Putnam patriot., 1912-07-26
The Dream
 Child
By 4. Il. Ounier

 was aching Davfdfs letter lay un. opened ln her lap. and that was queer. for David was n at an out-Of-town sanitariBm and girl Is supposed to l take some interest in her Eanee's g l health. But Alice believed in art Tor arts sake. and David could vat To morrow the entries would begin for the WortOn art exhibit and she must put the finishing touches 10 her pic ture
 The room was bare and ugly. since ar1 for arts sake is not always profit. i able. but now that the huge canvas vas there 10 enter was like coming from the filth and din Of the streets into still midsummer woods. into haunted forest Beneath a moss-hung oak. knee-dsep in fangie Of bracken and fern. stood little girl with vide eyes and exBeetant face. She was looking for the fairies that child. and she would surely find them. for she knew that fairies really lived You felt that they would peep ont at her the moment your back vas turned.
 Henry Blaine, the portrait painter. tried 10 catch them al 1t by turning away ever go carelessly and then whirlfng suddenly back They were not to be tricked by a grown-up Ike that. they whisked out of sight in a second. but Blaine declared that he could see the grasses culver He shook his finger at the little dream Hrf4 "a asked. but she would not tell on the fairies not she
 Every student in the building prais- ed fl. and they were frank and unspar. ing critics Even Billy Goldsby held hts glib tongue for fully five minutes when he saw the picture Billy had been raised on the streets of New York. and he had never had a child. hood nor wanted one. but for five minutes he felt with vague resent ment. that. as he himself put it. he had been done ont Of something
 Goldsby represented a large adyer. Using firm, and he was always hang ing around the studios Tn search of novelties Being entirely commonplace himself he had a wonderful faculty for choosing pictures that would ap- peal to the average person and though he could not have explained that in this painting Alice had en. snared the universal heart of child hood, he did know that the Dream Child would attract attention any. where.
 Say. Miss Wade" he announced approyingly. the kids a regular hold. up The blind man couldn't pass her without looking back. I'll give you 1900 down for the picture"
 Alice continued to slap on the paint with loving strokes. Sell the Dream Child?" she repeated In horror Why I wouldn't sell her for anything in the world She's my life. my heart. my soul"
 When be was gone she climbed down and surveyed her picture con tentedly Ii was good work and she knew it and hoped that it would take the Danelelgh medal That high goal Of artistic ambitions was awarded ev. cry five years. and Alice had set her heart on winning f. She had been savagely selfish for her art. she knew had sacrificed everything to t and al last it seemed about to reward her.
 David Arden was one of the things that she had sacrificed, and now she opened his letter absently IL was cheerful throughout for sickness could not cloud David's brave spirit but toward the end there was a para graph that startled her: "I am get ting we'll rapidly here. he wrote. "hut don't know whether I can stay. This place eats up money like a taxicab But don't worry. little girl. for I'll soon be on my feet"
 Alice read that paragraph over and over again. with growing anxiety David had been successful illustra tor. and it had not occurred to her that he could be in want, yet the long Illness must have cost him a great deal of money If he was improving Of course David must stay where he was. but when she tried to think where the money was to come from Alice grew panicky Her own re sources uau uWnulru huust pafuihiig while she was working on the Dream Child. She looked about her room for something to pawn or sell. but It was practically bare. There was nothing of any value in it except the picture of the little girl-the Dream Child Goldsby had said that he would give her $500 for the Dream Child
 Alice covered her face with he, hands and tried to fight of that hor ri1le thought She could not, would not sell the Dream Child It would bt more than the ruin of her ambitions 1t would be like selling part Of hei own soul She had planned the pic ture in her early girlhood; if was wov en of the long. long thoughts of youth embodied the sweetest memories o her childhood. And all the time shs realized with sickening clearness thai there was no other way to get th> money,
 Very slowly and miserahly she pu on her coat. If she delayed. Goldsb, might change his mtnd. With fac, averted, for she could not meet the in nocent eyes of the Dream Child. sh, walked over to the canvas. and took | from the easel Soberiy. as if it wer, a sacrament. she laid one kiss on tn, little girls soft hair. then hurried ovel to Goldshy's office. A few minutes