Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-07-06

for studio, and ne lives there with
his mother and his wife and their
seven children, and he's gloriously
happy. I'd seen one Of his pictures at
an exhibition. and wanted to see
more Of them, so he showed them to
me. He has almost everything he ever
painted; don't suppose he's sold
more than four or FIVE 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 it's beautiful"
"The smoker"
wonderful! He sees the sky through
1t, somehow. He does the ugly roofs
Of cheap houses through a haze of
smoke, and he does smoky sunsets and
smoky sunrlses. and he has other
things with the heavy, solid, slow col
umns Of smoke going far out and grow
ing more ethereal and mixing with the
hazy light In the distance: and he has
others with the broken skyline Of
downtown, all misted with the smoke
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 the town." he
said. 81 didn't know what was In 1t
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"
mo. Since the town began growing
so great that 1t called itself greater
one could live here all ones life and
know only the side of 1t that shows"
"The beauty workers seem buried
very Deep" said Bibbs. "And I imag-
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 get
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.
"It's wonderful to me-"
you mean the town is wonderful
to your
Eyes, because everything is, since
You called me your friend. The city
Is only 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 gasp. 'Thats the first time
I've called you 'Maryr"
Yes" She laughed, little trem-
ulously. Though l wanted you tor
II said It without thinking. 1t must
be because you came there to walk
home with me. That must be it."
women like to have things said,"
Mary informed him, her tremulous
laughter continuing. Were you glad
came for your"
"No-not glad. | felt as IL ! were
being carried straight up and up and
up-over the clouds. feel like that
still. think I'm that way most of
the time. I wonder what / was like
before l knew you. The person l was
then seems to have been somebody
else, not Bibbs Sheridan at all. 1t
seems long, long ago. was gloomy
and sickly-somebody else--somebody
/ don't understand now. coward
afraid of shadcws-afraid of things
that didn't exist-afraid Of my old
zinc eater! And now I'm only afraid
of what might change anything"
She was silent a moment, and then.
you're happy, Bibbsf" she asked.
"Ah, don't you seer" he cried. II
want 1t to last for thousand, thou
sand years, just as 1t is! You've made
me so rich, I'm mlser. wouldn't
have one thing dlfferent-nothing
nothingv
"Dear Bibbsr' she said. and laughed
happily.
Observation-Disclosures