Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-07-26
Copyright By The Bobbs- Morrill, Company

Yes"
You'll have to-to cartoon him?"
Il suppose So"
The fact he had not allowed himself
! TO face was close to both OF them, and
the subject was dropped until, just as
he was going downtown-this time to
break the news to Hardy-he went In
to the room he sarcastically said he
might begin to call his studio, now that
he was getting ten thousand year, to
look for a sketch he had promised No
Ian for the sporting page. And there
on bis drawing board was an unfin-
ished cartoon. He had begun It few
days before to use on the occasion OF
| Clayton's denomination. IL had been
a labor OF love, and Kittrell suddenly
realized how good 1t was. He had
put into # all OF his belief in Clayton.
all of his devotion to the cause for
which Clayton toiled and sacrificed.
and In the simple lines he experienced
the artists ineffable felicity; he had
shown how good, how noble, how true
a man Clayton was. All at once he
realized the sensation the cartoon
would produce, how II would delight
and hearten Claytons followers. how
It would touch Clayton. 1t would be
| tribute to the man and the friend
ship, but now a tribute broken. TN
finished. Kittrell gazed a moment
longer, and In that moment Edith
came.
The dear, healthful SOUL" she ex-
claimed softly. Neil. 1t is wonderful.
1t Is not a cartoon; 1t is a portrait 1t
shows what you might do with a
brush"
Kittrell could not speak, and he
turned the drawing board to the wall
Kittrell found the task of telling
Hardy Just as difficult as he expected
1t to be, but by some mercy 1t did not
last long Explanation had not been
necessary: he had only to make the
first hesitating approaches, and Hardy
understood. Hardy was. in way,
hurt; Kittrell saw that. and rushed
to his own defense:
Il hate to go. old man. l don't like
It little bit-but, you know. business
is business, and we need the money"
He even tried to laugh as he adj.
vanced this last conclusive reason, and
Hardy, for all he showed in voice or
phrase, may have agreed with him.
IT'S all right, Kit" he said. I'm
sorry; | wish we could pay you more,
but-well, good luck"
hrt Ill L
the few articles he had at the office.
gave Nolan his sketch, babe the boys
good-by-bade them good-by as II he
were going on long journey, never
to see them more-and then he went
After he had made the break 1t did
not seem so bad as he had anticipated
At first things went on smoothly
enough. The campaign had not opened,
and he was free to exercise his tai
ents outside the political field. He
drew cartoons dealing with banal sub
jects, touching with the gentle satire
Of his humorous pencil foib1es which
all the world agreed about, and let
| vital questions alone. And he and
Edith enjoyed themselves: INDUCED
oftener In things they loved; went
more frequently to the theater; ap-
peared at recitals; dined now and then
downtown. They began to realize GER
tain luxuries they had not known for
long time-some he himself had new
er known, some that Edith had not
known since she left her fathers home
to become his bride.
But March came, and the politicians
began to buster like the season. Late
one afternoon he was on his way to
the Office with a cartoon, the first in
which he had seriously to attack Clay
ton. Benson, the managing editor of
the Telegraph, had conceived IL, and
Kittrell had worked on 1t that day in
sickness Of heart Every lying line of
this new presentation of Clayton had
cut him like some biting acid; but he
had worked on. trying to reassure him.
self with the argument that he was a
mere agent. devoid Of personal re-
sponsibility. But 1t had been hard,
and then Edith. after her custom, had
asked to see 1t, he had said:
"Oh, you don't want to see It; It's
no good"
rs II of-him?" she had asked.
And when he nodded she had gone
away without another word. Now, as
he hurried through the crowded
streets. he was conscious that It was
no good, indeed; and he was divided
between the artists regret and the
friends Joy in the faIk. But 1t made
him tremble. Was his hand to forget
Its cunning? And then, suddenly, he
heard familiar voice. and there be-
side him. with his hand on his shout
der stood the mayor.
why, Neil, my boy. how are your"
he said, and he took Kittrelrs hand as
warmly as ever. For q moment Kit
trell was relieved. and then his heart
sank; for he had a quick realization
that 1t was the coward within him that
felt the relief. and the man the sick
ness. II Clayton had reproached him.
or cut him, II would have made 1t
easier; but Clayton did none Of these
things. and Kittrell was irresistibly
drawn to the subject himself
you heard of my-new job?" he
asked.