Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-08-09

| cure hOro AOE inc name Inun Lne pic
ture. BY hunting up poor or indlffer-
ent works attributed to celebrated
painters and selling them for what
they really were gained fortune. 1t
did not matter that told those who
bought them that considered them
worthless All they wished was to be
able to say that they were genuine.
My conscience was clear"
Mr.. Cahoon paused, and Miss Ha-
thorn said she understood. The former
continued:
Il think, am sure, that see In you
and your work born artist advise
you to paint your own pictures, and
have a plan by which you may sup
port yourself In the meantime. will
buy from you several of these pic
lures that | consider above the aver
age, paying you what is today more
than they are worth, but what after
you have made reputation will be
less than they will be worth. It Is a
fair deal"
"You take all the risk"
"And pocket all the profit"
"But when have used up all you
pay me for these shall be again
stranded"
Eyes, without assistance which l
propose to furnish In some such legit-
innate way as furnish the beginning.
We are partners, you producing the
ideal part Of the goods we sell, l the
practical part. Moreover, shall, as
the capitalist of the firm, take the
lions share of the profit"
Miss Hathorn was puzzled. She could
not understand this interest in a ca
reer for her In a stranger. She stood
mute thinking about what he had said,
while he, selecting certain pictures,
set them aside, saying, II will give you
80 many francs for this and 30 many
for that" and when he had finished
he figured up the amount, saying that
he would send for his property and re-
nit the money to pay for 1t at the
same time.
The girl thanked him mechanically,
half doubling whether he would keep
his promise, but when n messenger ar
rived for the pictures with an envelope
containing notes enough to keep her
in the inexpensive city of Florence for
more than a year she feared that the
transaction was intended to draw her
into trap. However. she wns an
artist with pictures to sell and solnced
herself with the thought that In any
event she was capable of taking care
Of herself.
A change came over Miss Hathorn |
when, a week later, sho received a |
note from Mr.. Cahoon stating that he |
had sold two Of her pictures to per
sons who valued them for their In |
trlnsic worth for a sum equal to what |
he had paid her for all. To verify his |
statement he sent copies of letters or
dering the pictures and stating the |
terms. II the artist was puzzled be- |
fore she was now all the more no. |
Since genius is unconscious she set |
very little value upon her pictures, |
but she we'll knew that, while poor pic
lures with a name will bring large /
price, poor pictures without name
are drug on the market. II began to
dawn upon her that, after all, her pie
lures must have merit
Mr.. CahOon kept In touch with Miss
Hathorn from that time. He was OF
no assistance TO her In her work, but |
was quite valuable In the sale OF her |
pictures Indeed, she had learned |
most OF what she could be taught |
and had reached that point where per
sons Of originality begin to throw or |
the propensity to follow leaders and
strike out ON their own paths. At FIRST
her work was not understood, but aft
or a few pictures had been hung In
positions where the public could In
spect them TASTE for Miss Hatborns
work began to grow, and In couple
Of years she found herself able to sell
her pictures without Mr.. Cahoon's as
sistance.
However, ne had meanwhile passed
from the condition OF stranger to
that OF acquaintance and finally n
friend He was often In her mind for
there was that which was singular
about him She knew him for man
who could have made money dlshon
estly, but Ind succeeded I'm making II
honestly. And, moreover, she realized
that he had taken her from failure
and poverty and raised her TO success
and competence.
But why had he done thlsl
One evening while walking with him
in the beautiful Boboli gardens back
OF the gallery where they had first met
she was expressing her gratitude for
what no had done for her and asked
him point blank for the reason Of his
doing 3d.
"The time has come" he said, "for
me 10 explain. When looked across
the room where you were copying and
saw you sitting at your work, the sun
light tintlng your face and hair, rec
ognized you for the one woman In the
world whom | wanted. II would have
been out Of the question for me TO WOO
u stranger in the usual way. did not
think you could Ike won by such a
wooIng Fortunately thought saw
In you Indications OF the artist, and
when saw your work my opinion was
You may have thought
was kind to you or that was disposed
10 make money out OF your pictures
My object was neither Of these.
served you for n consideration OF an
other kind wished you. And now
call upon you 10 pay--dearly you may
think it-for what / have done for
you. ask in return yourself, and you
know that wedding bells for a woman
sound the knell Of an artistic career"
Miss Hnthorn paid the bill and WILL
ingly; but, being true artist. she
found much comfort during her mar.