The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-08-05

for q studio, and he lives there with
his mother and his wife and their
seven children, and he's gloriousiy
happy. I'd seen one OF his pictures at
an exhibition. and 1 wanted to see
more Of them, so he showed them to
me- He has almost everything he ever
painted; 1 don't suppose he's sold
more than four or Eve pictures In his
life He gives drawing lessons to keep
alive
How do you mean he paints the
smoker" Bibbs asked
Literally. He paints from his stu
do window and from the street-any-
where. He just paints what's around
him-and its beautiful"
THE smoker"
Wonderful He sees the sky through
it, somehow. He does the ugly roofs
OF cheap houses through a haze OF
smoke. and he does smoky sunsets and
smoky sunrises, and he has other
things with the heavy. solid, slow col
umns Of smoke going far cut and grow
ing more ethereal and mixing with the
hazy light in the distance; and he has
others with the broken skyline OF
II.
and with puffs and jets Of vaPor that
have colors like an orchard In mid
April. I'm going to take you there
some Sunday afternoon, Bibbs."
You're showing me tie town." he
said. Il didn't know what was in fl
at all"
There are workers in beauty here, -
she told him. gently. There are other
painters more prosperous than my
friend. There are all sorts OF things"
81 didn't know"
NO. Since the town began growing
so great that il called itself greater
/ one could live here all ones life and
know only the side OF IT that shows"
THE beauty workers seem buried
very deep" said Bibbs. And I mag
inc that your friend who makes the
smoke beautiful must be buried deep
est Of all My father loves the smoke.
but / can't imagine his buying one of
your friends pictures He'd buy the
Bay Of Naples but he wouldn't gel
one of those. He'd think smoke in a
picture was hOrrible-unless he could
use it for an advertisement"
Yes" she said. thoughtfully. "And
really he's the town. They are buried
pretty deep. it seems. sometimes
Bibbs"
And yet it's all wonderful he said
ITS wonderful to me-"
You mean the town IS wonderful
to you?"
Yes, because everything is, since
you called me your friend. The city
! is only a rumble on the horizon for me.
1t can't come any closer than the hori-
zon so long as you let me see you
standing By my old zinc eater all day
long. helping me. Mary" He stopped
with a gasp. That's the first time
/ I've called you 'MaryP"
Yes" She laughed, a little trem-
ulously. Though I wanted you tor
Il said 1t without thinking. 1t must
| be because you came there to walk
home with me. That must be It"
Women like to have things said, u
Mary informed him, her. tremulous
laughter continuing. Were you glad
[ came for your
''No-not glad I felt as IL 1 were
being carried straight up and up and
up-over the clouds I feel like thai
! still. 1 think I'm that way most OF
! the time. wonder what 1 was like
before 1 knew you. The person was
| then seems to have been somebody
else, not Bibbs Sheridan at all L
seems long, long ago. I was gloomy
and sickly-somebody else-somebodJ
l don't understand now. a coward
afraid OF shadows-afraId OF thing:
| that didn't exist-afraid OF my old
zinc eaterI And now I'm only afraid
Of what might change anything"
| She was silent a moment, and then
You're happy. Bibbs?" she asked
"Ah, don't you seer" he cried. 81
| want It to last for a thousand, thou
sand years. just as it is! You've made
me so rich, I'm a miser. I wouldn'
have one thing dlfferent-nOthing
nothingF'
Dear Bibbsr' she said, and laughed
happily.
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