Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-09-13

give ne for havIog pfasticed this deception
IN YOU. See here and he led him
rout Of the easel-"Vhere could hsv
foULd 60 sweet q fscef Forgive me f
ktepitg my work secret.
The old man stood woIderin2ly befor
tie canvas; Zoe had left her pasture an
Sas BY bis side, Ter dark head uestlin
against bis shoulder. La Crosse said not
word; he was charmed with Zoes grand
| father. more still at the two as they stoo
| together ard at the contrast they formed
Tie peasant was proud of the knowledge o
art bis one visit to Paris had afforded hin
directly or indirectly he never missed Al
opportunity Of alluding to it.
"You are great painter, Monsieur. b.
ssid at last respectfully "you rival Mr.. Ii
Crosse.
The painter was about to speak but hi:
little daughter was before him.
"Pspa is Mr. La Crosse; did you moi
GROW it2' she asked the as,onished peasant
You are right, be is great painter: hun
0rtds Of people come TO him, some 60 on
beir kL ees. yet be cannot paint them ell, he
las no tine. Bot come" she added, pat
'irg Der soft little hand within the old man q
rough oLe and drawing him closer to the
p cture nom which be had stepped almost
in awe at the child's first words, come
nearer; do you not think it is like Zoe, even
though it Is not fnishedT
1T is herself" nurmured the peasant;
che is lot one Of US, always say il, though
her father was my son" He sighed; this
child, loving and dutiful as she had ever
been, was yet q sore puzzle to him. Not
one of u.s. Only partly peasant, the; rest
different and foreign-whether from Spain,
Italy, or Greece who kneR?-of a different
nature, that alone was clear.
Mr. La Crosse had some days since grasp
ed the situation; he had thought over IL;
row be spoke:
give me your grand daughter" said he;
"she shall be the compsion of my child;
With rs she will be safe and happy, eh,
Csmille2"
"Oh pere'-the child precipitated itself
into Zoe's arms" say you will come"
Zoe returned the caress, but shook her
head. 81 cannot, Mademoiselle," and from
this decision neither entresties nor promises
could deter her. For quarter OF an hour
Camille shed angry tears. 1t was as if the
gates Of Paradise had been opened to her
and Zoe had shut them again in her face
The love of pstronizing was stroug in the
child; for Zoe to refuse to live in Paris with
her was incredible, and TO think that even
her father was incapable Of removing the
obstacle La Crosse, to turn the current of
Ter thoughts, proposed visit to the carp,
and with Zoe to accompany her Camille
dried her tears and forgot the dissppoiut-
nent of the future in the pleasure of the
moment. Soon she was laughing as she
stood on tiptoe by the stone bslustrsde on
the terrace overlooking the lake, while the
fish swarmed below around the bread she
threw them.
Not go long piece Msdemoiselle" ex-
postulated Zoe; "see that poor carp, he is
almost checked.
Greedy thing" crifd Camille, with a
burst Of merrine nt as she threw still larger
piece.
:; But /o-'s look had wandered of across
tie lake, eyond where the weeping willows
Kissed US ripple, and. further still, into
dreamlar d. Had she done we'll to refuse 8
home in Paris? Had she no ambition in
hie, no wish 10 rise above the hard drudgery
toll and poverty for which she sometimes
felt she was not born? She recalled her
grandfather look at the moment she was
called upon to make decision; he who had
all authority over her had left her free to
decide There was anxiety on his face be-
fore she spoke; afterward, relief satisfac-
tion, and gladsomeness worth any sacri-
fee. Zoe did not stop to reason about it.
Her mind was unframed, but she felt that
her duty lay at home in sharing the labors
and Frightening the old age of those who
had done everything for her in life since the
time she couldremember. The money too
Mr. La Crosse had given her-she could
not understand that she had earned it
would smooth all present difficulties away.
When twelve struck on the great clock in
the palace courtyard, and Camille remem-
bered that it was lunch time and she very
hungry, Zoe turned from her short rehec
tiops with no thought Of regret at the pros
poets she had refused; and when, a few days
LATER, Mr.. La Crosse and Camille returned
TO Paris, the peasant girl resumed her old
life, and the episode which had begun at the
Cafe Denecourt faded into a "Reminiscences
Of the past.
Not altogether, though, for when another
year had passed and May again glsddened
all hearts, ices dark eyes looked from the
wall of the Salon on the thousands who
thronged its vast rooms. Many an eye was
rivited on that sweet face, fascinated by its
purity OF feature and expression. La Crosses
peasant girl was the talk Of all. The
,o;,.or', ,n;r;op ~ bor ho1 haan M M
know formed when first he saw her, but the
success of the portrait far outstepped his
expectations. He had not forseen the place
it would take in public estimation. At q
time when materislsm reigned supreme
ard heated imsginations Wed with each
other in representing the boldest crudities
of nature, painters Of the nude challenging
ore another in the field of decency as to
who should loudest express what modesty
ard go1d taste forbade; when the public
eye was attracted by curiosity to what deli
cscy bsde it turn away, and the senses were
called upon to admire what the cultured
mind refused to acknowledge as admissible
to the vide domain of srt what likelihood
cid there seem Of success for this portrait of
peasant maiden2 Yet so it was; people
turned to it with relief after reviewing the
III bridled license OF other compositions,
much as one, dszzled and wearied, though
half intoxicated, by some passionate music,
strange, discordsnt, and exciting, would
listen with delight to the strains of a simple
melody OF youth, recalling days Of innocence
ard faith La Crosse was besieged and
questioned as to the whereabouts Of his
peasant sitter. To all he gave evasive
answers, for fear the peace of those good
country folk, for whom he felt deep re-
spect, should be molested BY the noise of
reputation. Yet, in weak moment, he
Yielded 10 Candles urgent solicitations, and
wrote to ZOe's grandfather. to renew the
proposal be hsd made year ago. No
sooner was the letter gone, then La Crosse
accused himself OF imprudence. What
should he do with the girl il she came?
Artists focked yearly to Fontsinebleau;
but they went to paint trees, not faces. In
n L II L