Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-24
The Daily Story
HIS PORTABILITY ANDREW G. EWING
Copyrighted. 1918. by ASSOCIATED Literary Bureau.

a CO.
Five hundred is my price"
Goodwin spent some time trying to
obtain reduction. Finally ii occurred
to him that. after all, perhaps. he would
not need to pay anything till the por-
trait was finished and the artist. hav-
ing expended his time on it. would
then probably take less for It rather
than have il on his hands.
You'll want your money, suppose.
he said. ION delivery of the goods"
YES"
Very well: so ahead"
Beckwith arranged with bis subject
for the sittinGs. and Goodwin departed.
While the man of business was plan.
ming to beat the artist, the artist was
planning TO beat the man of business.
But Goodwin was In this respect in his
element. while Beck with was not
Though during the sittings that follow
ed he racked his brain for some plan
by which he might get his revenge for
that past injustice which still ranked
within him. his inventive powers failed
him. One thing he resolved upon-he
would paint the best portrait of his
subject that lie was capable of paint
ing.
The features are expressive of the
character. and Goldwins features were
no exception to the rule Beckwith
while painting drew his subject away
from his covetousness by chatting with
him ON other subjects and thus caught
his best expression. When the portrait
was finished the man it represented
seemed to live. One would suppose he
was about to speak, and speak pleas
antiy. Goodwin told the artist to send
the portrait to his house. but Beckwith
preferred to keep it till he got his
money and frankly told Goodwin that
If be would send for it with a check
for $500 it would be delivered to the
and went away.
The next day Beckwith received a
note from his client stating that the
portrait did not come up to his eXpecta-
tons and he had concluded not to ac-
cept it. Beckwith made no reply to the
note and in time received another stat
ing that since Goodwin preferred TO pay
for the time spent ON the portrait he
would pay nalf the amount charged,
$3.50. TO this also Beckwith paid no
attention. but sent the picture to a
dealer for sale.
One day Goodwin was informed that
his portrait was hanging in an art
store; that it was being visited by con-
noisseurs and pronounced a remarkable
| piece of work. 1t had not yet been
! sold. for the artist had set n very high
| price on it. Goodwin at once went to
the store. saw his portrait and asked
| the dealer the price for it. He was in.
| formed that it was $4,000. Goodwin
went at once to an attorney. whom he
directed to take steps to claim the por
| trait as his property. But when the
| lawyer called for the correspondence
! in the case and read copies of his eli
ent's letters to Beck with be said he had
no case.
Goodwin found himself in an unpleas-
ant position. His portrait-pronounce
| a work of art-was for sale. and per-
| sons were asking why he did not buy
! it. To do so would cost him $1,000
more than the price he would have
! paid had he accepted it. He sent an
agent to Beckwith to try to effect a
compromise. The agent returned with
a statement from the artist that the
painting was making a great reputa-
ton for him and he had decided not
to sell it, but keep it before the pub
| lie Goodwin decided not to be done"
that way and let the matter rest.
The picture was withdrawn from ex-
hibition. and when it appeared again
the covetous expression that had been
left out was in 1t. This being reported
to the original, he went to see it again
and was furious. Again he vert TO
his lawyer and directed him TO prose-
cute the artist for ridiculing him be-
fore the world. The lawyer showed
him cartoons of prominent men in the
newspapers and informed him that 1t
would be much more difficult for him
to recover in his own case than for
these to do so. Besides. any jury would
decide against him. If he wished to
own the picture he must pay the price.
Goodwin sent again to Beckwith, ask.
ing him TO make price on the por-
, trait. Beckwith made price Of SO. 600
Goodwin made no reply to the offer
Again the picture was withdrawn. and
when IT reappeared the covetous lool;
on the face had become misery. Gold
win tried again to buy it. but the
price had gone up to 100000. Goodwin
feared that II he did not pay it the
expression would become. worse and
the price would go higher.
He sent word to the artist to ask
whether. II the 100000 was paid. be
would restore the original expression Il
the face Beckwith agreed to do 81
and intimated that If the money wert
paid him he would distribute 1t anon,
the poor. This closed the bargain. thu
4; covetous look on the face disappeared
: and the poor were richer by $4,000.
When Goodwin opened the case con
tanning his portrait a statement of tn
true reasons for the great rise in II.
: price lay where it would be seen.
:. TuIv "a IN American