The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-26
other figures of the picture, like an un-

your demanded a stern, gruH voice,
which reused the youth from his med
itations, who bowed respectfully before
the speaker.
Examine yourself, Senior Murillop
answered all the young men simultan-
eously, pointing to the easel of Mendez.
Whose work is this? Who painted
that head? ?" asked Murillo, with eager
ness. Why do you not answer? Who
ever sketched that Madonna will one
day or other be the master of us all.
Does no one speak? should be proud
to acknowledge it as the production of
my pencil. BY the soul of my body,
what tenderness! what sweetness what
delicacy l-Mendez, my dear pupil is it
yoursp
No, maestro" replied Mendez, evi-
IDENTIFY grieved.
Was it you, Isturez or you Fernan-
dez7 or you Cordova?
Nc, maestro" replied they stimuli
taneously.
But" said Murillo, impatiently,
I" it could not have made its appear
ance here of itself. Some one must have
done it."
"Tbis is not the first nor only myster-
ious and inexplicable affair which has
transpired in your studio" replied Cor
dova, the youngest of the pupils. Be
lieve me, maestro, this place abounds in
spirits, who regularly assemble here
every night and play off their pranks
till the dawn of day."
+" / am by no means SO superstitious
as Cordoya," said Fernandez; but
true it is that events occur within these
walls that surpass belief"
And what are theyW demanded
Murillo, sternly, whose gaze was still
riveted on the head of the beautiful Ma
donna.
In obedience to your orders, senior,
we never leave the studio without put
ting everything in the most perfect
order, cleaning our palettes, washing
our brushes and arranging our easels;
but every morning we find all things in
the greatest confusion, our palettes
loaded with paint, and on all sides we
behold the most exquisite sketches, and
are astonished at their Incompatible
beauty. In one place the head of an
angel, in another that of demon, or the
profile of lovely woman, or the head
Of an old man; but all wonderfully
beautiful and admirable in their COM
position, setting imitation at defiance.
We rejoice that this day you have had
an opportunity of witnessing these re-
markable phenomena yourself; and if
the individual who thus amuses himself
here in the dead hour of the night be
not yourself, Senior, then agree with
Cordova that it is beyond all doubt the
devil"
"I would to heaven it werel Will
ingly would I avow myself the define
atOr Of these refined and delicate feat
ures, of that bold and majestic outline
There are doubtless in the picture some
few variations from the rules of art; but
those few are lost amid its transcendent
beauties. es.-Sebastian Sebastian he
cried, interrupting himself, we will
soon find out the mysterious artist. Sc
bastianl' he continued, addressing him
self to a little creole about fourteen years
of age, who hurried at the call of his
master, have l not ordered you to
sleep in this place every night?"
"'Yes, senor," replied the timid and
terrified boy.
"Well, and do you sleep here?'
Yes, senor."
."Well, then, speak, Who was it that
either last night or this morning en-
tered this room before the arrival of
| these gentlemen? Speak, or Pll soon
find means to compel youF' exclaimed
Murillo to the boy, who continued re-
volving his feathered cap upon his
thumb without replying; "unravel the
mystery" -,
&c Nobody, senior, that l know OF"
replied Sebastian, tremblingly.
1fSlavep
/ "No one but myself has entered this
apartment, upon my word, senor," re.
peated Sebastian, kneeling and raising
his hands imploringly to his master.
Sebastian" replied Murillo firmly,
listen to me. / am determined to find
out who painted this Madonna's head
and the others which these young gen
tlemen have observed there for several
mornings past This night you shall
keep watch, instead of sleeping; and to.
morrow, if you have not detected the
guilty individual, you shall receive
twenty-five lashes. Dost thou hear
Go and grind your colors, and you, gen
tlemen, go to your work"
The young men applied themselves
with enthusiasm to their occupation
but no sooner had Murillo left the
studio than the mysterious artist agair
became the subject of conversation
Mendez spoke first.
l. CO. ff,-r rntu
boy, if you do not detect the intruder
to night. Give me some yellow"
You do not need any, senior Mendez
There is already too much yellow OF
your picture. As to the intruder, it,
my opinion it's Zombi."
"Cease your stupidity about Zombi,
said Gonzalez, impatiently.
You may believe in the Zombl o
not, Senior Gonzales, but that does no
disprove his existence, nor that he il
sometimes good spirit and sometime
a malicious one; for it was he, undoubt
edly, who so pulled the arm of you
John in the Wilderness out of shape
for" continued Sebastian, jeeringly
IF the other was equally long, he Nigh
unloose the latchets of his shoes withou
bending his body"
The attention of all was directed t
Gonzalez picture, and they cast loo
of astonishment first at Gonzales an
then at Sebastian.
T DO you not all see that there
truth in Sebastian's criticism p' said L
turez, examining more closely the III
{, natural limb, which had hitherto e
, capped their observation.
! Gonzales colored, looking angrily /;
Isturez, and pettishly reminded Seba
q tian of the twenty-five lashes he was
! receive on the following day.
1t was night, and the studio of MI
d rillo, the celebrated painter of Sevill
d which during the day presented such
e scene of mirth and activity, had becon
d silent and solitary as the grave. A si
y gle lamp burned dimly upon the ma
b Bile table in the center, and near it stoe
d boy, whose pale complexion accordt
b well with the gloomy darkness in whic
d he was enveloped, and whose large blat
e eyes sparkled in the obscurity like lus
n rous brilliants. He was leaning upc