The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-15
BARBARA
And the Beast
by Dorothy Blackmore

parpara Graham was an art;et
iiAe most of her kind she was etrrs
gang 10 Keep the wolf from st.n,;n.
over the threshold OF her studio
iacticai beyond the usual run Of
.ouns woman possessed of the arts.
TIC temperament. she had even gona
81 lar as to make capital out NJ Tho,
same hungry wolf by painting his i'm
asinary image so realistically that :,
solo Tor a goodly sum
ANIMALS were Barbaras snecia,tv
one mad been lover Of the dumb
.eas's ever since she was old enough
" ioVe anything, and when she took
up ner palette and brush her fancy
seemed TO run always to animals
TUT tnls reason, she had obtained for
the summer months an outdoor straio
converted from the small back garden
VI an English basement house. She
round II more convenient for her ami.
maj models and. in lieu Of going 10 the
country herself. she found the outdoo,
WORK beneficial An old stone wall on.
CLOSED the garden and ivy and Virginia
ereepers struggled over it here and
there The small grass plot in the
csn'er was edged with bright. old
fashioned flowers, and Barbara had
added q rustic urn or two TO the cor.
ners.
This morning she was putting tha
finishing touches to a canvas over
which she had worked unusually hard
In the picture big, tricolored mother
cat lay In an overturned basket with
her small family about her
Barbara had discovered the feline
family In her big rustic chair one
morning when she came down TO work
and she had taken it as a gift from the
gods, Tor she was in need of model
1or new canvas She had waited
only long enough for the wee kittens
TO get their eyes open and assume fat
and chubby proportions before begin.
nlng to transfer their likenesses TO her
canvas. Meantime. she had made the
mother cat comfortable in basket
and fed her half bottle of her own
precious milk each morning.
This picture, with two others was
to be hung in a small exhibit during
the approaching winter.
Barbara now had two of her pictures
ready, and, for the third. she was wor
RED 1t was an easy enough matter &c
go to the animal home and secure a
model from which 10 paint, but Bar
baras heart was set on painting Z
certain little thoroughbred dog she haC
seen pass her windows every mornine
for three weeks. The question was
how to get him The dog followed his
master closely and Barbara could no
we'll accost stranger and beg 10 b,
allowed to paint his pet dog.
AS she stood putting little touche.
here and there TO the cluster of kitten!
on her easel and realized that tn.
work before her was finished, she be
came more and more obsessed with tn,
desire to paint that white dog for he
third picture. She placed great hop'
in the criticism of the work to be hun,
this winter and something told her sh,
could do her best work if inspired b,
that strange little animal
She became restless and, making tn
kittens comfortable in the righted bas
ket, she donned her hat and wen
forth to walk off her uneasiness
since she had come o the big city L
follow her profession, that if she di
exactly what was right at all times
thought evil of no one and harmed n
one by deed or word. she would b
given all that was her due. She ha
been brought up with this idea an
the teachings of her mother chung I
her now that she was alone in III
world
. Therefore, as she walked sh
thought, and gradually peaceful fee
ing took the place of the spirit OF VI
rest that had possessed her for day,
After turn through a nearby par
she retraced her footsteps towar
her studio.
When she was within half bloc
of the house behind which was he
work.garden. she was surprised to Sc
/. the old tri-colored mother cat al
! nroaching her. II was the custom
the animal. after she had put her b'
HES 10 sleep, to mount the garden wa
!. and go out for air and exercise, bl
barbara was not expecting TO see be
On the public street.
. We'll Puss." Barbara was beginnin
and had stopped to pick up the anlm'
when with spit and growl an
rapidly bushing tail. the cat mad
for the narrow passageway betwee
the houses. white dog in full pu
) suit
MY dog" cried Barbara aloud. an
running to peep down the mario
massage. oh, if could only kee
HIM" she wished aloud,
Footsteps came quickly behind he
az hog pardon. my dog is chasing you
cat" said mans voice behind ner
: barbara turned and faced the owns
of the dog &C,
10 vas. Barbara corrected, 81
-puss has climbed the wall and yo'
doo i barking frantically at her.
The iuan followed Barbara's dire
tor and saw his white dog dancir
-, in a mad desire to be at the o
-. ~ his chase.
ne death on CASTS Tchucaats
detained. I'm glad he did n
net her I beg a thousand pardons
Ms .l,s Fate" barbara said half
: herself .ss,,. %
! hans rais young woman-thoush lnl'