FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105  
106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   >>   >|  
o say that I shall be a considerable part of the time in my room. That is why I want a larger one." "But when will you work?" asked the landlady, puzzled. "I shall work in my room." "But what work can you do there?" "I am an artist; that is, I am to make drawings for a new magazine." "You don't say so? Will that pay?" "Very handsomely." "I hope you will show me some of them. I never met an artist before." "I am afraid I am not much of an artist. I can show you one of my pictures now." Chester took from the table a number of _Puck_ and pointed out a sketch. "That's pretty good," said the landlady. "You wouldn't get more than thirty-five cents for such a picture, would you?" "I was paid five dollars for that." "Do tell!" exclaimed Mrs. Crosby, who was brought up in a country town and still used some of the expressions which were familiar to her in early days. "I can't hardly believe it. It seems foolish to pay so much for such a little thing." "I don't think it foolish, Mrs. Crosby. It must pay them, or they wouldn't keep on doing it." Chester moved into his new room and enjoyed his ample accommodations very much. The next day he went to the office of _The Phoenix_ and carried in two sketches. They were fortunate enough to win the approval of the editor. "I see you are practical and understand what we want, Mr. Rand," he said. Just behind Chester was a man of fifty, rather shabby and neglectful in his personal appearance. He might be described as an artist going to seed. Whatever talent he might have had originally had been dulled and obscured by chronic intemperance. "Excuse me, sir," he said, deferentially, "but I would like to submit a couple of sketches. I am Guy Radcliff." "Glad to see you, Mr. Radcliff. Let me examine them." "I am afraid," said the editor, after a brief examination, "that these are not quite what we want." "Is it possible?" exclaimed Mr. Radcliff, indignantly. "You scorn my work, yet accept the sketches of that boy!" pointing at Chester with withering contempt. "Because he has given me what I want." "I was a famous artist before he was born." "Very likely, and had done good work. But this is not good work." "Sir!" "My dear sir, don't be offended. I don't care for the age of any of my contributors. I know something of your famous successes, and I hope next time to approve and buy what you bring me." Mr. Radcliff seemed only half propitiated.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105  
106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

artist

 

Radcliff

 

Chester

 
sketches
 
famous
 

afraid

 
foolish
 

Crosby

 

exclaimed

 

wouldn


landlady
 

editor

 

chronic

 

intemperance

 

submit

 
deferentially
 

obscured

 

Excuse

 

originally

 
neglectful

personal

 
appearance
 

couple

 

Whatever

 

talent

 

shabby

 

dulled

 
withering
 

offended

 

contributors


propitiated

 

successes

 

approve

 

examination

 

examine

 

indignantly

 

contempt

 

Because

 

pointing

 

accept


sketch

 

pretty

 

pointed

 

number

 

dollars

 

thirty

 
picture
 

puzzled

 

larger

 

considerable