The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-07
A Study For
A Painting
By F. A. Mitchell

dress and sketching materials marked
him for an artist stopped at the door
of a house in a western province of
France and knocked.
II would like a meal" he said. "Can
you oblige meT'
"Ah. monsieur" replied the woman,
who was evidently much troubled, Il
have not a crust of bread In the house
The man looked at her sympathetical-
ly and asked whether. II he paid In ad-
vance. she would go out and get what
would be required. She consented, and
he handed her a bank bill for Is francs
She told him that her husband was
an artist. but he had not been able to
make a name for himself and without
a name he could not sell his pictures.
They had fallen into debt and at that
out Of their home by their landlord,
who held a chattel mortgage on their
furniture which he would take to help
pay what was due him for back rent
The stranger listened to all this, but
said nothing In reply. He asked what
line of art her husband occupied him
self with. and she replied that he pre-
ferred figure painting Some Of his
drawings were scattered about the
room, and the stranger cast glances
from one to the other. He said that
he was a figure painter himself and
was travelling through the country look
ing for a model for one Of a group he
needed for a picture.
When he had finished his meal he
asked the woman If she could let him
have a room in which to take a hap.
She pointed to lounge in little room
adjoining the living room. He went in
there, drew a portiere between the two
rooms and, throwing himself on the
lounge, slept.
He was awakened by angry voices in
the next room. Two men were talking.
"You must get out at once" said one.
THAT will do, and will take my
furniture with me. 1t belongs to my
wife, and she will not part with it."
"If you gave me a mortgage on it
as your property and 1t belongs to your
wife you are swindler."
The stranger had meanwhile arisen
from the lounge, lifted aside the por-
there and looked out at the scene In
the other room. The two men stood
glaring at each other, while the woman
was vainly endeavoring to hold one of
them, her husband. who stood In a
threatening attitude. The stranger had
left his sketching materials in the hall
and, hurrying there through side
door, brought them back to the room
In which he had been sleeping and in
a jiffy had set up his easel, placed card
board on 1t, opened his box and, TAX
ing out pencil, with the rapidity of
lightning began to dash 1t here and
there. making suggestive marks for
figures.
One of the men-he was the landlord
made tantalizing remark to his ten
ant, and the latter started with clinch-
ed fist to attack him. The woman
caught her husband around the waist
and, with frightened look on her face,
endeavored to hold him.
Again and again her husband tried
to break away from her, she holding
him as much by pleading with him as
by force. In this way the relative sit.
uation was maintained for some min
utes. Then, when the woman could de-
tain her husband no longer and he
broke away from her, the stranger
threw down his pencil and, stepping
into the room where they were, placed
himself between the two
what is this mans indebtedness
to your" he asked the landlord.
HE owes me $500 francs"
The stranger drew his purse from his
pocket, took out five 500 franc bills
and handed them to the speaker.
This takes all have with me-" he
said, except enough to get me back to
Paris. Take It and give this man a
receipt"
When the papers had passed and the
landlord had gone both the woman
and the man turned a grateful and In.
quiring look upon their benefactor.
How am / to pay you any more
than the other2" asked the husband.
"You owe me nothing" said the 9TH
er. you and the others have posed
for me. The picture l shall make Of
this quarrel will be worth ten, perhaps
twenty, times the amount / have ex.
pended But l must get more material
on the paper before the action has had
time to fade from me-"
Turning abruptly from them, he be-
gan to work anew with his pencil. His
model looked over his shoulder and,
struck with the action suggested by
the few scattered lines, exclaimed:
There is In those lines the making
of great picture"
The stranger, after working awhile
gathered up his materials and said:
Il am of for Paris. | will send you
and yoHr wife the wherewithal to fol
low me. | want you both and your
landlord. If can get him. to pose again
for the painting shall make from this
outline. YOU" he added to the hus-
band, have talent. l have seen that
in your pictures. win be glad to have
you for a pupil"
In due time funds came for the mod
els, and they all, including the land
lord, went to Paris. When they mount
ed the stairs that led to the studio they
saw card on the door on which was
the name "Meissonier."
When the picture was finished 1t was
pronounced one Of several of the great
artists most wonderful productions
The pupil who began his studies at this
time became one OF Frances noted
sr4;oks