portrait on exhibition I'm my
studio an acquaintance Of his came I'm
TO look at Il. Bless me- says he. does
he really look like thatP I told him Il
was considered faithful likeness. Il
never noticed that expression about his
eyes before said he. I think I'll drop
down town and change my bank ac-
count lie did drop down. but the
bank account was gone. and so was
Mr. Banker.
"It wasn't long TIL they put rae o.ut
OF business. Peop.e don't want their
secret meannesses shown up IN n pic.
ture. They can smile and twist their
own faces and deceive you, but the
picture can't / couldn't get an order
for another picture. and I had to give
up. / worked as newspaper artist
for awhile and then for n photographer,
but my work with them got me into
the same trouble 1f I drew from
photograph my drawing showed up
characteristics and expressions that
you couldn't find I'm the photo. but I
guess they were IN the original. all
right The customers raised lively
rows. especially the women, and
never could hold n job long. SO be-
gan TO rest my weary head upon the
breast Of Old Booze for comfort. And
pretty soon I was In the free bed line
and doing oral fiction for handouts
among the food bazaars. Does the
truthful statement weary thee, o
callph7 ! can turn on the Wall street
disaster stop n you prefer. but that
requires a tear, and I'm afraid can't