The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-07-02
Getting His
Start

nings." said the artist. az he put the
finishing touches to soap advertise
ment sketch Of a bathroom interior.
Il was not always famous and pros
porous. l have known the time when
a sudden sight draft for less than four
figures would have seriously embar.
raised me-"
"You figure In the cents In that
statement. | suppose" said the studio
lOafer.
Il might even 60 as far as that" as
scented the artist. did ever tell you
how got my start?" he continued.
We'll, I'll tell you; 1t was in triplicate
portrait work"
Portraits Of triplets?" inquired the
studio loafer. "Dobber told me he did
dime museum posters, too. at one
time"
He ought to have stuck to that
branch of art" remarked the artist.
mo. you misunderstood me. I'll tell
you how 1t was There was one win.
ter was pretty well on my uppers. At
that time | got acquainted with Giotto
Parkinson, and | tell you he was a
godsend lie had studio in the eros.
venor and he didn't use 1t nights, be.
sides having samoyar that he got In
the Ghetto and plenty of alcohol. The
Grosyenor doesn't favor light house
keeping, but was pretty careful how
threw my scraps out OF the window.
"One day Parkinson gave an exhib-
1t. lie knew quite few people in re.
spectacle circles and he thought there
was chance that some one CT them
might buy picture of his If they got
well under the influence OF proper
art atmosphere and Russian tea.
stuck up few little things of my
own with his to furnish the art at.
mosphere and he provided the tea and
the samOvar. 1t turned out all right.
There was a coal baroness among
those present and | got her worked up
to the point OF ordering from me a
portrait of her ten-year-old son for $50.
she brought him around the very
next day Parkinson was good fel.
low and he let me have the use Of his
shop for the job. We had a bully good
dinner on the strength of the condi-
tons anyway. The kid was a sallow.
faced, skinny.like monkey, not at all
like mamma, but calculated l could
idealize him by wide stretch Of my
well-known imaginative faculty. He
had one sitting that day. The next
day and for several other sittings his
nurse brought him. and want to say
that I had the dickens own time get.
ting that imp to keep still. It didn't
do any good to talk to him. All got
by that was sass-oh, the worst sort.
just sweat blood for four days trying
to get some sort of expression on that
portrait that wasn't exactly diabolical
and yet resembled the kid. At last
got 1t.
Two days later the picture was
done and the sigh Of relief that
heaved made the windows rattle.
notified the baroness and she and the
baron came to look at 1t. He seemed
to have been brought under compul
sion and to be but mildly interested
| had learned that he was merely
stepfather to the brat, SO didn't won
der SO much at 1t. But the baroness
threw fits of ecstasy over the picture
and ordered two more at the same
price, after trying in vain to beat me
down.
Il won't tell you what | wen
through within the next month will
the heir apparent. how day by day
grew to loathe the little wretch NOR,
and more. The dear angel had per
formed large variety OF interesting
tricks around the place to relieve tn,
monotony of the sittings. and he
wound up by coming early one after
noon and coloring Parkinson's cher
ished Florentine prints In oil in on
absence. When demonstrated h,
gave me a choice line of sass. where
upon took my little man across m,
knee and laid merrily on.
Nearly two weeks later the Goa
baron caught me In
Don't be alarmed he said. as
retreated to the window. I only calle
to pay you for the pictures believ
this Is the right amount
HE laid slip of paper on the Ia
Bile. It was q check for 800.
Il gasped.
III you don't mind l would like I
shake hands with you.' he continued.
Il backed away.
81 see that you still fail to unde
stand he said. I want to tell 20,
sir. that you have my entire sympath
and heartfelt thanks for the bastin
you gave that young one. I've ofte
longsd to do II myself. Frankly, 81
I envy you. BY the way. Il you ca
make It convenient TO call at my 0
6ce have something there I woul
like to talk to you about. No. don
say you are sorry. Please don't %
that. I'm pressed for time now. b,
I hope to see you soon. think u
check 10 right. isn't 1t! Thank 70
very much. Good day.
He shook hands with me solemn