El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-06
Dy Kenneth
= Harris
Why He Values
the Cheap Picture

haps a little better, until Ranys CIR
cumstances became SO improved that
he felt able TO afford a home OF their
own.
Her Ideas and Weakness
That was the way of it. Josephine
had ideas Of her own about house fur
nishing. She had a penchant for plush.
g weakness for what-nOts- Her no
ton of floor covering was good
body Brussels. with roses and wear in
ft-nOt the faded Bokhara that Rany
was crazy enough to buy at a price
that would have covered twenty good
reversible Fail River Smyrnas.
Rafy would come in to find new
rosewood cherry hatrack, with deeply
beveled mirror, Staring the goIden-Oak
hall chair out Of countenanee- In the
sitting room. mahogany would be
swearing at mission, and the bedrooms
were discords in curly birch and art
squares. Josephine was greatly
addicted to bric-a-brac, too, and one
by one the rooms became chOked with
monstrOsities in cheap ormulO, near
Dresden shepherds and shepherdesseS.
Bohemian glass vases filed with dyed
grasses and peacOcks' feathers. It was
before the topographic mania, but the
ribbon-bow decoration and the hand
painted pansy and owl plaques were
still in vogue, and Josephine went the
limit
Tt may be imagined that Rany did
not given in without a murmur or
struggle. but in the end Josephine
wore him out.
Other men leave the house TO their
wives" said Josephine. with flashing
eyes. st don't interfere with your
studio, do I? Then I'll thank you to
let my parlor alone. Everybody but
you thinks that we have a lovely
home You are the one person that
objects TO me having pretty things
around me. If you had your way the
place would look like barn"
You've made it a cross between a
junk shop and an easy payment fur
niture emporium" retorted Raffy But
would like to draw the line at that
picture"
He Kept the Picture.
II was a recent acquisition Of Jose
phine's. a landscape with purple topped
mountains in the background and an
unrippled lake in the foreground In
which verdigTis foliage and a vermiI-
lion boat were faithfully mfrrored. Tt
cost s4-9s. including the frame
} Il cont See anything the matter
with the picture" said Josephine. "sx-
cept that you can tell what it's In
tended for
Raffy shrugged his shoulders and
turned away He made no further
protest, but he stayed more and more
at his studio When ne was at home
he was in torture as long as his eyes
were open 20 his surroundings. He
grew sullen and sarcastic and 80 mat
tiers went unhappily until Josephine
died.
At the present day Rafy is quite a
distinguished painter. His pictures
bring qr'te fabulous sums, as picture
prices % He is also noted for his
eccertricities and his unsociabIe dis
position He lives all alone in a most
unpretentious little house that Is a
. nightmare OF Philistine furnishing.
/ and 20 which nobody is ever invited.
I Nothing has been changed since Jose
| Dhine seft it. except that a picture has
been moved from the sitting room that
it dishgured 10 Rays bedroom. his own
particular retreat. It Is a picture OF
purple mountains and unrippled water
It seems that before she went Jose
phine called Raffy to her and said. in
a weak voice. "Raffy. dear-that pic
/ ture-I got II because it reminded me
Of the place we went to vshen-wheu
We were married Where-4Te were 50
happy, dear"