The Huttig news., 1909-04-03


 IS between Bradford the artist. and myself. had she nof tilted him and !aken me2 And yet any woman might l well have chosen him He was ex- tremely bright had many talents be- sldes his art, and had made high mark in that He was uncommonly ec- centric. every one will admit. and in many of his ways carried ccceniriciiy to the roint of grotesqueness, but his great gifts none could deny.
 T retained my liking for him for % years. during which my wife lost noth- ing of her vivacity. none of her charms-nor any of her relatives. They increased. rather To the sister who was to be her home companion in my l hours of absence was soon added an other sister. Then the venerable fa- ther and mother came to sit by our dreside. They were of hardy and vigorous stock. An uncle and two brothers, one by one joined the fam. fly circle, and the advent of each of the latter accessiens was signalized by more or less friction with the earlier corners. cp
 For 20 years I managed to live in the midst of life's blessings-and my wife's kln-and only once brought down the temple about my ears. Only once, but
 Well, let me tell you how it hap 1 pened An agreeable project took my fancy concerning my wife's approach ing birthday. Straightway consulted Bradford. let him into the scheme because l couldn't work it without him. My idea amused him immensely, but he seemed to hesitate. l urged. ajoled, named good sum-and se- ufed his services.
 I was to procure my wife's full ength portrait-painted by Bradford limself-under the pretext that the lrtist declared that it needed retoueh- ng, and he, with a shapely model who osed for him, was to depict my wife 1t full length as Juno in the 1urest classic style. I've said that | he was an eccentric man, and I think have stated it moderately. For in- stance, he seldom permitted his pic lures to be viewed until completed. even by his closest friends Know ing this, l of course was not sur prised when he coolly told me that I should not see the portrait till he him. self unveiled it in my chamber on my wifes birthday.
 The eventful night came-the night of nights. My wifes kinsfolk. of course, were always with us. A chosen few, the pick of her friends, gathered for the occasion. But the artist didn't arrive. However, that was simply his way-he was always late. But when an hour passed, two hours. and he was still absent, I was much an noyed. l felt that he had forfeited the privilege for which he had stipulated. as l could not keep the invited guests waiting all night in ignorance of the delayed surprise.
 So. dropping hint of what was ,o come, led the way into the--yes. the fatal--chamber. drew the drapery from lthe curtained recess, mounted the lad der that stood beside it. and prepared 10 uncover the picture Not for years had 1 appeared more fully myself My
 
 practice to act independently. a..zsost with contrariety. in watching the trajectory of a flying ornament or cal eulaiing the angle of incidence of a bursting vase-had never seemed more | unanimous or more obedent to my will. As l stood on tho top step of that library ladder. I felt myself con- plete master of the situation
 T clipped the threads. beginning at he top, and gradually revealed the 'eauties of Bradford's Juno
 T can't conceive of such another 1 dad chirping cry of surprise as went ap when the picture was but half in sight. But it was as nothing to the l yell that arose, or the scene that fol lowed, when the burlap cover dropped the carpet. The artist had em- ployed his consummate skill-he had surpassed himself-in the drawing and coloring of the figure, from the dia- temed hair to the gem-encircled girdle l but there the figure ended ended in something worse than deformity-for the neither limbs were clad, not Tn the | drapery of goddess. not in Grecian raiment at all, but in ordinary, every day, masculine trousers-yes. even in pants'--and conspicuous pair of the very pattern l most affected
 You know, there's one thing. at l least, that a married woman can never be told-a truth that's jest every where except at home-and when great artist tells it in bold way, the telling of it stings sharper than ser pent's tooth.
 Excuse me. I was saving that from the picture I looked below. What facesi What a glare of eyes, And then what a bedlam. Everything swam before me and around me. It was some distance to the foor--pcr- haps that alone was sufficient io ae- count for the fracture of the skull which kept me for many days in a hospital, lowering between life and leath Perhaps
 However, as soon as l could crawl once more, l escaped from the nurses