Bisbee daily review., 1910-09-02
HE PAID THE
 RECKONING By MOuLlE X. WETHEREII Copyright. 1910. by American Press
 Association

A long while ago. when the people of Europe ..red in ap artistic atrnos. phere. a stranger stopped one evening at peasant's cottage in the south of Spain and asked for supper and a nights lodging. He was made wei | come and comfortable so far as these The family consisted of man per haps rhirty-tive years of age: his wife. a young woman of twenty two or twep. ty-three. and their child, d boy about eight monrhs old While the stranger was eating his supper his eyes wers constantly fixed upon the man. who sat smoking bis pipe by the chimney. turning Them from nim 10 The woman who sat ou the opposite side. nursing her baby. In the mans face was certain reis'>e. conieutIneni with the world and with his ioi in IL The wo- mans though That of peasant. was tingpd wtIi certain indt-<criba ble spirituality. When the child sal up in his mothers tap ana looked NJ the guest his eyes were opened very wide. and there was aB appearance of intel lieenre in rhem beyund oabybood. be- yond childhood even. II seemed al times. tpyoDd lnanio"d
 When the stranger md eaten bis supper he said "i shall he gone in the morning before y"It are up- Please tell me what i- rhs reckoning. that | may pay il now. for my supper and my bed
 "There is nothing 10 be paid. senor.' f said The man What we have given you To eat. while it Is good enough for us. is not good enough for a gentle man like you. At any rate. it is not of any real value. As for the bed you are 10 sleep on. you will fare no better | than the mules. What presumption. senor. il would be for us 10 take money | for these things. By doing so we would call down the displeasure of our patron saint"
 The stranger made no reply 10 this. but. taking up a candle. mounted a rude staircase. In the morning. how l ever. be was still in the cottage. com ing down frum his room after the peas ant and his wife had breakfasted. The woman gave him what remained in the house for a mrai. after which be said.
 "You will not permit me to pay for your hospitality. bui possibly you may accept gift at my hands. 1 am an artist and will draw your likene<Srs
 To thi< fine husband defnurred say ing that tne genfl~man~ time was fou valuable Io Gp spent skeirhins poor
 p-aSaIiIs. but the wife took a woman : l view Of fhe matter She wished for
 the porlraits os her husband. n~rs-sJ
 and especially her child. so she per
 sraded The rnau 60 sii with her and
 rhrIr boy for the stranger 10 copy.
 The artist plsred the woman in .
 chair. holding Ter child in .rsndins
 po~ifinn. wblie The man siood l,osine
 over her shoulder ai both her and the
 boy Then from q IsrImanieau he
 had with him he took out draw ms
 frriaI>. and. irnprovi<in& m easel out
 of fhalr. De set to work 1e made
 number of outline sketches of the
 three. also filling iu separate drawings
 of tbrm. When ne had finished he put them away and said:
 Il shall lake away what 1 have done
 with me. but this." selecting one ot
 them. -i will r~furn to you. If you
 desire to improve your condition os
 are in need of money you may be abie to sell if for fair price
 With that the artist took up his porl manteau and departed
 Some time after this when the peas ant had forgotten the incident and his
 wife was Iamenfing because the artis1 l had neglected to send the sketch (
 man appeared. saying that be had beer
 sent with it by the artist It was ir
 frame. and in one corner . name was written. But the uams was noi familiar to the peasants. They hung . the picture on the wall and were vefy proud of t. When tho neiEhhosS cam