Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-04-02
MT. BaniCke!'s s Portrait


 which he found, though his title to wca rather thin. and the next was hi \ portrait ro hang in his drawing room and to hand down to his descendant, as the iineaments of the reinstitutor O tho family. Arnold Elliott was at thu ' time the principal portrait painter il . the city where Mir. Barnlckel lived and to him Mr Barnickel snve tho or ] der, agreeing 10 pay for the portrai $500
 New, although Ar. Balnlckel ha, dealt in hides, m article not calculated to stimulate the imaginative faculty his imagination was strong. The mo
 ment he set himself mp as a reinstitu tor of his family he saw himself fins
 looking. digniiled gentleman of aristo
 cratic rien and benevolent counto-
 nance. In truth, he was crafty look, ing man with q money making nose
 He saw the picture of himself grow
 ing up in the hands of the artist as he
 was and not as he thought himself.
 He made several protests. but when
 he attempted to point out The errors
 he signally failed. lie could got give
 the artist his conception of 'nlmself,
 snd the artist had no choice but e
 paint him as Mr. Barnlckel. When the
 portrait was finished. there sat thc
 merchant looking for all the world as l IT he were buying q cargo of hides.
 When Mir BarnIckel saw thu portrait, | he refused to accept it on the ground
 that his best friend wouldn't lake II ] for him.
 AS soon as Mir. Elliot; got a little | spare time he hooked Mr Barnickel's portrait ID against the wa! of his studio. covered il with sheet of
 drawing paper and on thc paper
 slctched prison bars. This done. be cut out the paper between the bars.
 leaving Mr. Barnlcke in limbo. In.
 derncath he placed the title of the pic
 turc, "A PriSonec FN Debt"
 It was not long before one who knew Mr. Barnickel well saw hiaA behind bars. Had he loved Mir Barnickel hs would have gone to him at once wit1 the Information. But he didn't love MT. Barnickel--few people dld--so ne went about telling those who knew the hide dealer of the rare slght Co be seen, and Nr Eliiost's studio at once became very popular. Indeed. from among those who visited it io see "!, PriSonc. For Debt1 he secured n nam. Der of orders
 The episode ut last reached mem. bc- of tho Barnic!;el family. and the family head was lnformed. The same morning be drove up to Mfr. Elllott's l studio. alighteG in hurry. climbed the | stairs in anger and burst into the stu | dio in n passion. There hung the Die | ture. and taoro sat the artist quiescent | al hls easel.
 what do ypn mean by peypetrating that oGtgage;" shouted Mir Barnlckel. | pointing n the picture
 What outragc?" asked the artist | wlthout discoEi;2uiag his work.
 Putting ny portrait behind bars."
 Your porcraii: That isn't your poT. trait Yau said yoursclf that no oGs would recognize it"
 The merchant saw that he could notl GemaEd thc removal of the objection. able features without eating his words. Hc wenr cut. s.ammlug the door be. hind him. ae had been triumnhant in too many deals Co be beaten by pie ture maker: he wcald lDl way to get round the imposition"
 But before he found this way hs heard that new feature had been at. tached to tho portrait The artist Lad removed the bars and the title, replac. ing the latter with the words You Want Too Much."
 The title fitted shc expression on tae face so vel! and Mir BaInlckel's idio- syncrasics were so keenly appreciated , that new lot of people came pouring i. into the studio ,to see old Scrouge, as they called him. buying hides. though some declared that he was disputlng I the price of his portrait Mir Bar nickel was made aware of the change q by receiving an anonymous letter in. Iuirirg which of these two interpreta- fiors of the title was correct. By this time the merchant had con 5 suited his lawyer, who advised him 5 hat the most satisfactory way out of n Inc difficulty was to pay for the pie . -ure and take it away. Therefore on : .o.,ir,. ,,,, ,,,, .,,,.,,.,.,,.. ,,,,.-' ,' ii lis check for sJ00. jumped into his car. . 'iage and drove to Mir. Elliott's studio. II )n entering his eyes naturally sought :, he picture. The expression had been u u hanged. Instead of Mir. Barnickel U ,cating down a seller, it was Mr. Bar ' llckel just having bought at his own i ,rice. There was no title attached to Y, he picture. Instead bit of cardboard ? ested upon 1t on which in big letters ', n vas inscribed "Sold" Mr. Barnickel saw the word and was Y eized with a new anxiety. He, and u ', nly he could Tot see it's double mean lg. There's your check. Send that daub " ome." he said n I'm sorry, Mir. Baraickel. Don't yon ', ee the card on the pIcture;" :, That's bosh. No one would want - ly'- He stopped. He was about to =. ield to bis beating down propensities ., nd add ugly mug" but remembered =, lmself. ~ T don't think Ike purchaser cares =, irch for it." said MT. Elliott cooily. :, You mighc get t at an advance on a, p le orig!na price" ~ ~". How much ii the"-- Mr BarnNkel as about to say swindle. but feared , make matters worse. oi Mir. Elliott arose. went to the pic u'