The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-12-29

BY EDITH RIcKERT


repeating, but the facts behind IT,
well, perhaps they are.
For a man OF distinct ability, my
far-away cousin culbertson was slow
enough to get on. He was close upon
thirty when. after half dozen fail.
ures, he managed to get into BurlIng-
ton house, with the portrait OF a strik-
ing girl. To be sure. Il was sxied in
the small room devoted to undiscov-
cred genius; Culbertson was pleased
enough to drag me there-much
against my will, for hate being polite
at the expense OF truth.
There she is. Ethel" he cried,
looking as II he we're ten years young
er Now be nice for once" j..
But ! judged It kinder to be cold.
why didn't you tell her to wash her
iace?" Then tried to get a decent
light on the production. rs she
freckled Or what?"
Come to the studio tomorrow and
you shall see" he flung at me like a
challenge; and as always kept an eye
on my cousins love affairs, being
genuinely anxious that he should mar
~ well when he did marry. / broke
an engagement TO accept his invita-
lion.
She was already there when ar
rived, trying TO collect enough tea
things out OF Culbertson's odd pieces
Of china and silver to serve for us
three. My first thought was that she
seemed very much at home. Then
Culbertson introduced us: Ethel.
this is Mary-Gold. Mary. Ethel wants
to know why you didn't wash your
face?"
Then said. quite honest in my ad-
miration: And he calls that yellow
splash at the academy a portrait OF
youi"
She answered us both together:
It's the freckles. you see; and they
won't wash on. And my name isn't
Gold. as you might think"
No, COLDS her nature. and that's
Why ] call her so" said Culbertson,
and his face. when he looked at her.
gave him away completely. When
went away first, he shut the door
softly behind us and looked at me for
my opinion
of course" said I. little nettled
that he had kept his secret SO we'll. Il
may congratulate you?"
He shrugged. but whether he then
could not tell the truth or only would
not say. ! do not know.
She'll come around said I.
NO" said he and could not quite
keep tragedy out OF his face, she's
said Il and she won't. But I've got
TO paint her, you see. il I'm to get on:
and she knows that. so she's willing to
be friends"
] shook my head. but was afraid to
express my disapproval in words. OF
course, the situation was impossible:
and was curious to see how It would
develop.
Il developed into a series of most
curious pictures hung year after year
at the Royal academy-pietures
which set us all to guessing what was
the actual state Of affairs.
The year aftur "the smudge." as I
nicknamed his first accepted picture.
he had an Autumn-no rain. no falling
leaves, no pretty sentiment: but
great swirl of passionate color Just
frosted by the nearness Of death.
The year after came Nemesis.
believe that saw scarcely a favorable
criticism of the Judas.Tree. although
nearly every journal-and that was
good sign-seemed impelled to notice
it. But "Decadenee" loomed large in
their utterance | grant 1t was per-
haps a mad idea to paint a woman as
tree; but in some fashion he made
the thing so that one could not tell
where tree began and woman ended
She was dressed in some dark velvetv
thing, her body twisted and her arms
thrown up unevenly to simulate
branches, and her hair as a wealth
Of purple blossom: and from one of
her branches she dangled man-here
the critics had their best laugh-not
actually hanging him, but strangling
him with a knotted cord. so that he
lay In heap on the earth.
Here's pretty work. said | 10 nv.
self What has she done to him?
This grows interesting"
Several times during the year tried
to see my cousin, but chance or fate
or his own viii prevented.
| was not greatly surprised after
that to learn that my cousin had left
town abruptly, without saying good
by to any one, and was supposed to be
travelling in the far east.
1t was three years before | had anv
definite news of him; and that came
only in the form Of small picture at
Burlington house. The next year he
sent nothing to the academy; but |
saw a notice of small collection Of
his etchings to be seen in a prIvate
gallery. They were all studies of the
Syrian desert, and came away with
a sense Of escape from nightmare.
After that---it seems incredible-T
heard nothing for four years. Then
came his Madonna. It brought a sense
of shock to those of us who had
known the man I hate ~ 49, ~ -