The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-11-30
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OF course he depended on his
painting for a living. but it always
seemed to surprise him when he sold
a canvas. And long before the year
was out he sold canvasses before they
hung on his wall over night some
times.
lie was the fad, which amused
him hugely.
He had the most unlovely hands
Imaginable His fingers We're far
from straight. and from the second
joints on the inside ran indefinite
lines that seemed grav0n with tool.
High-bred ladies were usually trou-
bled at this unsightly and inartistic
detail. because everyone knows that
an artists hands should be long and
tapering and beautifully white.
But he never vOuchsafed any eX
planation. even TO Mrs Russell when
she made a deliberate attempt TO find
out. And she was the terror of
everybody who knew her
When he sold a canvass he always
turned the check into gold. Then he
put away as much as he thought was
wise and spent the rest I'm perfect
dehauch Of beautiful hangings, odd
furnishings and decorations that soon
made his studio notable I'm city
where beautiful studios were not rare.
One night. about two years before
he stubbed his toe i'm the elevator.
returning from a long quest after an
old candlestick he had traced to a
South Side home. he found curled
against his door a small bundle Of
exceeding bitter wretchedness. When
he picked II up i'm his big arms it
snuggled instinctiycly against him.
Big Bailey turned up the light. and
when he saw the wizcned drawn face
turned to his In the unconsciuusness
Of utter exhaustion. he felt queer
forgotten smarting OF the eyes. and
for no reason he could define he
strained the boys little body against
him in a perfect passion Of sudden
tenderness
A biz later. when he and the doc
tor. who had quarters across the hall
were cutting the useless rags or the
grimy fody. after Big Bailey had re-
fused TO send the boy TO the hospital,
they found tho reason of his presence
at the studio door. Clutched tight i'm
ono hand was q note to the artist
from Saunders, the newspaper friend.
And again as Bailey understood
that the little fellow had faithfully
waited his return, with the cold
clutch Of pneumonia already on him,
he felt that warm rush OF tender
ness.
They bathcd him between them.
the deft doctor and clumsy-fngered
Bailey. IT'S long job. Bailey" said
the doctor, "and you'd better let me
send him TO the hospital. They'll
do lots for him there"
And Big Bailey made answer, "No,
he's going to stay here, and I'm
going to take care of him. They
won't let me have any pets up here,
and now I've got something to do a
bit for And say. doc, I've been a
bit lonely at times"
"All right" the doctor said. "Pll
look in on you just as often as | can,
Of coures. It's mostly nursing, any
way" and turned to go.
But remembering that Big Bailey
did bit" for most everybody he
came into contact with and the al
most maternal look he gave the suf-
fering little chap. he came back and
put his hands on Bailey's shoulders.
you're a brick, old man." he said.
81 wish | could find more like you.
To which Big Bailey said. 20, for
get II" And then he went back TO
the little figure on the couch and got
on his knees and watched the small
face for long, long time.
He couldn't understand 1t all, but
somehow there seemed to have come
great happiness even with the racking
anxiety. For the little fellow,
scarcely in his teens, grew by leaps
and bounds into the hearts of the
! two lonely men.
They made a desperate fight for
him, and the last night, when II
seemed as IL they must lose him at
last, the elevator man who usually
went at midnight, said he guessed
he'd stay Bit" and he and the en-
gineer and the scrub woman waited
waited, waited till the doctor stepped
out to them in the chill hours when
so many slip wearily away from this
world and said brokenly, He'll live