Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-11-29
Ayers Hqir Vigor
lnoiqorotes
MIR. Barnickel's
Portrait

i
When Mr. Baruickel got rich the
| first thing be wanted was crest,
| which he found though his title 10 1t
was rather thin. and the next was his
| portrait 10 hang In his drawing room
and TO hand down TO his descendants
/ as the lineaments OF the reinstitutor OF
l the family Arnold Elliott was at that
time the principal portrait painter ia
/ the city where Mr. Barnickel lived.
/ and 10 him MIR Barnickel gave the or
| der, agreeing 10 pay for the portrait
$500.
| Now. although Mr. Barnickel had
! dealt IN hides, an article not calculated
| TO stimulate the imaginative faculty.
his imagination Was strong. The mo-
ment he set himself up as a relnstitu-
tor OF his family he saw himself fine
| looking, dignined gentleman of aristo-
/ cratic mien and benevolent counte-
nance. In truth, he was a crafty look
/ ing man with Il money making nose
| He saw the picture OF himself grow
| Ing up IN the hands OF the artist as h.
4
| He made several protests. but when
he attempted TO point out the errors
| he signally failed. He could not give
the artist his conception OF himself,
and the artist had no choice but 10
| paint him as Mr.. Barnickel When the
| portrait was finished, there sat the
merchant looking for all the world as
IL he were buying q cargo Of hides
When Mr. Barnickel saw the portrait
he refused 10 accept it on the ground
that his best friend wouldn't take It
| for him.
| As soon as Mr. Elliott got a little
| spare time he hooked Mr. BaTnickel's
| portrait up against the wall OF his
| studio, covered It with sheet Of
| drawing paper and on the paper
sketched prison bars This done. he
cut out the paper between the bars.
leaving Mr.. Barnlckel in limbo. In
derneath he placed the title of the pic
ture, "A Prisoner For Debt"
1t was not long before one who knew
| Mr.. Barnickel well saw him behind
bars Had he loved Mr.. Barnickel he
would have gone to him at once with
| the information. But he didn't love
Mr.. Barnickel-few people did-so he
| went about telling those who knew In"
hide dealer Of the rare sight TO be
seer, and Mr. EllIotts studio at once
became very popular. Indeed, from
among those who visited it 10 see "A
| Prisoner For Debt" he secured mum
ber OF orders.
| The episode at last reached a mem
Der OF the Barnickel family. and the
family head was Informed. The same
morning he drove up to Mr. Elllott's
| studio, alighted in hurry, climbed the
stairs in anger and burst into the stu
dio in passion. There hung the pie
! ture, and there sat the artist quiescent
/ at his easel.
What do you mean by perpetrating
! that outrageT' shouted Mr. Barnlckel
! pointing to the picture.
/ What outrageY asked the artist
/ without disseminating his work
( Putting my portrait behind bars
Your portrait? That isn't your por
trait. You said yourself that no one
would recognize IT,"
The merchant saw that he could no!
+ demand the removal OF the objection
: able features without eating lIis words
lie went out, slamming the door be
hind him. He had been triumphant IN
( too many deals to be beaten by a pic
! ture maker; he would find a way TO
get round the imposition"
But before lie found this way he
heard that a new feature had been at
tached to the portrait. The artist Lad
removed the bars and the title. replac-
/ ing the latter with the words You
Want Too Much"
! The title lifted the expression on the
/ face so well and Mr.. Barnickers lido
/ syncrasies were SO keenly appreciated
that new lot OF people came pouring
into the studio to see Old Scrouge, as
they called him, buying hides, though
? some declared that he was disputlng
the price Of his portrait. Mr.. Bar
nickel was made aware OF the change
by receiving an anonymous letter in
quiring which OF these two interpreta
tions of the title was correct.
/ BY this time the merchant had con
suited his lawyer, who advised him
that the most satisfactory way out Of
the difficulty was to pay for the pic
ture and take 1t away. Therefore on
receipt Of the anonymous note he drew
his check for $500. jumped into bis car
riage and drove to Mr.. Elliott's studio
On entering his eyes naturally sought
the picture. The expression had been
changed. Instead Of Mr.. Barnickei
I beating down a seller, it was Mr.. Bar
nickel just having bought at his own
price. There was no title attached 10
! the picture. Instead bit OF cardboard
rested upon it on which in big letters
was inscribed sold"
Mr.. Barnickel saw the word aud was
seized with a new anxiety. He. and
only he. could not see fits double mean
I ing.
There's your check. Send that daub
home" he said.
! I'm sorry. Mr.. Barnickel. Don't you
see the card on the pictures"
That's bosh. No one would want
my He stopped. He was about to
, yield to his beating down propensities
I and add ugly mug" but remembered
himself.
Il don't think the purchaser cares
much for It." said Mr. Elliott cooily.
you might get Il at an advance, on