The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-01-01
Hearts and Arts
By FREDERICK HART

rapidly along the road toward her ia
theirs woOdlot was not in itself enough
to make pretty Elsie Dean raise her
eyes to follow him; but when the par
ticular young man is dressed in nan
nels instead of the blue jeans that
were the accepted weekday attire OF
her immediate environment, and when
he carries in one hand a spindly look
ing arrangement of rods and braces
and in the other a black case that
is too large to be doctors bag ana
too small to be suitcase; and when
he has on his back an oddly shaped
bundle; and in particular when he is
handsome and care-free looking, 1t is
small wonder that Elsie looked after
him.
Indeed, she went to the front gate
to see him go down the road, which is
why she saw him suddenly swing
aside from the beaten path and climb
over the fence that divided the wood
lot from the outer world.
Now her fathers wOodlot was ter
IA sanctissima, as she well knew. 1t
bristled with mo Trespassing' signs
and warnings limiting at the eXtremi-
ties of legal pains and punishments
for the hardy soul who should set
foot within its sacred gades; so Ell
sizes surprise soon turned to wrath.
Her father and his men were all in
the far field, haying, and there was no
immediate male to whom she could
look for assistance; but she did not
hesitate. Down the road she ran and
over the fence on the strangers trail.
She was up with him in almost 4
moment: he had evidently not heard
her coming. and she was prepared to
blast his soul with a scathing com
mand to depart, when the Oddity of
his conduct struck her. He had I'M
folded the spindly arrangement, and
10! it was a tripod with cross-piece
and on the tripod rested square of
snowy canvas; and out of the little
black bag many, many brushes and
a lot of little tubes and a heart
shaped piece of wood on which the
young man proceeded to squeeze the
contents of some of the tubes-the
brightest reds and green's and yellows
Elsie had ever seen. And then this
startling young man began to make
lines on the white canvas. humming
to himself as he did so. Enthralled,
and totally forgetting her previous
vengeful ideas, Elsie drew nearer;
he heard her, and turned sharply.
"Oh" she gasped. And then, re-
his iniquity. she went on
sharply, This is my fathers wood
lotw
"Really?" The young man did not |
seem particularly impressed by the |
"Yes, 1t is-and you're trespassing."
$50 I am! I did notice some signs. |
but l didn't pay much attention to
them. I don't believe in signs
"Oh!" Elsie was not quite sure she
was not being made fun Of; the
stranger seemed so irritatingly calm,
as though the right was on his side
rather than hers. you'll be arrested
If you stay here much longer
"I've never been arrested. 1 wonder
what it's like. Is the local calaboose
do you think?' Then
dropping his manner Of badinage, he
continued: Really, I know quite well
that l am trespassing; bat am work.
Ing on a painting with which hope to
win a great prize and these woods
are exactly what l want for a back
ground. 1t seemed pity to miss the
perfect opportunity just for the Off
chance Of being arrested, so l came
n. intended to ask permission, but
there seemed to be no one in sight, so
| Just broke and entered. Now, please
don't turn me over to the police"
His penitent manner notified Elsie,
and besides, her curiosity was aroused.
"Oh-yOu're an artist?'
"Yes-in way. If my picture takes
he prize shall know that l am an
artist. live in hope. And you must
lot be so hard-hearted as to blast nv
ambition. There is no other stretch
II forest which so exactly suits my
purpose as this"
"Well--you can stay-but you must
lsk my fathers permission after to-
lay"
II WILL" But he seemed in no hur-
y to 60 on with the work. Instead,
le looked at Elsie-looked so long
hat she became embarrassed and
flushed.
II beg your pardon!' he exclaimed.
I had no right to stare so, but"
But whatY as he hesitated.
"Oh-nothing. If you will excuse
ne will go ahead with my work."
Elsie fingered; but he did not seem
o be doing much but putting aimless-
Ooking lines on the canvas, so she
Don left. When she had gone the ,
rtist fell to work with fury, paint
ng like lightning. II must hold it ~
le muttered to himself. II must hold
IL Just what l have sought |" And {