Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-15
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Broken Statuette-By F. A. Mitchell
Copyrighted. 1910 by Associated Literary Press

supposedly looking up at a mantel
where her stocking hangs, and broke
it in three pieces. l can mend it for
you. I've done much of that kind ot
work and can do it so that the breaks
will not be visible, and you can send
it to the senOrita for a Christmas gift.
1t will cost you nothing"
"Oh, no, sonora, l wouldn't like to 90
that"
She brought the parts. They were
so broken that she could set them
up in place, and she stood them before
him. He fastened his eyes upon the
statuette. and the longer he looked
the stronger became his wish to give
it in perfect condition to Beatrice.
She loved beautiful things as well as
he; indeed, that is what first attracted
them to each other He saw that with
careful handling the parts could be
put together to retain all its beauty,
and he knew that the shOpkeeper had
a process by which she could blur
over the lines where they were Joined.
Dear Beatrice" he said to himself
musingly, what exquisite happiness
It would bring ne TO send you the
statuette if it We're only perfect. But
a perfect one would cost me 200 lire.
and have but 20 for the purpose"
But as a Photographic plate long ex-
posed will produce an image the up-
aided eye cannot see, so looking upon
the statuette produced a determine
ton to follow the senOra's suggestion.
At last he told her to join the parts
and send the statuette Then he went
out, and, his better judgment reassert-
ing itself. he returned and counter
handed the order But the sight OF
the exquisite figure of the child stand
ing where he had left it was too much
for him. and he told the shopkeeper TO
do as he had said. She was to send
the marble on Christmas morning and
would have a fortnight in which to do
the work
Meanwhile Seymour painted and
dreamed of the pleasure he would de-
rive from n visit on Christmas morn
ing to Beatrice. The statuette was to
be there the day before. He would
call at Il. He remembered how
much more attractive and beautiful
things appear when seen by them
selves alone and pictured the dear
child as he would see her on a mantel
or a table. Beatrice looking at her in
admiration But his dreams were in
terrupted by painful forebodings. Sup
posing the reStorer failed to perfectly
conceal the lines where the parts
joined Surprising in transmission the
parts should become detached. The
bare suppOsition of either of these
caused the hot blood to mount to his
cheek. his heart to beat. and he would
get up from before his easel and pace
the floor.
And at such times great mis-
trust Of his judgment would come TO
him, and he would wonder if he was
not about TO do something dreadful. ,
There was not Il dishonest hair in his /
head He had gone over the matter /
carefully. and his conscience was /
clear. The statuette was a thing Of .
beauty: that beauty would not be
married If the pieces were perfectly .
Joined together so that no one could .
tell the marble from a perfect one. 7
Beatrice was like him in this respect. .
Her reverence for works Of art was in .
their actual beauty irrespective of any .
other value.
It seemed a long period Of waiting. /
made up of flashes of anticipated |
pleasure and dread lest his wish to
give happiness to one he loved should |
be turned to a bitter reSult--a result |
that might cost him his Beatrice. He
knew that if the secret came out.
could she know the feelings that
prompted the deception she would for
give him. but would not the bare fact
alone that he had sought to impose on
her be evident?
Christmas morning was rung in by
bells on cathedrals that had an
nounced the anniversary of the birth
Of Jesus for hundreds of years. It
was a bright morning. and the tenn
per of the people was in keeping with
the sunshine. Seymour could scarce
~ wait for the time be had deter
mined that be would visit Beatrice
Indeed, he did pot wait. for half al
hour before To clock struck II he
appeared before Aer home. She opened
the door for him herself. throwing her