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

/ I'LL IOuT III every VAluHDlS BIC
owned. They were not many; she had al
ways been recklessly fmprovident. She put
together In o package her few jewels, and
even the laces she considered worth the most.
Then she went out, and, taking fiacre at the
nearest corner drove away
She was absent two hours. and when she
returned she stopped at the entrance, intend.
| ing to ask the. concierge question But
the man himself spoke first. He was EVIL
IDENTIFY greatly disturbed, and not little
alarmed
'Mademoiselle," he began, "the young man
on the sixth floor
aWhat OF Of him2" she demanded.
"He desires to see you. He went out In
spite of my warnings. Figure to yourself on
silch q day, in such O state of health. He re-
turned almost Immediately, wearing the look
OF death itself. He sank upon the first step
of the staircase, When H., rushed TO ms Is
stained with blood We were compelled to
| carry him up stairs
] She stood q moment, feeling her throat and
lips suddenly become dry and parched.
i "And he asked-for me I" she said at last.
"Wben he could speak, Mademoiselle-ye
We do not know why. He said, In very faint
voice. She said she would come.
She went up the staircase slowly and me-
chanically as one moves In q dream. Aud yet
when she reached the door of the studio she
was obliged to wait a few seconds before OPEN
ing 1t. When she did open 1t she saw the
attic seemed even more cold and bare than
usual that there was no lire; that the Amerl-
can lay upon the bed. his eyes closed, the
hectic spots faded from his cheeks. But when
she approached and stood near him, he opened
his ewes and looked at her with faint smile.
I'll play you--the poor trick of-dying,'
he said, "you will remember-that the pic
| ture Ii you care for it's yours"
After awhile the doctor who had been sent
for arrived. Perhaps he had been In no great
hurry when he had heard that his services
were required by an artist who lay 10 gar
ret In Che Latin Quarter. His. visit was q
short one. He asked a few questions, wrote q
prescription, aud went away. He looked at
Natalie oftener than at the sick man. She
followed him out on to the landing, and then
| he regarded her with greater interest than be-
| fore.
lie is very il?" she said.
| Eyes" he answered; "he will die, of course
sooner or later
You speak calmly, Monsieur" she said.
"Such cases are an old story" he replied.
"And-you are not his w1fe!'
mo"
81 thought not. Nevertheless. perhaps you
will remain with him until"
"As Monsieur says" she returned, Il will
remain with him until"
When the sick man awoke from the sleep
into which he had fallen, @ fire burned In the
stove and womans figure was seated be-
fore II.
rose and moved toward him.
Il am not going away, she answered, III
you will permit me to remain"
His eyes shone with pathetic brightness,
and he put out his hand.
"You are very kind-to poor-weak fell
low, he whispered. "After all-it is desc
late thng-to lie awake through the night
in a place like this"
Il owe you heavy debt" he said drearIy.
"And | shall leave it unpaid. wish-I wish
1t was finished"
1T p she said.
"The picture" he answered, "the-pieture."
Usually he was too weak for speech but
occasionally q fit OF restlessness seized upon
him. and then it seemed as IL he was haunted
continually by the memory of his unfinished
work.
1T only needed a few touches he said
once. Zone day OF strength would complete
tiff such q day would but come to me. [
know the look so well now-I see 1t on your
face 50 often" And then he lay watching
her, his eyes following her yearningly, as she
moved to and fro.
In the studios below, the artists waited in
vain for their model. They neither saw nor
heard anything of her. and they knew her
moods too well to be officiously inquisitve.
SO she was left alone to the task she had
chosen, and was faithful to it to the end.
It was not SO very long it lasted, though to
her it seemed lifetime. A few weeks the
doctor made his visits. and at last one after
noon, in going away, he beckoned her out Of
the rooms
He spoke In an undertone.
Tonight you may watch closely" he
said; perhaps toward mornng-but 1t will
be very quiet"
1t was very quiet. The day had been cold,
and as it drew TO q close became colder still,
and q fierce wind rose and whistled about
the house, shaking the ill-fitting windows
and doors. But the sick man did not seem
to hear it. Toward midnight he fell into q
deep and quiet sleep.
Before the fire Natalie sat waiting. Now
and then little shudder passed over her as
n
fire in the stove was q bright one She had
smiled to herself as she had heaped the coal
upon it, seeing that there was 80 little left.
1T will last until morning. she said "and
that will be long enough" Through all the
nights during which she had watched she had
never felt the room SO still as 1t seemed now
between the gusts and soughing Of the wind.
Something Is in the air which has not been
In 1t before she said.
AT O'Clock she rose and replenished the
fire, putting the last fragment of coal upon 1t
and Chen sat down to watch it again.
Come here" he said in q low. clear voice.
"Come here"
She went to him and stood close by the bed
side. The moment of her supreme anguish
had come. But he showed no signs OF pain
or dread, only there -uaS "a little moisture
upon his forehead and about his mouth.
His eyes shone large end bright In the
snowy pallor Of his face, and when he fixed
them upon her she knew he would not move
them away.
i am glad that it is finished" he said
1t did not tire me to work-as / thought 1t
would. | am glad-that it finished"
She fell upon her knees.
THAT it Is finished ?" she said.
His smile grew brighter.
The picture he whispered" the pic
ture
And then what she waited for came. There
was moment of silence; the wind outside
hushed ITSELF his lips parted, but no sound
came from them, not even a tluttering breath
his eyes were still fixed upon her face, open,
bright, smiling.
!" may speak now" she cried. 81 may
speak now-since you cannot hear. love
you! | love you"
But there came to her ears only one sound
the little grating shudder OF the fire as 1t fell
together and was dead.
The next morning when they heard that
the American" had at last filled their
prophecies, the locataires showed q spas
modlc warmth of interest. They offered their
services promptly, and said to each other
that he must have been good fellow after
all that IT, WAC nity thov had NOT kppup