The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-05-27

wishes"
l seized my chalks and began with
that confidence in myself which has
never forsaken me in any emergency.
l put my trust in Lady Ma~lkinshaw.s
power of living, and portrayed the
face of Mr.. Batterbury in all its native
horror. At the same time, l sensihly
guarded against even the most improb@
able accidents. by making him pay me
the fifty pounds as we went on, by in
stalments. We had ten sittings. Each
one of them began with a message
from Mr.. Batterbury. giving me Anna
bella's love and apologies for not being
able to come n see me. Each one of
them ended with an argument between
Mr.. canterbury and me relative to the
transfer of five pounds from his pocket
to mine. I came off victorious on every
occasion-being backed by the noble
behavior of Lady Malkinshaw, who abb
stained from tumbling down, and who
ate and drank. and slept and grew
lusty, for three weeks together. Ven-
cradle woman! She put fifty pounds in
my pocket. | shall think of her with
gratitude and respect to the end of my
days.
One morning, while I was sitting be-
fore my completed portrait, inwardly
shuddering over the ugliness of 1t. a
sufTocating smell of musk was waited
into the studio; it was followed by a
sound of rustling garments; and that
again was succeeded by the personal
appearance of my affectlonate sister,
with her husband al her heels. Anna
bella had got to the end of her stock
of apologies, and had come to see me.
VIVA a horrid place!" she said
family behind her handkerchief.
Cant you take some of the paint
away? I'm sure there's oil on the
floor. How am 1 to get past that nasty
table with the palette on it? Why
can't you bring the picture down to
the carriage, Frank?"
Advancing a few steps, and looking
suspieiously about her while she spoke,
her eyes fell on h c~himney-piece. An
eau-de-Cologne bottle stood upon It,
which she took up Immediately with
a languishlng sigh.
1t contained %turpentine for washing
brushes in. Before I could warn her
she had sprinkled herself absently with
half the contents of the bottle. In spite
of all the musk that now filled the
room, the turpentine betrayed itself
almost as soon as I cried ''Stop!" An
nabella, with a shrek of disgust, flung
the bottle furiously into the fireplace.
Fortunately, it was summer time, or I
might have had to echo the shrek with
a cry of "Firel"
you wretch! you brutel you low,
m~ischievous, swindling b~lackguard!"
cried my amiable sister, shaking her
skirts with all her might, "you have
done this on purpose! Don't tell mel I
know you have. What do you mean by
Fostering me to come to this dog-ken-
mel of a place." she continued, turning
fiercely upon the partner of her exist
ence n legitimate receptacle of all
her superfluous wrath. What do you
mean by bringing me here, to see how
you hav been swindled? Yes, sir,
swindled! He has no more idea of
painting than you have He has cheat
ed you out of your money. If he was
starving tomorrow he would be the
last mar in England to make away
with himself-he is too great a wretch
he is too vicious-he is too lost to all
sense of respectability-he is too much
of a discredit to his family.
Here she became hysterica1 and van
ished, leaving a mixed odor of musk
and turpentine behind her, which pre-
served the memory of her visit Cor
nearly a week afterward.
Another scene in the drama Of
my life seems likely to close
in before long" thought 1. " No
chance now of getting my abiable sis
ter to patronize struggling genius. Do
L know of anybody else who will sit
to me? No, o a soul"
After this L had plenty of elbow-room
in the studio, and could walk up and
down briskly, smoking my pipe, and
thinking about what I should do next.
l had observed that the generous
friend and vagabond brother artist,
whose lodger 1 now was, never seemed
to be in absolute want of money; and
yet the walls of his studio informed
me that nobody bought his pictures.
Where did he find his resources? l de-
termined to ask him the question the
very next time he came to the studio.
"Dick," 1 said eve called Zach other
by our Christian names), where do
you get your money!"
Frank" he answered, what makes
you ask that question:"
Necessity" I proceeded. my stock
of money is decreasing, and I don't
know how to replenish it. My pictures
have been turned out of the ex-
hibition rooms; nobody comes to sit to
me; | can't make a farthlng, and l
must try another line in the Arts, or
leave your studio. We are old friends
now. I've paid you honestly week by
week, and if you a oblige Inc, 1 think
you ought. You arr money somehow.
Why can't II"
"Are you at all particular" asked
Dick.
mot in the least" I answered.
l Dick nodded. and looked pleased;
handed me my hat. and put on his own.
I you are just the sort of man I
I like" he remarked, "and I would
sooner trust you thar any one else I
know. You ask how 1 contrive to
earn money, seeing that all my pictures
are still in my own possession. My dear
fellow, whenever my pockets are empty
and 1 want a ten-pound note to put into
/, them, I make an old master"
I stared hard at him, not at first
quite understanding what he meant.
l CTo he Continued TomorrOw.O
L