Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-02
THE REPUTATION OF MILE. CLAUDE.
PRELUDE.

ted energy and al absence of those little
bird-hke movements Of the head which gen
orally accom- panied her criticism ofany work
of art. We were both artists, poor and strug-
cling, and We we're on our wedding tour
trip to Paris, in o;her words, An e'der'y
French artist, whose friendship had made
during the ysar's apprenticeship to art that
had once served in Paris was acting as
our guide to various galleries and steEsrs
and had painted the picture my wife had adj
mired. 1t was very remarkable picture,
both as regards subject and treatment and,
Enough on a smsIl scale, i, had been honored
with prominent place in the Salon and 9
good light,
II represented an open grassy spot on the
outskirts of q fir wood; the left hand side Of
the picture was in deep shadow, but toward
the right the trees grew more sparssly, and
through them the warm yellow glow of
dying sunset fell in broken shafts Of light
upon a group of men who had evidently
been engaged in duel One Of the CON-
bAtants stood in easy attitude, With his
back to the sunset; he was dressed IN the
height of fashion, and his fair, handsome
face wore an expression of contemptuous
and satisfied superiority. Both ne and his
second, whose bearing indicated anxiety
and entreaty, were drawn with life like
fidelity and power worthy in themselves the
admiration we had given to the picture, but
the centre of interest lay neither 10 them
nor in the surgeons and the other second,
but in the wounded man over whom they
were bending. Something in the attitude
of the young, slight figure stretched upon
the grass and in the pslhd face, 70 which
even the golden sunset failed to lend any
touch of color, indicated that he was NOR
tally wounded. The face was that OF
mere youth, dark, and oval in shape, and
touched with the awful beauty of death. II
WAS a pathetic and interesting face, but IN
ordinary circumstan not handsome one.
One beauty, however, it had-eyes in which
Law all the wonder and power Of the picture,
large, dark and long lsshed, with taraUsy
look 50 though they saw some marvellous
and tender vision. So haunting was their
gaze, so inexpressibly sad, that 1t was with
difficulty turned away from It.
you must have been sn eyewitness OF
that scene B, / remarked 70 the artist
There's an almost uncanny realism about
II and could swear that the wounded man
second was familiar figure
at is meant for myself iu younger days,
he replied, with hSlf smile and lingering
look at his work. The scene has lived in
nv memory for the last twenty years aud
had hoped to transfer il forever to the can
ysss and De rid of II. But don't think
have succeeded. A history such as that,
he added sadly, "dosen,t leave the mind so
easily" At the word history my wife
looked quickly round with al her sexs cdrl-
osity in her eyes, but feeling Of mate deli
dacy STAYED the request on her lips that the
storv should be told her. think our friend
admired this reticenee, and perhaps had
also sort Of sad pleasure in recalling the
past, and unburdeniug his mind OF It.
There aye some seats in quiet corner
there" h. Said, "and there are few people
sbout today. If Madame cares to hear my
story | shall Ike much to tell ii her, aud
do not think we shall be interrupted.
Madame gave grateful assent to this pro
posal and We followed our friend to the
seats b. had pointed out. He was right IN
his conjecture that we should have both the
corner and The story to ourselves. give
the story IS nearly as possible IN his OWL
words
THE STORY.
was 8 young man when the event oc
Cured which have tried to immortallze IN
nv picture, and, if Madame will pardon an
old mans vanity, q well looking youth sne
toIerably successful surgeon. | became
an artist much later on in life, and at the
time | speak Of had good and increasing
practice in one Of the southern French water
irg places. The town was much frequented
by foreigners, chiefly By English and Amer
cans, and the latter greatly scsndshzed snc
upset all our ideas OF propriety By the indie
pendence OF their women, especially OF the
unmarried ladies. Among these last was 6
certain Miss Claude Maryon, commonly
known to the hsbitues OF our town a.
"Msdemoiselle Claude How she came
by her rather masculine Christian name
never knew, nor why she was always called
byit in preference to her surname; but the
name CHANGED to be an appropriate one, to'
Mademoiselle Claude was an artist OF some
merit and fame Indeed, It was she WHIT
first led me to think seriously Of art IS 8
profession. She was rich, independent snC
original, and had come to s. both FOL
the beauty Of the scenery and the health o
her companion, Miss Anne Harlsnd, CIR
of about reesnd-twenty tall pale, shy
and studiously inclined. She was the orphan
and almost penniless daughter Of a poo
American minister and q portege of Mile
Claude, who often spoke of her as my child
and took q sort of molherly interest in her
wellbeing She expected her to be il somt
sort a literary success if the girls health
which was in a nervous and delicate state
did not break down. Miss Anne had,
think, a mind beyond her years, and she haS
worked beyond her strength to cultivate II
but she was wanting in the elements Of de
termination and success that 80 much dis
tinguishsd her pstroness and | always hoe
great doubts as to the result of the ssnguinC
expectations. But If Harland we're want
ing in the element of success, she had q
least her element Of success, She was no
at all pretty aud her excessive shyness snC
pConeness to take life profoundly su CRANE
serieuX lent a certain touch Of sEkEardneS
end embarrassment 10 her movements tbs
to ue had kind Of pathetic attraction. Bu
she was so appealing, 80 thoroughly femi
nine, 30 cUriOusly compounded Of unusua
intelligence and ehildGks nsiVete, that on
forgot her want Of beauty and was only in
terested in trying to pierce through he
tiDidity and reserve.
She had sn extraordinary capacity fo
love. her devotion to Nile. Claude was be
yond al bounds Of ordinary friendship o
even gratitude; it amounted to q religion
and religion intensified BY an imaginative
snd strongly passionate nature. In man.
WAYS the idol was worthy Of the worship
Nile. Claude was Anns's senior By nesrl
ten years. and greatly her superior in intel
lect and force Of character, powerful VIC
man with the fine massive beauty OF the oil
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