| Show il I A SERVICE OF LOVE BY O. O HENRY Copyright 1920 by the Wheeler Syn- Syn lIcate Inc When hen one loves love ones one's art no service Sef seems mS too hard dr draw araw ata a is conclusion our I premise fo from This hr it it story I and show shall I at the tho same sam time that the premise is That will be a thing i in logic and a feat In In telling story somewhat older than older than the great wall of China Joe Larrabee Lar-abee came out of ot oak flats of the Middle West Vest pulsing with a genius for pictorial art At six he ne drew a picture of ot the town pump with nastily hastily 11 a prominent This effort c citizen was n nf f framed passing and It hung it in the drug store window by the theme side aide me of of- the ear of corn with an uneven number of ot rows At itt wenty he left for New York with 1 a flowing lowing necktie and anda a capital tied up somewhat closer Delia Della Caruthers did things in six octaves so promisingly In a pine tree village that her relatives chipped InI in enough In her chip hat for her to go I North and finish They could not se e but t that I Is ou our story to dD tI eller Joe and Delia met t In n an atelier I where a number of art artand and music students had gathered to discuss chiaroscuro Wagner music Rembrandt's Rembrandt's Rem Rem- Rem Rem-I brandts brandt's works pictures wall paper Chopin and Oolong Joe and Delia Delta became enamoured one of ot the other or each of ot the other as you please and In a short time I were married married for for see above when I Ione one loves ones one's art no service seems seem I too hard Mr and Mrs Larrabee began housekeeping housekeeping house house- I I keeping in a flat It was a a. lonesome flat flat something something like the A sharp way down at the l hand left end ul of the key key- I board And they were happy for they I had their art and and- the they had each fach other And And my my mr advice to the rich young Toung man would be sell be-sell sell all thou hast haat and give it to the janitor janitor for the privilege of ot living in a flat with your art and your Delia Della lat dwellers shall Indorse my dictum dictum dictum dic dic- dic- dic tum that theirs is the only true hap hap- If a home Is happy It cannot fit too close let close let the dresser collapse and become a billiard table let the mantel turn to a rowing machine the escritoire to a spare bedchamber the washstand to an let et the four tour walls come together if It they will so you and your Della Delia are between home be the other kind let It be wide and long long enter enter you at al the Golden Gate hang your hat on Hatteras your cape on Cape Horn and go out by the Labrador Joe was painting in the class of the great Ma you Magister-you you lster-you you know his fame tame Ills His fees are lessons are light his his lights high-lights hav have e brought him renown Delta Della was studying under I you you you- know his repute as a dl disturber of ot the piano keys I They were mighty happy as long as their money lasted So is every every but but I will not be cynical Their alms aims were very clear and defined Joe was to become capable very soon of oC turning out pictures that old gentlemen with thin whiskers side-whiskers and thick pocketbooks pocketbooks pocketbooks pocket- pocket books would sandbag one another in his studio for the privilege of buying Delia Della was to become familiar and then contemptuous with music so 50 that when she saw the orchestra seats scats and boxes unsold she could have sore throat and lobster in ap dining room and refuse to go on the stage But the best in my opinion was the home life in the little flat the flat the ardent voluble chats after aCter the days day's study the thc cozy dinners and fresh light breakfasts breakfasts breakfasts break break- fasts the interchange of ambitions ambitions interwoven each with the theother's theother's theother's others other's or else the Inconsiderable the mutual help and inspiration and and and- overlook my artlessness stuffed artlessness stuffed olives and cheese sandwiches hes at 11 p. p m. m But after awhile art flagged It sometimes does even if some switchman switchman switch switch- man n doesn't de flag g cl It Everything t going y ou out u a and nothing coming ti in as the garlans say Money was lacking to pay Mr Magister and Herr Rosen- Rosen stock their prices When one loves ones one's art no service seems too hard So o Delia