The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-06-13
An Artistic y
Courtship
By ETHEL HOLMES

last be gave 1t up ana became an IN
structor III his art. He was now a
widower, an old man, and had one
child, a daughter, Wipifred, about
tv6hty years old The rooms in which
he lived and gave lessons were IN a
studio building for persons Of his pro
fessPn. u. "a. ro
One spring morning Winifred, was
sitting by an open window in the liv-
ing room, facing the street, making
clothes for herself, for her father had
no money with which to buy them. :,
She had very sweet face and as
she bent over her work formed an at
tractive picture. Beardslee, who had
just returned from Florence, Italy,
where he had been studying and was
considered genius, saw the girl at
the window, and--well, he fell in love
With her. I don't mean his love was
full f1edged the moment he laid eyes on
her, but that is when it began.
He noted the position Of the room
in which she was sitting and, crossing
the street, entered the studio building,
mounted the stairs and proceeded to
the door leading to the room. His OBJ
ject was the acquaintance Of that girl.
How heiiwass itoC makeait he didn't
kH pw, but she was full OF assurance
and resource and trusted to these and
Luck. On the door Vas painted, cd
rieJ1Nartel,f Instructor III Painting" y
orsnihg fhe d6ot,, Pc saw Mr.. Martel
standing oYerda small boy whom he
was endeayonng to teach to draw the
outline Of a goblet, Winifred sat in
an adjoining room. - j. ,.... =
BEG pardon" said Beardslee; ri am
deslrous Of taking some lessons in
painting"
Are you beginner?' asked the in
structor. T..
'Oh. no! have had some practice"
Martel stated the terms, which were
satisfactory, and Beardslee said he
would take lesson then and there
He sat down at an easel faced toward
Winifred.
As soon as A1ar:el had disappeared
Beardslee took out some pieces of thin
ivory he had in his pocket and began
to paint miniature portrait Of Wini-
& fred. If his love for the girl was not
yet full fedged, his love for his SUBJ
Ject was. At any rate, he made one
Of those rapid strokes of genius which
will sometimes come without the slight
est effort, but which will elude an
artist on more pretentious work. Mean
while. other pupils had come in, and
Beardslee heard Martel talking to
them. In this way he kept a knowl-
edge of the instructors position, and
whenever he came near the screen
Beardslee would, hide the miniature
and begin to daub on the subject as
signed him. But he had asked that he
might not; be disturbed, and his in
structor did not visit him till after he
had finished the miniature sketch. -
A few days later Winifred was look.
ing over the art columns Of Sunday
paper and saw among the pictures Of
moment reproduced there a picture
called "At Work." by the newly ar
rived celebrity, Clarence Beardslee. 1t
was girl sitting by window sewing.
The work was valued at $1,000.
"1sn't that like this window, papaT
she said, showing it to her father,
"and that work stand is an exact re-
production Of mine"
And the face is yours, too" said the
parent.
at says the picture will be on exhi-
bition at 'Gambrell's for few days.
I'm going to see it,
= The same afternoon she visited Gam
brells picture store, and there was the
miniature, into which the artist had
found room to give a suggestion Of the
window and the work stand. She had
sho soqneg, looked Upon the, face of the
girl thansshsF ece pizA tEhhrseif. The
likeness Wasnsre sht stood 1ook-
ing at 1t in dream Of wonder.
tsMWeHs1 break. ~ kife. story which
.camGt be kupplied,a Wben &Winifred
went. home. to her father happiness
dubbed up in her like spring of
limpid water She had seen at the
picture store the would be pupil Of the
day before. The break in the story is
how did he come to be there when she
was there? Nobody but himself knows,
and he has never told. All Winifred
said to her father about the miniature
was that it was a rare work Of art
The mink had brought it home with
her.
There is more that does not appear
in this version Of the story, and that
is, What was going on between Boards
lee and NVinifred during the next
month? at the end Of which Martel re-
ceived the surprise of his life. His
former pupil OF one lesson entered his
instruction room and presented card,
on which was the name Clarence
Beardsee. Martel looked at It, then
up Mt the visitor and wondered If one
or the other of them had NOT lost fis
senses.
Winifred ran, from the other room
and wrapped both arms around her IA
Their. &.s
IT came" said Beardslee, ITO ask
you, Mr.. Martel, for your daughter"
"My daughter! You, Clarence Beard