The Florida star., 1909-07-09

The Owner Didn't Apprssiats the Gem
Of His colbestion.

o. Hta Coisoetion.
Some years ago a well known art
expert was summoned to act In the
capacity of private appraiser to q
young man who desired to sell at
auction the contents of his fathers
picture gallery. The man appreci-
ated his own limitations sufficiently
to realize the need of such advice as
the critic had to offer, though the
actual depth of his ignorance was
not patent at the beginning of the
interview.
The two men were In the gallery,
and the owner discoursed somewhat
intelligently on a pair of enormous
battle scenes for which his father
had paid q fabulous sum and out Of
which he hoped to realize much
more than the original price. A
few other highly pictorial compost
tions came in for their share of ap-
proval. He would rather like to
keep those really good" things.
But he felt that they would COM
mand the highest price at the sale.
The expert passed them with a
glance. He felt sure that the own
er would realize his desire to keep
them unless he was willing to sac
rihce them for a tithe of what his
father had paid for them a score
of years before, when that sort Of
painting was in vogue.
From the moment the connois-
seur entered the long room he kept
his eye on a small canvas disdain-
fully "skyed" above the opposite
door. Though the light was bad
and the position the worst possible,
he took in the matchless sweep Of
technic in that painted head. As
soon as the young man had exhaust
ed his enthusiasm over the showy
pictures the artist called his atten-
ton to the modest canvas.
ooh, that's a sketch by an OBJ
scure German painter" the owner
returned, ga thing my father picked
up somewhere. It doesn't amount
to anything. 1 had it hung up
there to get it out of the way"
"Will you sell it for q hundred
dOllars?"
81 should rather think 1 wouldp
the owner replied in some astonish-
ment. "But 1. don't want to rob
you"
| "And 1 don't want to rob you" |"
his guest echoed. "That- despised
sketch is the best thing in your col
lection, the one that ought to bring
the highest price. 1t is a Lenbach.
No one else paints like that. A Len
bach needs no signature.
The owner was not convinced, in
deed, was rather anxious to make
the sale on, the spot, and his doubt
was not dissipated until the auction
was over and he learned that the lit
tie Lenbsch had brought something
over $4,000, the highest price paid
for any picture in the collection.
The war canvases went for q song.
New York Tribune.
Caught.
In Philadelphia they tell a story
of q man whose wife had arranged
an authors evening" and persuad-
ed her reluctant husband TO remain
at home and help her receive tht
fifty guests who were asked to par,
ticipate in this intellectual feast.
The first author was dull enough
but the second was worse. More
over, the rooms were intolerably
warm. So, on pretense of letting
in some cool air, the unfortunate
host escaped to the hall, where ht
found a servant comfortably asleeI
on the settee.
''Wake upp sternly commanded
the Philadelphian in the mans ear
"Wake up, l ssyl You must haV,
been listening at the keyholeP1
HaEpeTs Magazine.
How He Get Him.
A New York dramatist was on,
evening visiting a well known play