The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-04-01
DONE IN CHALK
go. 49,. -
BY EVELYN LEE

Goidcn, glorious summer unAs theA
| haunted the fervid Imagination of Ava
/ Thurston and she wondered " ever
again the flowers would seem "a love
/ ~. the birds sing M sweetly, the skies
look ~ bright Would their promise
u renewal ever come truei oh.
/ surely sol for had not Norris brown.
Ink said II. and was be not the soul o.
honor. and did he not love herr
| lie had revealed To her his souls In
nermost secrets the last day they had
wnndercd In the woods. lie loved her.
but he would not ask her 10 bind her
self ~ any promise. lie was simply
poor. struggling artist. he frankly told
her. His chance meeting with her the
rare natural beauties ~ her environ
meut had given him the inspiration Of
a great picture. lie was going back TO
his city garrett studio 10 toll for her
and for fame
Spriurilne had merged into sum
mer. and now the landscape was sere.
but for over two months Ava had re-
ccived no word from the man she
loved Formerly every letter had
breathcd hope and faith IN the success
u his great life effort. Then there had
come utter silence. The girl grew anx.
lous. distracted. fear filled Was she
never 10 see him againi Had failure,
new object ot affection Influenced
him TO forget herr
why do YOU not hear from Mr..
Browning any morcf' her brother.
Walter. lad ~ sixteen. solicltously
inquired. "You know. Ava, be- was
surely 10 come Ia see " again"
but Avn only shook her head sadly
ana went away with tears In her eyes.
Walter had fastened his faith irreyocs-
bly, upon browning. who had discerned
prospective artistic genius In the lad.
lie had taken pains 20 direct and In.
sfruct Walter and the day he left had
made him n present of n set u cray
ous. II had been pleasant reminder
20 Ava 90 watch her ambitious brother
with pencil and pad evenings making
some quite pretentious sketches Of
familiar home surroundings. Two pie
lures that he made. one OF Browning
from memory. and one 81 Ava posing
for him. Indicated what the former
had said of him. that he possessed
natural gift for portrnlture.
but Walter had been ambitious and
had cherished his aspirations secretly,
even from Ava. At the rear Of the
house was an old unused barn.
This space had become the studio %
the young artist. for here he could UNI
dertake large efforts with his crayons
lie had finished one or two can
vases and IL was his delight 20 view
them one rainy morning Walter crept
IN into the barn attic. lie was sur
prised 90 find there lying upon heap
Of old horse blankets n stranger. His
pillow was bundle done up In piece
~ oiicloth. his attire half suggestive
81 the tramp. Al all events he np-
pealed to Walter as n picturesque sub
ject for portrayal lie was fast asleep
and Walter set nj work nj n vacant
space on the side wall 60 reproduce
him In chalk.
Walter completed the portrait en-
tlrely 10 his satisfaction and left the
loft. He forgot all about the intrudina
stranger until later In the afternoon.
when he saw his father talking with n
man who had driven up In an automo-
bile with two others. All OF them he
recognized ms town officers.
The man got away with over fifty
thousand dollars In cash and securi-
ties from the bank" the sheriff was
saving as Walter came up. ''lle was
seen later by farmer carrying n
package done M in oilcloth. We have
details of hls dress" and the speaker
described the subject ~ Walters
morning portrait. Keep keen look
out" proceeded the official a re-
ward of Eve thousand dollars In of.
fcred and we viii divide II with any
one giving US clue 20 the identity 81
the man"
"Suppose-suppose." burst out Wal
ter eagerly. "you could see picture %
the man, would that mean anything 20
your
Would IL he anything TO usf' re-
peated the sheriff eXcitedly. why
that would be all We need"
"And n I can show you such a pie
ture. do get half the rewardT'
"if II leads TO the arrest Of the man,
yes"
Come with me-" directed Walter.
and as he revealed his last artistic Il.
fort he explained the circumstances
~ It's construction.
''The rest Is easy" proclaimed the
sheriff juhlluntly. aud sped away with