e with considerable enthusiasm. The first
important picture of the impressionistic school--a heavy spring rain in
a grove of silver poplars by Winthrop--had been shown in the window of
this firm, fascinating Eugene with its technique. He had encountered
here collections of Aubrey Beardsley's decadent drawings, of Helleu's
silverpoints, of Rodin's astonishing sculptures and Thaulow's solid
Scandinavian eclecticism. This house appeared to have capable artistic
connections all over the world, for the latest art force in Italy,
Spain, Switzerland, or Sweden, was quite as likely to find its timely
expression here as the more accredited work of England, Germany or
France. Kellner and Son were art connoisseurs in the best sense of the
word, and although the German founder of the house had died many years
before, its management and taste had never deteriorated.

Eugene did not know at this time how very difficult it was to obtain an
exhibition under Kellner's auspices, they being over-crowded with offers
of art material and appeals for display from celebrated artists who were
quite willing and able to pay for the space and time they occupied. A
fixed charge was made, never deviated from except in rare instances
where the talent of the artist, his poverty, and the advisability of the
exhibition were extreme. Two hundred dollars was considered little
enough for the use of one of their show rooms for ten days.

Eugene had no such sum to spare, but one day in January, without any
real knowledge as to what the conditions were, he carried four of the
reproductions which had been made from time to time in _Truth_ to the
office of Mr. Kellner, certain that he had something to show. Miss
Whitmore had indicated to him that Eberhard Zang wanted him to come and
see him, but he thought if he was going anywhere he would prefer to go
to Kellner and Son. He wanted to explain to Mr. Kellner, if there were
such a person, that he had many more paintings which he considered even
better--more expressive of his growing understanding of American life
and of himself and his technique. He went in timidly, albeit with quite
an air, for this adventure disturbed him much.

The American manager of Kellner and Son, M. Anatole Charles, was a
Frenchman by birth and training, familiar with the spirit and history of
French art, and with the drift and tendency of art in various other
sections of the world. He had been sent here by the home office in
Berlin not