South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-08
REVELATIONS OFA WIFE

But DlckyS words had given me
the clew.
Robert Savarin must be alive. and
/, for some reason his sister and her
family were keeping secret the fact
that he was living.
I knew how Dicky would ridicule
any suggestion on my part I re-
solved not 10 waste any time telling
hirs
How wonderfully interesting" L
said. and / did not have 70 assume
any enthusiasm. for l was really
wildly excited over the story. Don't
be mean, Dicky. Go on, tell me the
whole story. there's a dear"
"All right" Dicky responded
promptly, ION one condition, that
YOU walk along while I'm talking.
want 10 get 10 casting some time to
day"
jumped up with alacrity.
That's a bargain" l said. slip
ping my hand into his Now pro-
| coed"
Well gentle reader" Dicky be-
gan. .Oratorically. the story -
simply this
Fifteen years ago Robert Saw
arin was the romantic mystery OF
the New York studios He was one
OF those fellows with mighty lofty
ideals about his work, and he never
lowered them the way that most OF
us have" There was just a tinge Of
self-reproa chful bitterness in Dicky's
tone. but il was gone in an instant.
He had worked like a truck
horse for years in the Paris studios.
His work was years ahead of his
day, and for a long time there was
practically no sale for it. but he
stuck to it dOggedly. pointing pic
! ture after picture. which command
ed such small prices that he would
never sell one until actually driven
TO il by imminent starvation.
"He was a mysterious sort of 4
fellow. All the traditions of the
studios says he was prince at
heart. generous TO fault. shy as a
/ timid girl. but with a tendency to
melancholy that grew more pro-
nounced as his chance for success
seemed TO get farther and farther
away.
There was some sort of vague
| story going the rounds then of Saw
arms enlargement with some girl
-rumor said he was terribly hard
hit. At any rate. he suddenly dis
! appeared from the knowledge OF
! every one who had ever known him.
He had few intimates. and after
a perfunctOry police search he was
given up as dead. and the paintings
he had left in his studio were seized
for the small debts he owed and sold
at auction.
1T has not been long now since
his work has commenced to have
vogue. The real merit of it has
been discovered. The big picture
dealers have been quietly getting
hold of all his stuff they could find.
and the prices on them have Aaaped
/ higher and higher, in the way such
! things have.
How this collection up here came
10 be overlooked 1 can't imagine. If
/ he's really dead. it means a fortune
/ to these people.
by Jovel" Dicky's exclamation
]
story he had been telling me that it
startled me- His voice was low. eN-
! cited, and as he spoke he drew me
aside quickly into the shelter of
/ some bushes. AS he did so, I caught
sight of a man furtively slipping
along the bank OF the stream, cast
ing quick glanCes from side to side,
as if looking for some one.
Dicky Recognizes Him.
Just ahead of us there was 4
magnificent oak with one big limo
curved in such curious fashion that
it turned down TO the ground. max
ing a complete arch. 1t made an
unusual landmark and TO the man
we were watching it was evidently a
meeting place OF some kind. for as
soon as he saw it ne stopped be-
meath it and, leaning against its
! trunk. looked searchingly in the
direction in which we had come.
Dicky put his lips close TO my ear
and murmured:
There's something crooked go
ing on here that's cinch. That
fellow is one Of the hangers-on Of
the worst crook among New York
picture dealers. Wen just wait
right here and see what's up"
We did not have long to wait for
developments. and when they came
could not forbear a triumphant
little moue at Dicky
For. slipping as noiselessly as an
Indian through the underbrush.
came Mrs. Allis our fellow boarder
at COsgrove's. whom I had instinct
lively distrusted and suspected OF de-
signs upon the paintings in the
farmhouse parlOr.