Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-07-03
HE PAID THE
RECKONING
By MOIIE K. WETHEREIl
Copyright. 1870. by American Press
Association.

Spain ana aSkeu lOT supper unu u
nights lodging. He was made wei
come and comfortable so far as these
poor peasants were able 10 make him
The family consisted OF man per-
haps thirty-hve years OF age; bis wife.
a young woman OF twenty-five or TWEEN
ty-three. and their child, a boy about
eight months old While the stranger
was eating his supper his eyes were
constantly fixed upon the man, who
sat smoking his pipe by the chimney.
turning them from him 10 the woman
who sat on the opposite side. nursing
her baby. In the mans face was
certain repose, contentment with the
world and with his lot in IL The wo-
mans. though that of peasant. was
tinged With a certain Understandable
spirituality. When the child sat up In
bis mothers lap and looked at the
guest his eyes were opened very wide.
and there was an appearance Of intel
ligence In them beyond babyhcod. be-
yond childbood-even, 1t seemed al
times. beyond manhood
When the stranger had eaten bis
supper he said: II shall be gone In the
morning before you are up. Please tell
me what is the reckoning. that may
pay it now, for my supper and my
bed"
There Is nothing to be paid, senor,'
said the man. What we have given
you to eat. while 1t is good enough for
us, is not good enough for gentle
man like you. At any rate. 1t Is not OF
any real value. As for the bed you are
to sleep on. you will fare no better
than the mules. What presumption.
seDor, it would be for us TO take money
for these things. By doing so we
would call down the displeasure of our
patron saint"
The stranger made no reply to this.
but, taking up a candle. mounted
rude staircase. In the morning. now
ever, he was still in the cottage. COM
ing down from his room after the peas
ant and his wife bad breakfasted
The woman gave him what remained
In the house for a meal, after whicn
he said:
You will not permit me TO pay for
your hospitality. but possibly you may
accept a gift at my hands. am an
artist and will draw your lkenesses.
To this the husband demurred. say
ing that the gentleman's time was TOO
valuable to be spent sketching poor
peasants, but the wife took a woman's
view of the matter. She wished Tor
the portraits of her husband, herself
and especially her child. So she per-
suaded the man to sit with her and
their boy for the stranger 10 copy.
The artist placed the woman In
chair. holding her child in standing
position. while the man stood looking
over her shoulder at both her and the
boy. Then from a portfiianteau he
had with him he took out drawing ma
terials, and. improvising an easel out
of a chair, ne set 10 work He made
a number of outline sketches OF the
three. also filling In separate drawings
of them. When be had drished he
put them away and said:
Il shall take away what have done
with me, bur this" selecting one OF
them, Il will return to yon- III you
desire 70 improve your condition or
are In need of money you may be able
to sell 1t for a fair price"
With that the artist took up bis port
manteau and departed
Some time after this when the peas
ant had forgotten the incident and us
wife was lamenting because the artist
had neglected TO send the sketch d
man appeared. saying that be had been
sent with IL by the artist IL was IN
q frame. and in one corner a name
was written. But the name was not
familiar TO the peasants. They hung
the picture on the wall and were very
proud of IT. When the neishbors came
In TO look a, II they would be asked
Are not the figures like u.s." and the
reply would be: Yes. they are ike
you. but they are holy people. Your
baby resembles our blessed Saviour.
The peasants kept the picture FOR
many years Meanwhile they grew
to be old and their boy became a
young man. He loved the daughter OF
a wine grower. but she was without
dowry. and be was without any
means to set CD housekeeping. Then
his mother remembered the artists
words that they might sell the pic
ture for a price Der husband had 10
faith in this. but the boy. who was 10
love. ebegged bis mother to try. Her
affection for her SOD friumphed over
her desire 10 keep the sketch. ano
with hir1 she went TO Seville
On resscbiug the city she went to
church to pray for The success OF
their undertaking. When they came
10 the altar both stood stiIl 10 amaze
ment. There before them was Their
sketch IN painted colors inciosed IN a