"Here's all the illustrated1 papers!"
Of course the speaker was Paul, and again we go back, this time four weeks.
It was the same afternoon train from Milwaukee, and there were but twenty miles to travel before reaching Chicago.
The conductor chanced to be making his rounds at the same time. He was calling for the tickets in order to punch them. Among the rest he came to a young man, slender and graceful2, and with one of those faces that seem to win upon a stranger at first sight—a thoroughly3 good face, with an expression of refinement4 and intellectual power. He appeared, however, to be in limited circumstances, for his coat was well worn, and in places there was a suspicious shiningness indicating a respectable antiquity5.
"Ticket!" said the conductor, addressing himself to the young man.
The young man felt in his coat-pocket for his ticket, but it was gone—at least, he could not find it.
[Pg 65]An expression of alarm overspread his face.
"I can't find my ticket," he murmured, in perplexity.
The conductor listened coldly, and, it must be added, with incredulity. He had met such cases before.
"Then you can pay me the value of the ticket," he said.
The young man's face flushed. Small as the sum was, he did not have it.
"Will you be kind enough to give me time, and I may find the ticket?" he said.
"I will wait till we reach the next station," said the official, coldly. "Then you must either show me the ticket or pay your fare."
"If I can do neither?"
"Of course I must ask you to leave the train," and the conductor passed on.
Paul stood where he could hear this colloquy6, and he noticed the distress7 of the young man. His sympathies were aroused, for he suspected that the passenger had not enough money to replace the missing ticket.
He, too, knew what it was to be poor, and he pitied him.
"Excuse me, sir," he said, approaching the young[Pg 66] man, after the conductor had passed on, "but have you lost your ticket?"
"Yes, I fear that I have."
"Where did you get on?"
"At Deerfield."
"That is not so bad as if it were a through ticket from Milwaukee."
"No, but I am unable to replace it. I—I am not provided with the necessary money."
"The ticket is less than a dollar."
"Yes, but even that small sum I have not at hand."
"I hope you won't be offended if I offer to lend you the money," said Paul.
"Offended! I thank you heartily8, for it is very necessary that I reach Chicago this evening. My mother is sick, and would be anxious."
Paul drew from his pocket a dollar bill, and placed it in the young man's hand.
"You are very kind to a stranger. Give me your address, that I may Send it to you."
Paul did so, adding:
"Don't put yourself to any trouble. There is no hurry. Wait till it is convenient."
"Thank you again," said the young man, recovering his cheerfulness. "I hope some time to return the favor. I am an artist, and I will paint your portrait[Pg 67] for half price, whenever you get ready to give me a sitting."
"Thank you," answered Paul, laughing. "I must wait for that till I am a little richer."
Frederic Vernon, for this was his name, had settled in Chicago six months previously9, with his invalid10 mother, hoping to make a fair living as an artist, for he was a clever portrait painter, but he met the usual fortune of young men of merit who establish themselves in a large city without influential11 friends. Orders came in slowly, and he was obliged to accept paltry12 prices, far below the value of his work. Yet he would not have complained if he could have obtained enough work, and been promptly13 paid for such as he did.
On the day subsequent to his adventure in the cars, chance, or let us say Providence14, brought him a liberal patroness.
Grace Dearborn, returning from a shopping excursion, had taken a seat in one of the city horse-cars when her attention was attracted by the conversation of two young ladies who were sitting near her.
"That's a fine portrait of yours, Sarah," said one.
"Isn't it?" said the other, complacently15. "Pa says it is as well painted as if we had employed a tip-top artist."
"Didn't you?"
"No; it was painted by a young man, as poor as[Pg 68] poverty, who is obliged to work for any sum people are willing to pay. Fancy, I only paid twenty dollars."
"Only twenty dollars?"
"Yes; he wanted more, of course, and it took him three or four weeks to paint it, but that was all I would pay. Pa gave me fifty dollars to pay for a portrait, so I made thirty dollars out of it," said the selfish girl, complacently.
"I should think he would starve—the artist, I mean."
"He did look dreadfully seedy, but that was nothing to me, you know."
"I'm a great mind to get him to paint my portrait."
"You'd better. Let him know that you are a friend of mine, and the price I paid, and he will paint yours for the same."
"I will. What is his address?"
"No.—State street."
The other took down the address, and so did Grace. Gifted with a warm, sympathetic nature, she could hardly repress the disgust she felt at the miserable16 selfishness of the two handsomely dressed girls, who counted it a smart thing to obtain the services of an accomplished17 artist at a price which would have poorly compensated18 a hod carrier.
[Pg 69]"I may as well have my portrait painted," she said to herself. "It will give me an excuse for helping19 this young man, who has been so cruelly underpaid by one who could evidently afford to pay him fairly."
The next morning Frederic Vernon was sitting in his plain studio in a fit of despondency. He had just had a visit from Miss Framley, who had given him an order for a portrait, after beating him down to twenty dollars.
In vain he had told her that he could not afford to work so cheap. She protested that she would not pay a cent more than her friend.
Vernon was on the point of declining the commission, but he reflected with a sigh that work even at that price was better than to be idle, and he sadly consented.
Miss Framley, well pleased with the success of her negotiation20, swept out of the studio, in her seal-skin sacque and costly21 silk, feeling that she would be applauded by her father—a wholesale22 pork merchant—for her financial success.
On the stairs, as she was descending23, she met Miss Dearborn, whom she recognized by sight, and would have been glad to know.
"Is Miss Dearborn going to patronize the artist?" she thought. "If he gets many patrons like her, he[Pg 70] will be getting fashionable, and put up his prices. I am glad I have made my bargain."
Miss Dearborn entered the studio, and a hasty glance satisfied her that the artist was indeed poor. She glanced at the artist, and felt an immediate24 interest in him. Though shabbily dressed, she read refinement and nobility of character in his expressive25 face, and was extremely glad she had come.
"Mr. Vernon, I believe," she said, gently.
The artist bowed.
"I am told you paint portraits."
Another bow.
"I will give you a commission, if you have the time to execute it."
"I have something too much of that," said Vernon, smiling faintly. "I will gladly accept your commission."
"If you have other work requiring your present attention, I am not in haste."
"I have just agreed to paint the portrait of a Miss Framley——"
"Whom I met on the stairs?"
"Probably; she just went out."
"Then I will wait till you have executed her commission. Meanwhile allow me to pay you one-half in advance."
"A hundred dollars!" he ejaculated.
"Yes."
"Do you know that I have agreed to paint Miss Framley's portrait for twenty dollars?"
"I am sorry to hear it. I propose to pay a good price for good work. There is my card. Be kind enough to apprise27 me when you are ready for me."
"Miss Dearborn," said the artist, his face lighting28 up with gratitude29, "you have done a great favor to a struggling man. Miss Framley beat me down, while you offer to pay a price such as only an artist of established reputation would dare to charge."
"I'm only anticipating matters a little," said Grace, smiling, as she left the studio.
"God bless her!" ejaculated the artist, fervently30. "I was almost discouraged, but now hope lights my pathway. I will move mother out of that dingy31 room into a lighter32 and more cheerful apartment."
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1
illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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3
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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4
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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5
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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6
colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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7
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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8
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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9
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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10
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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11
influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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12
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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13
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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14
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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15
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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16
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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17
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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18
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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19
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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20
negotiation
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| n.谈判，协商 | |
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21
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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22
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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23
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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24
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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25
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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26
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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27
apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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28
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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29
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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30
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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31
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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32
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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