Evening journal., 1908-01-02

for he calmly and unconsciously appropriated the
suggestion as II it his idea.
Such trifing incidents this, attending my
further acquaintance with the happy and absorbed
couple, constantly whetted my interest in the prob
lem they presented In my zeal for studying the
painter I almost forgot the portrat-which. by
tho way. when completed was pronounced notably
successful / had as say, watched It's growth
rather carelessly; yet l had oberved that subtle
changes II from one sitting to another.
Slight as these changes were they unmis-
taxable often startling although l set them down
in large part to my fancy Olaf's onhand
statement that when he painting a portrait he
was completely in the grip of the subject, that he
worked and studied It necessarily, in the abb
well in the presence of the model act
ually left something still to be accounted for.
Nevertheless I accepted It for the time, for was
blind ignorant as was, and am, Of the mysteries
OF the painters art.
had opportunity to observe more closely the
workings OF this method" when, soon after, l
attended to the studio relative whose portrait
Olaf, thanks to HIS success with my own features
was to paint. Ny aunt a woman of vigorous
intellect, OF great decision under gentle demean-
or. / fancied at first that Olaf misled by her
mild manner as to her character; and she in turn
frankly confessed that she found him devoid of
ideas and rather complaoenty stupid. Indeed
she pronounced the cooress little wife more in
terestng companion-but that might have been
accounted for by the fact that Esther Jansen de-
veoped, under my aunt's encOura cement, palpa-
bic admiration for the older woman. In the inter-
walls Of the periods actually devoted to the object of
her presence my aunt held Esther In subdued, in
timato talk, while engaged Olaf in conversation
or studied his work And as / attended thus
closely to the growth of tho portrait I noted more
plainly the evidences Of the painters activity in
the absence of his subject. Watching thus the
progress of the work from the first sketching in"
of the outlines, tho first rough indications OF the
values" to the finished canvas, 1 saw come into
the bind face the almost imperceDtible lines and
shfcows that told so well to one who knew her
the story of my aunts gentle frmness. But not once
dii surprise the brush stroke that gave the life
touch TO the inert figure I saw these creative, Vi
talizing additions not at the end but at the be-
ginning of each sitting.
Gradually the pose had undergone subtle
chanues background decorative ideas
were not tho same; above all. the entire compos-
had been transpcsed to another key" In the
painters phrase. The result showed no uncertainty
or lack of harmony everything bold
sure and masterful as any work he had ever done
Even my aunt, with her clear-eyed vision of men,
was won 10 concede tardy recognition OF a
quality Of preception-perhaps of intution-in
Olaf which her first Judgment had denied him.
Moreover, she more than once told me that the
neutral little New England a fine
creaturc-too fine and rare for the understanding
Of coarser beings with our rough measuring
tools ON this point felt myself competent to
carry investigation, opportunity for
which 1 should have welcomed but 1t placed
beyond my reach just then by the departure OF
Olaf and his wife for their summer holiday. The
condition of Esthers health had for time
been cause Of anxiety and it was with q
view to its Improvement and the arresting Of GER
tain alarming symptoms that they had gone to
some place in the far West
Although / knew this I was nevertheless totally
unpreuared for the brief despatch which / re-
ceved from Olaf about two months later announc-
ing the death Of his wife. 1 learned in time that
is so otter the case with the remnants of these
elder New England families. in which stamina has
been sacrificed TO the oyer-refning Of the race.
She the last Of her family.
sdn after the momentary shock had felt at
learning Of Olaf's bereavement, I reflected that
after al It was not an irreparable calamity lie
had boon fond OF her. doubt, but man OF his
age always recovors from such sorrows
At last one day, in proving about the studio I
discovered the only canvas he had brought back
with him from the West. It was a haf-anished
portrait Of Esther. He met my eye with some
60.
ingly
She wanted me to do it," he said. when she
knew she couldn't get WELL didn't have time to
Ills indifferent tone annoyed me. "of course
You must complete it now" spoke rather
sharply THE drawing is far along that YOU
can surely do it superby from memory. That
should be her monument"
"Oh. yes I'll finish It sometime" was his an
swer. mot now, though; I'm too busy. Did
tell you I had commission to do the Honorable
Martin Faherty, Tammany boss of the NINTH"
/ rad no more convinced at last that this in
difference must be fegned-that the great out
spoken boy had learned TO wear a mask. And
was really glad to know that instead of wasting his
DAYS IN regrets and memories he was bent on the
wiser course Of finding forgetfulness in work
That way lay sanity and ultimate recovery.
I never saw the portrait Of the Honorable Mar
tin Fiahcrty, though It was finished early that
winter and exhibited. ! away from New York
at the time As soon as returned 1 received 9
note from Olaf Jansen begging me to come to his
studio. Tor he needed my moral support
For Gods sake come" it ran. I've got tc
to-. The note wrotchedly scrawlod
found him alone, sitting at table with bis
bottle OF whiskey and glass before him. In al
my association with him I had never seen hin
drink. Ho had the look OF q beaten man. have
never seen such utter detection, such hopeless mis-
cry, in any face. So startled was that essayeC
an namely cheerful tone.
We'll what's wrong, Oaf7" said when we haC
shaken hands and he had relapsed again into hi
shrunkel attitude in the chair. Let me hea
about your latest successes. Don't tell me you'v
fallen on any III luck"
, 10 gave so little attention that was no
sure he heard. Then you haven't seen what th
papers said about the portrait?" he began. Per
l,ns and Mccartney the only ones who praisei
it; and they're two fools who know nothing what
ever about painting. All the others roasted It
They were right"
, Nonsense, man." cried, amazed that h
l should have taken comparatively trivia
matter much to heart That's nothing t
pull long face over. Suppose this one picture
Isn't quite mp to your high mark; suppose ever
that it's q rank failure; it's only one, and You've
failure coming after all your successes. Is THU
all it takes 10 drive you to drink7"