按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
The coming together of such a body of men representing； as they did； the choicest the city afforded in art； literature and music； had been as natural and unavoidable as the concentration of a mass of iron filings toward a magnet。 That insatiable hunger of the Bohemian； that craving of the craftsman for men of his kind； had at last overpowered them； and the meetings in Fred's studio were the inevitable result。
Many of these devotees of the arts had landed on the barren shores of Americabarren of even the slightest trace of that life they had learned to love so well in the Quartier Latin in Paris and in the Rathskellers of Munich and Dusseldorfand had wandered about in the uncongenial atmosphere of the commonplace until this retreat had been opened to them。 Some； like Fred Stone and Jack Bedford； who had struggled on through the war； too much occupied in the whirl of their life to miss at the time the associations of men of similar tastes； had eagerly grasped the opportunity when it came； and others； like Oliver； who had had all they could do to get their three meals during the day and a shelter for the night； had hardly been conscious of what they wanted until the club had extended to them its congenial surroundings。
On the trio of painters we knew best in the old days these privations and the uncertainties and disappointments of the war had left their indelible mark。 You became aware of this when you saw them among their fellow…workers。 About Fred's temples many tell…tale gray hairs were mingled with the brown； and about his mouth and eyes were deeper lines than those which hard work alone would have cut。 He carried a hole； too； in his right armor did until the army surgeon sewed it upyou could see it as a blue scar every time he rolled up his sleevea slight souvenir of the Battle of Five Forks。 It was bored out by a bullet from the hands of a man in gray when Fred； dropping his sketch…book； had bent to drag a wounded soldier from under an overturned caisson。 He carried no scar； however； in his heart。 That organ beat with as keen a sympathy and as warm a spirit of camaraderie as it did when it first opened itself to Oliver's miseries in Union Square。
Jack Bedford； gaunt and strong of limb； looking a foot taller； had more than once been compelled to lay down his painter's palette and take up the sign… painter's brush； and the tell…tale wrinkles about his eyes and the set look about his mouth testified but too plainly to the keenness of his sufferings。
And Oliver
Ah！ what of Oliver； and of the changes in him since that fatal night in Kennedy Square when he had been driven away from his home and made an outcast because he had been brave enough to defend a helpless man？
You can see at a glance； as you watch him standing by the big easel； his coat off； to give his arm freer play； squeezing the tubes of color on his palette； that he is not the boy you knew some years ago。 He is； you will admit； as strong and alert…looking as he was that morning when he cleared the space in front of Margaret's brother with a cart…rung。 You will concede； too； that the muscles about his chest and throat are as firmly packed； the eyes as keen； and the smile as winning； but you will acknowledge that the boy in him ends there。 As you look the closer you will note that the line of the jaw is more cleanly cut than in his younger days； that the ears are set closer to the finely modelled head； that the nose is more aquiline； the eyes deeper； and that the overhanging brow is wrinkled with one or more tight knots that care has tied； and which only loosen when his face breaks into one of his old…time smiles。 The mustache is still there the one which Sue once laughed at； but it has lost its silky curl and stands straight out now from the corners of his mouth； its points reaching almost to the line of his ears。 There is； too； beneath it a small imperial； giving to his face the debonair look of a cavalier； and which accentuates more than any other one thing his Southern birth and training。 As you follow the subtle outlines of his body you find too； that he is better proportioned than he was in his early manhood； thinner around the waist； broader across the shoulders； pressed into a closer mold； more compact； more determined…looking。 But for the gleam that now and then flashes out of his laughing eyes and the winning smile that plays about his mouth； you would； perhaps； think that the years of hardship through which he has passed have hardened his nature。 But you would be wrong about the hardening process； although you would have been entirely right about the hardship。
They had； indeed； been years of intense suffering； full of privations； self…denial； and disappointments； not only in his New York home but in Kennedy Square； whenever at long intervals he had gone back to the old house to cheer its inmates in their loneliness a loneliness relieved only by the loyalty of old Malachi and Hannah and the affection and sympathy of their immediate relatives and of such close friends as Amos Cobb； who had never left his post； Miss Clendenning； Dr。 Wallace； Nathan and some others。 But this sympathy had not always been extended to Olivernot； by his old schoolmates and chums at least。 Even Sue had passed him in the street with a cold stare and not a few of the other girlsgirls he had romped with many a night through the cool paths of Kennedy Square； had drawn their skirts aside as he passed lest he should foul them with his touch。
But his courage had not wavered nor had his strength failed him。 The same qualities that had made Richard stick to the motor were in his own blood。 His delicately modelled slender fingers； white as ivory； and as sure as a pair of callipers so like his father'sand which as we watch him work so deftly arranging the colors on his palette； adjusting the oil…cup； trying the points of the brushes on his thumb…nail； gathering them in a sheaf in his left hand as they answer his purpose； had served him in more ways than one since he took that midnight ride back from his old home in Kennedy Square。 These same hands that look so white and well…kept as he stands by his easel in the full glare of the gas…jets； had been his sole reliance during these days of toil and suffering。 They had provided all the bread that had gone into his mouth； and every stitch of clothes that had covered his back。 And they had not been over…particular as to how they had accomplished it nor at what hours or places。 They had cleaned lithographic stones； the finger…nails stained for weeks with colored inks； they had packed hardware； they had driven a pen far into the night on space work for the daily papers； they had carried a dinner…pail to and from his lodgings to the factory two miles away where he had workedvery little in this pail some of the time； they had posted ledgers； made office…fires； swept out storesanything and everything that his will compelled； and his necessities made imperative。 And they had done it all forcefully and willingly； with the persistence and sureness of machines accomplishing a certain output in so many hours。 Joyfully too； sustained and encouraged by the woman he loved and whose heart through all his and her vicissitudes w