The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-15
A Birthday
Gift
b. LUCY BURcH FORBES


struck with her appearance. Thoug
not beautiful, her face wore a YER
spiritual expression.
'lIow old are you, my child?' asket
the stranger.
I'm twenty years old today, mon
sieur."
"Ah, your birthday"
Eyes, monsieur"
II happen here In good time mus
think of gift for you"
THAT is very kind of you. monsieur
but since you are stranger | woult
not like to accept n gift from you"
''You might return it with gift"
How could | do that. monsieur
since | have not penny in the
world? And since | hive nothing
cannot marry Jules, who has nothing
either"
This was said in trembling voice
that told how near the matter was to
the girls heart.
well. tomorrow. IL you choose, you
shall give me something, and later
will return an equivalent"
The maiden wondered at what she
could do for so respectable Il 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 he
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 canvas he set up on an easel.
When the painting was completed the
srtist said:
Now / am ready to pay you your
fee as models. | 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
~ in want Of money in hand. decided
to take the francs each for the five
sittings
Very we'll" said the artist, hand
ing them 10 francs. LAS 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 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 1t would be |
anything SO nice as a trip to the CAPT |
tai. She wrote. as the donor had re- /
quested In his letter. the day and hour
of their arrival. and servant met I
them and drove them to their destina-
ton, the strangers studio, which they
found a beautiful place. containing
many works Of art. The stranger vel
coined them with 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 a building in which was a
large gallery of pictures. After show
ing them some of the paintings he led
them into room where they saw
in the arbor among the
now bordered by a heavy gilt frame
that added much to its beauty. Jules,
who. having lived in Brittany. where
artists often so for subjects. knew j
some artists by name and looked in a
corner OF the picture for that of the
painter. Then he looked up into the
artists face.
"Ah. monsieur" he exclaimed, can
t be that you are the great Bou-
,uereau?" [
II am Bouguereau,' was the reply.
Lucille. who had heard artists stop !
ling at her fathers inn speak of this
wonderful painter who depicted bare
Dotted young women and little chill
lren with such marvellous flesh tints.
ooked up at the artist. smiling through
moist eyes.
"0h. monsieur she said. what
lleasantry ii was In you to offer us
Ialf the value of this picture instead
{ our fee as models: What would you
ave done had we accepted your Of
err"
1T would have made no difference"
eplied the painter. ''siuce ii would
hen have been your fee instead of
our birthday gift"
Taking out a pocketbook. he took
rom and handed to Lucille check for
900 francs. /,
Ii required time for the lovers TO
that this was n payment
money to them. They stared at the
rtist in silence.
go home. my children. This will
rive ms a small dowry for you. Luz ,
IT, You have earned t. BEFORE
let you | had gone through the whole I
| Brittany Go find-what-ssch perfect