The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-18

/ BIlb Sftla He kOA6bIAs "AS S@~
He colored little, but IL was not az IL with
shame.
aNo.E she said, II will come to you to-mor-
! row. il you will direct me to your ROOM
1T is 81 the sixth floor he replied; "the
highest of all It Is bare little place."
III will come" she said, and was turning
away when he stopped her.
IL should like to tell you how grateful !
am" he began.
"There is no need" she responded with Bit
ter lightness "You will pay me some day
when you are great artist
But when she reached the next landing she
glanced down and saw that he still stood he-
meath, watching her.
The next day she kept her word and went
to him. She found his room poorer and barer
even than she fancied 1t might be. The CELL
Ing was low and slantiDg; Ia one corner stood
narrow iron bedstead in another wooden
table: In the best light the small window gave
his easel was placed with chair before It.
When he had opened the door in answer to
her summons, and she saw all this she
glanced quickly at his face to see II there was
any shade OF confusion upon 1t, but there was
none. He appeared only reioiced and eager.
II felt sure IL was you, he said.
"Were you then SO sure that | would conner
she asked.
"You said you would" he answered He
placed her as he wished to paint her, and then
sat down to his work. In few moments he
time he did not speak at all. The utter
silence which reigned--a silence which was
not only d suspension OF speech, but q sus-
pension Of any other thought beyond his
task o new experience to her. His
cheek flushed, his eyes burned dark and
When he turned to look at her she was con-
scious each time OF q sudden thrill OF feeling.
More than once he paused for several mo-
ments, brush. and pallet ~ hand, simply
watching her face. At one OF the pauses she
herself broke the silence.
why do you look at me so2 she asked.
"You look at me as if-as if" and she broke
Off with an uneasy little laugh.
He reused himself with q slight start end
colored sensitively, passing his hand across
his forehead.
what want to paint is not always In your
face,' he answered. Sometimes | lose 1t and
then must wait little until-until find 1t
again y is not only your face want, + is
unconscious gesture with his hands
She tried to laugh again hard and lightly
as before-but failed.
"Myselfr she said. Mon Dieu! DO not
Paint my flesh. my hair. my eyes-they are
gOod-but do not paint me-
He looked troubled.
II am afraid my saying that sounded
Stilted, he returned. explained myselI
poorly !, It is not easy for me to explain my
ii understood" she said; land ! have
warned you"
They did not speak to each other again
during the whole sitting except once, when he
asked her Ii she was warm enough.
~ have a fire to-day" he said
"Have you not always a fireY she asked.
mo" he answered with smile; "but when
you come there will always be one"
"Thenn she said, 81 will come often that
may save you from death"
"Oh!' he replied; sit Is easier than you
think to forget that one Is cold.''
Eyes, she returned; .''.And 1t is easier than
you think for one to die
When she was going away she made a
movement toward the easel, but he stopped
mot yet" he said mot just yet"
She drew back.
II have never cared to look at myself be-
care now Perhaps with the laugh again,
lit is that wish to see what you will make
of mer'
Afterward, as she sat over her little porce-
lain stove In her room below, she scarcely
her own mood.
HE is not like the rest" she said. "He
knows nothing Of the world. He Is one Of the
good. He cares only for his art. How simple
and kind, and pure! The little room is like a
saints CELL And then. suddenly she flung
IlpI HELIlS Oub WPHIlly, VIII IL Heavy Sigh. An
Dieu!' she said, chow dull the day Is! The
skies are lead T.
A few days later she gave q sitting to an
old artist whose name was Mason, and she
foun,. that he had heard OF what had hap
pened.
and 50 you sit to the American" he said.
"Well1and you find him. J. e., 49,, .shau
/ tell you what find himl'
II shall listen with delight
81 find him-a soul You and T. my friend.
and the rest of us-are bodies; he Is a soul"
The artist began to whistle softly as he
painted.
1T IS dangerous work. he said at length,
!" for women to play with souls"
/" That is true she answered cold1y.
The same day she went again to the room
on the sixth floor. She sat again through an
hour of silence, in which the American paint
ed eagerly now and then stopping to regard
her with searching eyes.
"Butaot a. the rest regard me-" she said
to herself He forgets that it Is woman
who sits here. He sees only what he would
paint"
As time went by this fact, which she always
felt, was in itself fascination.
In the chill, calm atmosphere OF the place
there was repose for her. She found nothing
to resent, nothing to steel herself against, she
need no longer think Of herself at all. She
had time to think of the man In whose pres
enCe Sne SAT-. FROM bne UTSG SUe llhd seen
something touching in the slight STOPPING
figure, thin young face ard dark womanish
eyes, and after she had heard the simple, I'M
eventful history Of his life, she found them
more touching STILL
He was New Highlander, the last surviv-
ing representative of a frai and short-ived
family. His parents had died young leaving
him quite alone with mere pittance to de-
pend upon and throughout his whole life he
had cherished but one aim.
when | was n child / used to dream OF
coming here he said, "and as grew older /
worked and struggled for 1t. l knew / must
gain my end some day, and the time came
when 1t was gained
"And this is the end :" she asked, glancing
round at the poor place This is all Of life
you desireY'
He did not look up at her. @.1. 5m5.
1T Is all have" he answered.
She wondered If he would not ask her some
questions regarding herself but he did not
HE does not care to know, she thought
sullenly. And then she told herself that he
did not know, and mocking devil OF a smile
settled on her lips and was there when he
turned toward her again.
Rut the time never came when his manner