Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-11-11
A Birthday
Gift
By LUCY BURCH FORBES


landlords daughter, Lucille. served |
him at supper, and the traveller the
moment he laid his eyes ON her was
struck with her appearance Though
not beautiful, her face wore a very
spiritual expression.
'How old are you, my childg asked
the stranger.
Pm twenty years old today, mon
sieur."
"Ah, your birthday"
"Yes, monsieur"
81 happen here in good time. must
think Of gift for you"
"That is very kind of you. monsieur,
but since you are a stranger | would
not like to accept a gift from you
"You might return it with gift"
"How could l do that. monsieur.
since | have not penny in the
world? And since / have nothing
cannot marry Jules, who has nothing,
either"
This was said in a trembling voice
the girls heart.
"Well. tomorrow. if you choose, you
shall give me something. and later 1
will return an equivalent"
The maiden wondered at what she
could do for so respectable a gentle
man, and when the next morning he
asked her to send for Jules she won
dered still more. Jules came. and he,
too. wondered.
Take off your Shoes" said the gen
tleman to the girl.
She obeyed, and when he looked at
her shapely feet and round toes Ne
expressed satisfaction. The three
were in an arbor hung with purple
grapes. for it was the autumn. The
stranger placed the girl in a corner,
where she leaned back against the
vines, punches of fruit hanging near
her. He placed Jules beside her with
an arm around her and told him to
look steadily into her face. Then.
opening a box of sketching materials,
he proceeded to transfer the figures
to a canvas he set up on an easel.
When the painting was completed the
artist said
NOW 1 am ready to pay you your
fee as models. l leave you to choose
whether it shall be franc for each of
you for every sitting or half the value
of the picture"
The lovers consulted and. being sad
| ly in want of money in hand, decided
to take the francs each for the five
sittings.
! VERY WELL" said the artist, hand
ing them 10 francs. "As for the birth
day present, that will come in time"
The same day he departed, and the
lovers wondered if they should ever
hear from him again.
One day a letter came from the
artist inclosing two tickets on the rail
way to Paris and inviting Jules and
Lucille to come to Paris and be his
guests for a few days. Then Jules
looked foolish, and Lucille clapped her
hands with delight, declaring that she
had believed all the while that the
stranger would send the birthday gift
but she had never dreamed it would be
anything so nice as trip to the capi-
tai. She wrote, as the donor had re-
! queSted in his letter. the day and hour
of their arrival, and servant met
them and drove them to their destina-
ton, the strangers studio, which they
found a beautiful place. containing
many works of art. The stranger well
coined them with a smile and sent an
attendant to drive them about the city
and show them the sights.
When they had thus passed several
enjoyable days the artist got into the
carriage with them, and they were
driven to building in which was
large gallery of pictures. After show
ing them some of the paintings he led
them into a room where they saw
themselves in the arbor among the
clustering grapes. But the canvas was
now bordered by a heavy gilt frame
that added much to it's beauty. Jules,
who, having lived in Brittany, where
artists often go for subjects, knew
some artists by name and looked in
corner of the picture for that of the
painter. Then he looked up into the
artists face.
"Ah. monsieur" he exclaimed, "can
it be that you are the great Bou-
guereau"
II am Bouguereau," was the reply.
Lucille, who had heard artists stop
ping at her fathers inn speak of this
wonderful painter who depicted bare
footed young women and little chill
dren with such marvellous flesh tints.
looked up at the artist smiling through
moist eyes.
"Oh. monsieur" she said. what
pleasantly it was in you to offer us
half the value of this picture instead
of our fee as models! What would you
have done had we accepted your Of
fer?'
1T would have made no difference"
replied the painter "since it would
then have been your fee instead of
your birthday gift"
Taking out pocketboOk. he took
from and handed to Lucille check for
5000 francs.
1t required time for the lovers to