The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-09

simpiy PREDATORY, and Clair's opening @ ues-
ton but the keynote.
There was d divinity in jtr' confined rha
artist. hls eye taking q lark's flight into the
blue sky, as II only in the height of heaven
coulu ms soul sing its pean. And a sorcer-
ess, moreover: Providence, acting through
the vanity OF a Circe, brought me to my own,
Don't inquire to yourself gnarled AMI GRABBED
witco, such as impiously rode broom
STICKS, and were piously hung at Salem
therefor; but a laughing houri, whose be-
guilements were potent enough, doubtless.
only That wore an amulet against CLAM
ourle; triple armor of patience-Heeven
De praised!-that kept me from a pitiiul
mis.ake. IL is simple history-shall I
tell 1t?-beiDg only the story of q curl:
how loved a ringlet and not a woman. y
w hen lett you one summer night, re-
luctant TO 60, yet strangely impelled. IL was
as II shadow hands stretched forth from tne
future, clssped and drew me on-whether
TO meet Joy or grief could not foreten. l
could lot resist: felt like dying unbe-
plunges blindly, not daring to speculate
upon the beyond. Ny fist ambition was
Ior fame; and / worked for it-after nv
lasnlop, truly, not in the sweat of brow, for
was dissatisfied with everything; 1 had an
intuition that tho world held something
nooler Tor the crowning OF mans life than
the whitening bay leaves of applause.
Unrest drove me TO haunt strange places.
l saw sad phases of hfY-so wild, fantastic.
1ull or hollow mirth and mockery, of stiffIed
groans and grinniDg deaths head, that nv
heart grew bitter over the shame and hu-
initiation, that / was near dipping nv
brushes into It's gall, and painting life in its
motley-a grotesqne ballet, wherein all the
hgurantes had dropped their smiling, beau
tliul masks, which had hidden only hideous
skulls and fleshless jaws.
I'm Italy the lazzsroni stupg me with
their incessant, shameless whine; but in
Paris It was worse, for had only exchanged
me oeggars of the streets for panpers whose
souls were starved instead of their stomachs
There in the Louvre / met divinity g
goddess truly Parisian-pretty. superb in
that intangible thing you women call style
Incompatible in the tricks and wiles that
men call fascination, but who, for me,
had only one grace-her crown of hair golden
threads glisteniDg with fire-the true For
marina tint.
'iOur acquaintance had an odd begin
ming.
zone day, while worked at nv easel.
and the paople came and went, and looked
over my head, and talked rapidly, she also
came, looked over my shoulder, SAYING
nothing; but the single long cur, it was then
tne fashion Tor women TO wear, dropped for
ward as she bent and rested on my breast
with the light tangled in its shining coils.
without thought of the woman, with
out thought at all, but simply obeying an
lmpulSe-tor which you may chide me
presently-I took the tress in nv hand.
even touched it with my lips reyerentIy.
and murmursd over it some brief praise of
its beauty.
"Reprehensible gallantry, was it not? I
had the grace to blush for my audacity the
next moment, when / recollected myself
and turned 70 stammer out laundering
excuse. She set me at ease in a moment
for she clearly was not wroth. There was a
faint flush on her cheeks. but her eyes
laughed through her veil, and her lips
smiled slightly as she said
Rather l should ask your pardon; for
was admiripg your Madonna"
I'm comparison with that tress, which was
all had seen OF her hsir, for cloud of lace
and rose leaf concealed the rest, the beauty
OF her face. artfullY heightened by the gos-
samer veil she wore, made wonderfully
little impression on me. / returned to my
work; and thought of tie curl, not Of the
woman.
Z" will not trace the acquaintance so be-
gun, through the weeks that followed. She
came often 70 the galleries, and feigned
friendly interest in my work. 1 invited
her, therefore, to my atelier; anu. when 1
at last begged that she should sit for me- il
was not specially venturesone on my part.
was then at work on copy OF the For
only for her hsir-nothing for her face.
She yielded only half consent to my re-
peated petitions, tsntalizing !perhaps but
never downright denial; until one day the
thread OF my patience, too long fretted,
broke, and pinned her to the point with
An abrupt
"Why not?''
She changed color, grew FESTIVE; red
lame shot into her velvety brown eyes: she
shrugged her shoulder, and turned coldly
away; but the next minute she was laugh
ng at me in gay mockery, as she tossed
back the mighty reason
because
81 have ioolishness,-an impertinence if
ynu will,-to confess; the sequel of which
will, hope, be your forgiveness, though I
never felt q moments remOrse over the
1eccadillo. This spirit exasperated me;
to punish her. Ny sin was one
If generalization. So, when she next day
,ame to my studio, /, being prepared for
Ter, caught her by bo:h hands, and, by way
II greeting, demanded
"'Because of what?b
'Ahi Idon't choose exclaimed my beauty
With as coqaettish an air as if had been
Vatican. aud she reigning fayorite at that
we, seeking TO beguile me with tricks OF
glance and smile to paint her beautiful.
"'Very well, L shall ask you no more,
laid coldly. and flashing out pair OF sci
ors especially provided, severed good
DOT OF the shining tress and held il up be-
ore her in triumph.
Are you angry with me?' She was not.
shs shot defiant glance and saucy smile
Il me, and clspped her hands to her bonnet
n comical apprehension.
- Never mind, there are more where that
rev ! she exclaimed, and then ran away, !
IS If she certainly thought that meant TO |
pursue, perhaps cut her head off,
Finding that my barbarism bad its limits |
he presently stole back, dropped over me, |
l had resumed the peaceful implements of
rt) passed her hand with gentle, almost
aresslng touch across my forehead, and
aid sweetly: e
"'Don't be cross with my perverseness; |
Nm penitent; promise what you WISH
THAT was startling to me; but don't you |
20 shocked at my betrayal of it, because
veil. as Fanchon herself said, not choosing |
o give a better reason, because
1--WE never met again. The cunning cres-
ure had her reasons-I did not dream of it |
hen-for delaying to fulfil her promise.
'erhaps it was part of her scheme to pun