The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23

without being by any means dull. 1t
was year since he had left the de-
tective bureau, at the age of 40, with
a competence Of s2.5O0 a year-enough
he has always maintained for any sane
man to live comfortably. even in New
York unless, as he puts it, he INDUCES
in such expensive luxuries as a wife
or motor car.
Having neither of these to maintain,
with bills to pay for maids and chauf-
feurs and ribbons and gasoline" he
confded to me one afternoon when I
had come to know him well, Il can
keep up my end on s2.5oO, paying my
bills promptly, get all the fun I need,
and put by something every year."
About how much do you put by on
that?" I queried. rather skeptical, never
having been able even with a most
rigid economy to turn the trick my
self
"well-fve dollars last year. and
this year. up to date, I am eight dol
lars ahead of the game. So you see,
Jenkins" he said with laugh. 4 am
really a capitalist"
The occasion of my meeting Rawson
was an assignment had received from
the Recorder to attend the private view
at the autumn exhibition Of the Ma
tionaI Society of American Painters, at
the Vanderbilt galleries. in Fifty7sev-
enth street Ny stunt was to write
the affair UP. not from the point of
view Of the canvases on the walls, but
from the more humanity interesting
standpoint Of the people on the floor.
Give US a picture of your own paint
ing, Jenkins" said the editor "of the
human canvases-a living picture. as
it were. II any Of the people there
are out of drawing. badly composed or
indifferently painted. say so-you
needn't use real names. of course, but
draw them so vividly that the public
viii recognize"
Hence 1 found myself wandering
about the gallery in a, maze of beauty.
intellect, long hair and attitudes one
Friday evening in November. 1t was
apparent from the outset that my chief
was a wise man. for. with possibly
two or three exceptions most of my
fellow guests were there on very much
the same quest as I was-to see each
other rather than the pictures
must confess that the function
bored me a trihe. for I knew very few
Of the people present, and 1 found
some difficulty in getting into the skein
OF the thing, until by an odd chance
I was backed by the surging crowd
into a man holding plate of ice cream
in his hand. the which was promptly
upset and it's contents spattered over
the rear breadth of my claw hammer
coat His apologies were as profuse
as II he were really to blame for the
incident. and in spite Of my assurances
that preferred my ice cream that way
he insisted upon accompanying me to
the cloakroon. where we made such
amends to my unfortunate garment as
We're possible under the circumstances
I am very sorry, Mr.. Jenkins" he
observed as we left the room later to
rejoin the guests in the gallery, and
] am going to make amends"
You know my name it appears" 1
said. rather gratihed to think that so
insignificant fly on the wheel of life
as I should be recognized by a stranger
"Oh, yes indeed" he replied. Il
have seen you frequently in the Grim
inal courts"
Well you mustn't judge me by
that" 1 laughed i've been there
always as reporter. you know"
Always on the right side of the
bar" he said with a smile. But, as
have said. 1 am going to make amends
for this unfortunate ruin of your coat.
You wouldn't mind good story, would
you-for the Recorder"
That's what I am trying to get"
said L
Well inside of a month you'll have
it Ny name is Rawson," he went on
and I don't mind telling you that
am not here as an art critic, but in
my capacity as an instrument of the
law"
"Oh." I calculated. You are that
Rawson, are you?"
The same" he said. only I've re-
game now because 1 like il. Have
you looked at the pictures YETI"
Only cursorily," said L Fact is,
it's the people I'm here to write UP,
rather than the paintings"
Well, I want you to make note of
No Sos, by Harrison Waters" he OBJ
served DO you know Waters7"
BY reputation" said L Hes hso
a hard time of il until recently. Been
up on supplementary proceedings sew
eral times, but I'm told he has come
into his owo lately"
Yes. he has," said Rawson dryly.
He has sold three canvases in the last
two years, skied ones. too to a GER
tain distinguished Millionaire. for graf
ifyingly large sums. sums that enable
him TO use hansoms and electric cabs
whenever he wants them. and to rig up
a studio that is one of the finest in
town Ever been there?"