ASERVICEOFLOVE

　　Whenonelovesone'sArtnoserviceseemstoohard.

　　Thatisourpremise.Thisstoryshalldrawaconclusionfromit,andshowatthesametimethatthepremiseisincorrect.Thatwillbeanewthinginlogic,andafeatinstory-tellingsomewhatolderthanthegreatwallofChina.

　　JoeLarrabeecameoutofthepost-oakflatsoftheMiddleWestpulsingwithageniusforpictorialart.Atsixhedrewapictureofthetownpumpwithaprominentcitizenpassingithastily.Thiseffortwasframedandhunginthedrugstorewindowbythesideoftheearofcornwithanunevennumberofrows.AttwentyheleftforNewYorkwithaflowingnecktieandacapitaltiedupsomewhatcloser.

　　DeliaCaruthersdidthingsinsixoctavessopromisinglyinapine-treevillageintheSouththatherrelativeschippedinenoughinherchiphatforhertogo"North"and"finish."Theycouldnotseeherf--,butthatisourstory.

　　JoeandDeliametinanatelierwhereanumberofartandmusicstudentshadgatheredtodiscusschiaroscuro,Wagner,music,Rembrandt'sworks,pictures,Waldteufel,wallpaper,ChopinandOolong.

　　JoeandDeliabecameenamouredoneoftheother,oreachoftheother,asyouplease,andinashorttimeweremarried--for(seeabove),whenonelovesone'sArtnoserviceseemstoohard.

　　Mr.andMrs.Larrabeebeganhousekeepinginaflat.Itwasalonesomeflat--somethingliketheAsharpwaydownattheleft-handendofthekeyboard.Andtheywerehappy;fortheyhadtheirArt,andtheyhadeachother.Andmyadvicetotherichyoungmanwouldbe--sellallthouhast,andgiveittothepoor--janitorfortheprivilegeoflivinginaflatwithyourArtandyourDelia.