Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-02-03
Cd "a. r .s,s'. a!st z. : 'r'.
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Beginning.

a. @rs@@s The 0o0l 0nln0. F@3. It5S%
BY the light Of q single candle Pedro
was packing q little knapsack With
the meager belongings that his 80
journ in the old studio had brought
together. He went about the task ll
with reluctance, but with the weary
resignation Of those who receive an
unalterable decree from fate. and
recognize it as such. \ x
One by one his little personal things
were tucked away in the ancient tray
eler's kit-a book or two, some linen
brushes, a gay .Qecktie. and q NINA
ture plaster cast Of Leigh's sleeping
bear" -. u .,t..--y.' :
When these had bean put In, and
still little room remained, he hesi.
tated q moment, and then, going to
the heap Of sketches and small can
vases with which the rack was nlled'
deliberated among them for 9 while;
taking up first this one and then that
with loving hands, and throwing each
in. turn back. upon the shelf from
whence II came. Finally sorrowful
shake of the head dismissed them all
"Of what use to take any z? said
Pedro aloud. But nevertheless, he
stood brooding over them for quite .
time. .h.fl. $500 4 f 32
By the fre lay Mr.. Jones. blinking
sympathetically. With . sigh Pedro
turned 1t last from these children Of
his mind, and set about arranging the
two rooms-the studio and bedroom
exactly as he had found them.
In the first place there were the pic
tures-his pictures! From the biz
easel the Madonna Lady" smiled
wanly upon her young creator-s
beautiful, crude, unfinished thing. ita
possibilities reckoning enttcingly
from behind the haze Of its &incom
pleteness. Then there were the 9th
ers. Significantly Pedro glanced from
them IN the direction Of the fireplace
and heaved another, sigh. No! that
was impossible; infanticide! 1t could
not be done! Yet, who would care fol
them. esi. :. Leigh? Perhaps. Pill
ing them high, and topping them with
the ever-smiling portrait Of Iris, he
stacked them neatly. near the door
and writing For A. L. Leigh on a
folded bit Of paper, left this message
atop the heap. ~E"@37ss EN.'
Next; he restored the furniture to its
original arrangement as nearly as he
could remember 1t, and bringing forth
Hills canvases from the cubby In
which most Of them had been repos-
ing, set them around, even as he had
found them, down to putting the un-
finished portrait Of the banker upon
the throne from which the Madonna
had lust been tsken. When this was
done. the studio took on such an un.
familiar atmosphere that lump arose
in Pedro's throat. It seemed such a
concrete representation of how com.
nletely his claim here had ended!
With apparent irreverence he sud
denly went over and knelt beside the
hear, taking the creatures head be.
tween his hands, while tears started
to his eyes. - eI.-..
poor fellow! Poor Mr.. Jonesl"
said Pedro huskily, and then, having
matted Mr.. Jones upon the nose sew
eral times, arose slightly comforted.
q The bedroom came next in order,
and from press and bureau Hills cloth
ing. which had been laid away with
SO much care, was hauled out and
hung in its accustomed place, each
minor detail being attended to with
care. 'I: ..5-
When all was accomplished. the
worker came to the doorway where he
had paused on that long-past autumn
morning Of his first awakening there.
and stood gazing for the last time
upon what had been the field OF his
labors these many months; and AZ he
looked about, 1t seemed a. though his
heart would break at the thought OF
leaving it. But go he must. gin
Clenching his hands, he called him
self fool. speaking aloud IN his pain.
For a moment the wild hope came to
him that he might, after all. stay on;