said she must give music lessons to keep leep the chafing dish bub bub- bling For two or three tl days she went out canvassing for pupils One evening she came home elated Joe dear she said gleefully Ive Ivea a a. pupil And oh the loveliest people General General General-General General A. A C. C Pinkney's daughter daughter on on Seventy-first Seventy street Such Sucha a splendid house Joe yOU Joe you ought to see the front door Byzantine I 1 think you would call it And Inside Oh Joe I never saw anything like It be be- foreMy foreMy foreMy fore My pupils is his daughter Clemen Clemen- tina Una I dearly love her already She's a delicate thing thing dresses dresses always in white and the sweetest simplest man- man nears Only eighteen years old Im I'm to give three lessons a week and just think Joe 5 a lesson I 1 dont don't mind it a Do bit bits for when I get two or three more pupils I can resume my lessons with Herr Now smooth out that wrinkle between your brows dear and lets let's have a nice supper That's all right for you Dele said Joe attacking a can of ot peas with a carving knife and a hatchet but how about me Do you think Im I'm going to let you hustle for wages while I philander in the regions of high art I Not Nt by the bones of Benvenuto Cellini I guess I 1 can sell lay cobblestones cobblestones cobble cobble- stones and bring in a dollar or two Delia Delta came and hung about his neck Joe Toe dear you are silly You must Keep on at your studies It is not as asif asif I if It 1 I had quit Juit my music and gone to work at something else While I teach I learn learn- 1 am always with my music And we can live as happily as' as Ilona ires on 15 a week weel You mustn't think of at leavin leaving Mr 1 Magister All right said Joe reaching for forthe forthe forthe the blue scalloped vegetable dish But ut I 1 hate for you to be giving lessons les lea sons It isn't art But youre you're a trump and arid a dear to do it When one loves ones one's art no service service ser ser- ser ser- vl vice seems too hard said ld Delia I Magister t 1 praised ts t the the g sky in that sketch I made In the part park said JoeAnd JoeAnd Joe And Tinkle And Tinkle gave me permission to hang two of them in his window I Imay Imay may sell one if the right kind of ot a moneyed idiot sees them Im Tm sure you will said Delia sweetly And now lets let's be thankful for tor General Pinkney and this veal roast During all of the next week had an early carly breakfast Joe was enthusiastic about some morning morning- effect sketches he was doing in Central park and Delia Della packed him off breakfasted breakfasted break break- fasted coddled praised and kissed at 1 7 Art Is an engaging mistress It was most times 7 o'clock when he hI returned In the evening e At the end of the week Delia Della sweetly proud but languid triumphantly tossed three five-dollar five bills on the 10 8 10 inches center table of the SilO feet teet n flat fiat Sometimes g parlor lt es she said a li little S le wearily wean wean- ly in Clementina tries me Im I'm afraid she she doesn't practice enough and 1 I have to tell her the same things so often And then she always dresses entirely entirely entirely en en- en- en In white and that does get I monotonous But ut Gen General ral Pinkney is the dearest old man I wish you could I I know him Joe Joe- He lie comes in sometimes when I am with Clementina at the piano Piano Piano-he he is a widower you OU know know- and stands there pulling his white goatee And how are the I and the dem progressing he always asks I 1 wish you could see th the th wainscotIng wainscot wainscot- S Ing in that drawing room Joe And I those thoe Astrakhan rug portieres And Clementina has such a funny Cunny little cough I hope she is stronger than she looks Oh I really am getting attached to her she is so gentle and andI high bred General Pinkney's brother was once onge minister to Bolivia I And then Joe with the air of ot a aMonte aMonte L LMonte Monte Cristo drew V forth a ten a five a two and a one one all all legal tender notes and and laid them beside Dellas Della's earnings Sold that watercolor of the the- obelisk to a man from Peoria he announced I I overwhelmingly Dont joke with m me me said Delia Delia- Della Della- not from Peoria I All the way I r wish IS you U could o see 1 lb lt hl him Dele Fat man a with a woolen Wooler o I muffler and a quill toothpick lck He lIe sa saw Ir r the sketch in Tinkles