St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1880-11-06
BERTIE'S CHEF-DEVRE.

: "Whatever is the matter with
you this morning, BERTHE ?" asked
rs my friends restless behavior iu
the studio We shared together attract,
ed my attention from the canvas
was painting "If you go on in this
fashion I'll swear you are excited a,
having a lord for a patron"
Patron He is no supporter
of mine calculated BERTHE. He
asked me to paint his wife's portrait;
refused. He pressed me. l accept
| ed"
Reason in that; none in the
first. said /. Lord Weston * rich,
of our own country. and might be II
good friend. Why did YOU refuse?'
s'Beeaust hate him.
| The words cahle from Bertie's
lips with harshness which showed
now bitter was his enmity.
! WHATS the matter with the man?"
| exclaimed.
"Hark," he said, abruptly inter
rupting, "There goes eleven
Then I'm off" l remarked; .for
that's the hour Lord and Lady
Weston have appointed for their
sitting"
Berthe suddenly turned toward
me.
"Grayling," he said. earnestly,
do me favor. Remain"
Willingly, my boy" 1 laughed.
for they say his lordships young
wife is worth looking at. But his
for,lsLip himself may find me de
trop.'
What is Lord Weston to me?"
he said scoruiully. This is our
studio, not his. But hush! They
are here
The do u opened as | 9 spoke. and
our servant ushered In Bertie's
august visitors.
Making my bow I retrea ID be- !
hind my easel. But what had come
over Bertie?. He stood looking won !
drously handsome, in his black I
velvet artists -bl, use. but almost as !
motiunless as death; while he SEEM
ed to lean his hand upon his el
fur support. The next moment, /
however, he moved quickly forward,
receiv * his guests with constraint
most unusual i'll him, and motined
them 10 the pl es prepared.
AS they seated them " L took
the opportunity of examin: ;llem.
Lord Weston was ified. aris-
tocratic man of over fifty: Lady
Weston scarcely twenty-five, and .
one of the loveliest women I, Vi
artist, had ever looked upon i'll life
or on canvass. The sole drawback
was an almost transparent texture
of her colorles features. ="
Gracefully inclining to Bertie,
she moved to the sitter's chair, but
she uttered no word, nor once look
ed at him.
My presence having been apollo
gized for, under plea that / had to ;
finish my picture for. the academy;
the sitting commenced. During it.
l appeared engaged with, my own
work, but, in reality, occupied with !
BERTHE. What was the matter? He
had taken SO little pains with the
pose of his subject that Lo- d Wes-
ton had interposed and indifferently
Berthe accepted the suggestion. Be :
sides this, from where stood, i saw .
his hand was trembling violently,
while the lines he was making on
The canvas would have discredited a E
wo-year-oid student. Neither did j..
ne often glance ut his subject, and
hen but rapidly and with indefinite !,
purposes.
What was making my friend So !
Utterly unlike himself?
The moments passed; Lord Weston r
alked for the three His wife never !
'pened her lips. Berthe scarcely =
poke in more than monoss Tables, i !,
Until rising abruptly, in low, hard
olce, he SAID: Excuse Inc, my
ord, Lady Weston is fuiDt. i fear :.
he -studio-the smell of paint-has, !,
her" IN.
: 1t was SO. Lady Weston had - :,
allen back in her chair IA swoon. !" y
Ill was confusion; restrratives were = ,
rocured, Lending my aid, for Der " "
e stood almost rudely apart. o. o.
There is "a mystery here" I re- - -
ected. n
-"Wiil BERTHE tell it2". 9.
When L#dy Weston had recover = !:
i sufficiently to go to her carriage. -
er husband proposed that, as the