Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-03

D0atS l0ltcrlng Or SpCCuluS W AN'
gayly the sun smote the city's spires
and changed the windows OF dlngl
warehouses on the wha:ves into pre-
cious stones like those Of Aladdln''
palace! How much p!easauter all thi'
was than sitting at home, in a darl
alley, over her artificial flowers, tryin:
10 embody her fancies IN satin an(
velvet!
Victor walked to the dark alley il
the dusk with Nina, and thought Of thu
white lilies that grew into perfect beau
ty and sweetness, though rooted il
mould and slime.
So the friendship grew between Vic
tor and Nina-Nlna, the poor LITTLE
flower maker, the last other race, ant
Victor Blumenthal, the artist anC
millionaire-and the picture grew apace
Somehow he dared not Gnish it. les
Nina should feel her debt paid, ant
escape him,
'Oh, what is that beautiful thing !?
she asked one day, as he thrilled
familiar air while spreading his palette
Did you make it up yeurself?-hel
face all aglow.
1T is an air from an opera laughed
VICTOR from Troratore. The honor
Of making it up belongs to one Verdi
Have you never heard an opera:'
Never
Then you shall hear one tonight
Hold, Troratore is on the bill for this
blessed night. What coincidence ).
And so. when the city lamps were try
ing to outdo the stars, Victor drew
Nina's trembling hand within his arms
and they became part Of the gay anc
fashionable world inside the theatre
And what a world it was, with all The
glitter Of lights and beautiful faces, tho
simmer of silk and Jewels, the odor o.
musk and sandal wood, and the kind
handsome face of Victor BlumenthaI
shining upon her! How the tenor SANG
out, sweet as syllables Of love! how
the soprano scared! what depths the
bass explored! what pathos, what sor-
row. what delight swelled and ebbeC
with the cords! Did people really love
and suffer and despair and triumph like
this : Had she lived through II all her.
self. somewhere, somehow, that it seem
ed an echo other own experience OF
was It but a shadow fittings to come
When the curtain fell Victor discover
ed tears in her eyes. Other people
were laughing around her; Que tall
gentleman almost stopped 10 look un-
der her hat as he passed, bowed to her
companion, and would have joined
them had Blumenthal been less frigid
Il have seen that gentleman before,
said Nina he came with lady who
was IN a hurry for some flowers l had
promised. He called her Stella
1T was bis connsin, Stella Grande
law said Victor.
One day Victor, who could no longer
find pretext to continue the sittings'
put his picture on exhibition. All the
the town was talking oft before night.
Such flesh tnts such expression! such
beauty!'
Yet it does not equal the original,
said Grandelaw.
No, returned Victor; pigment IS a
poor make-shift for fire and spirit
Atabout this time he received news
that his only sister was seriously i'll il
London. He was obliged to drop bis
pencil and fly to her without so much a;
bidding Nina good-by; but he would
write and explain, he promised himself
In the meantime Grandelaw found oc-
casion to make friends with Nina. ShC
had happened into shop to purchase
materials for her work she had laid be-
pocketbook down for an instant, ant
not till she had nearly reached the doc
did she discover that she had taken up
not her own, but another's plethora
AT the same moment strange han'
detained her, and she was accused o
theft. This lady is friend Of mine'
SAID Grandelaw, stepping forward t
her rescue, having followed her int
the shop-'she is friend Of mine ! ant
the accuser begged a thousand pardons
and obsequiously bowed himself out 0
sight.
After this. what could Nina do bu'
accept him at his own valuation! Ho"
could she avoid meeting him in hel
iwalks, and allowing him to accompany
her? how refuse admittance to on
who had befriended her ? And he knock
ed eften. and watched her at her pretty
toll, and the intimacy progressed
Sometimes she opened her door ant
showed beaming face, but the smli
4 would fade soon. At other Times n
observed that she started when loot
step paused outside; she expected SOM
one. answered absently, listened to hi
| batteries with far.awRy look in he
soft eyes. One daf Grandelaw deter
mined 10 probe the wound.
Did you sit to Victor Blumentha
for his Undine p he asked. 1T was
picture worth painting; he must had
) thousand sittings.'
Not nearly 80 many sighed Nina
/ Il should have been jealous, il ha
been Mrs. Blumenthal.'
: Jealous p repeated Nina, MIR
I Blumenthal His mother?'
G His wife-Vietor's wife,
Il ~ .,sco t Uicior Riumpu tl al