Tinkle's window and i thought it was a windmill at first He was game though and bought it any any- I how He ordered another an oil sketch of ot the Lackawanna freight depot de df pot pot to to take back with him Music Husk 1 I lessons lessons' Oh I guess art is still in It r Im un so o glad youve you've kept on on said I Delia Della heartily Youre bound to win dear three Thirty-three dollars Ve We never had so much to spend before Well We'll have oysters tonight And filet mignon with cham said Joe Where Is the olive fork S SOn On the next Saturday evening Joe reached home first He spread his 18 on the parlor table and washed what seemed to be he a great deal of dark paint from his hands S Half an hour later Delta Della arrived her right hand tied up in a shapeless bundie bundle bundle bun bun- dle die of and bandages is this asked Joe after the usual greetings Delia Della laughed but not very Joyously Clementina she explained insisted insist ed cd upon a Welsh rabbit after her lesson les les- les- les son She is such a queer girl Welsh rabbits at I 5 in the afternoon The general was there You should have Ie seen m him run for the chafing dish Joe just as if there wasn't a servant In the house house- I know Clemen Clementina tin a isn't in good health she is so nervous In serving the rabbit she spilled a great lot of at It It boiling hot over my hand and wrist It hurt awfully Joe And the dear girl was so sorry But General General General Gen Gen- eral Pinkney Joe Pinkney-Joe Joe that old man neally nearly nearly near neal ly went distracted He rushed downstairs downstairs downstairs down down- stairs and sent t somebody they somebody they said the or somebody in the basement out basement out to a drug store for some oil and things to bind it up with It doesn't hurt so much now this asked Joe taking the hand tenderly and pulling at some white strands beneath the bandages Its something soft said Delta Delia that had oil had oil on it Oh Joe did you sell another sketch She had seen th the money on the table a X Did I just st ask the theman man manfrom mantrom from Peoria He got his depot t today day and he isn't sure but he thinks he wants another and a view on the e eu Hudson u What Whal a time this after after- oJ ed g ot eh moon d did you b burn your hand Dele Five I think said Dele plaintively The iron Iron Iron-I I mean the rabbit came off oft the fire about that time You ought to have seen General Pinkney Joe when when when- S I Sit down here a moment Dele said Joe He lIe drew her to the couch sat beside her and put his arm across her shoulders S What have you been doing for the thelast thelast thelast last two weeks Dele he asked She braved It for a moment or two with an eye full of love and stubbornness stubborn stubborn- ness and murmured ap or two vaguely of General Pinkney but at t t length down went her head and out came the truth and I couldn't get any pupils she con con- And VAnd I couldn't bear to have you give up your lessons and I got gota a place Ironing shirts in that big Twenty fourth street laundry And I II I think I did very well to make up both General Pinkney Y and Clementina dont don't you Joe And when a girl In the laundry set down a hot iron on my hand this afternoon I was all the th way home making up that story about the Welsh rabbit Youre You're not angry are yoU you Joe Joe And If It I hadn't got th the work you mightn't have sold your sketches to tl that man from Peoria He wasn't from Peoria said Joe SI slowly Well I. I It doesn't matter maUer where he was from How clever you are Joe Joeand Joe Joe- and and kiss me Joe Joe and and what made you ou ever suspect that I 1 wasn't gluing giving music music mu mu- sic lessons to Clementina I said Joe until tonight And I wouldn't have then only I sent up this cotton waste anI and oil from the engine room this afternoon for tor a girl upstairs who had her hand burned with a smoothing iron Ive I've been firIng firing fir fir- in ing the engine in that tha laundry for the thelast thelast thelast last two weeks And then you ou didn't didn't- My purchaser from Peoria said Joe and General Pinkney are both creations of the same flame art but you wouldn't call it either painting or music music mu mu- S SAnd sic And then the they both laughed and Joe began When one loves ones one's art no service seems seems- S But Delia stopped him with her hand handon on his lips No she said just saM just When one loves |
