Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-03

how failed to make them even interpret her
woman's moods, which surely were natures,
too. So she painted everything with this in
nocent lust of the c~ye-howers, birds, insects,
landscapes and fgures-with a joyous fidelity,
but no particular poetry. The birds never
a to her but one song, the flowers or trees
spake but one language, and her skies never
Frightened except in color. She came out
strong on the Catholic saints, and would toss
you ND q cleanly-shayen Aloysius, sweetly
destitute of expression, or a dropSical, lethar,
gic Madonna that you couldn't have told
from an old master, so bad it was. Her
faculty Of faithful reproduction even showed
itself in fanciful lettering, and latterly in the
imitation Of fabrics and signatures. Indeed,
with her eye for beauty Of form, she had al
ways excelled in penmanship at tho convent,
an accomplishment which the good sisters
held in great repute.
In person she was petite, with q still I'M
formed gtrlish figure, perhaps q little too flat
across the back, and with possibly a too great
tendency TO q boyish stride in walking. Her
DTON, CONClOu DJ nut IN AlaA VS. AS'
and frank and honest; her eyes, q very dark
hazel, were not particularly large, but rather
heavily freighted in their melancholy lids
with sleepless passion; her nose was OF that I'M
important character which no man remem-
bers: her mouth was small and straight; her
teeth white and regular. The whole expression
Of her faco was piquancy that might be sub
dued by tenderness or made malcvolent by
anger. At present it was u salad i'll which
the oil and vinegar were deftly combined.
The astute feminine reader will of course uli-
derstand that this is the ordinary superficial
masculine criticism, and at once make Up her
mind both as to the character of the yom.g
lady and the competency Of the critic. Only
know that I rather liked her. And her fu@c-
tons are somewhat important i'll this We
racious history.
She looked up, started to her feet, levcled
her black brows at the intruder, hut, ut II
sign from her uncle, showed her white teeth
and SpaEe.
It was only 4 sentence, and rather ii Co:i,-
monplace one at that; but if she could have
put her voice upon her canvas, she might
have retrieved the Garcia fortunes. For. it
was so musical, so tender, 50 sympathi2ing,
50 melodious, so replete with the graciousueSS
of ~womanhood, that she seemed to have in
vented the language. And yet that sentence
was only an exaggerated form of How dye
do whined out, doled out, lsped oct, or shot
out from tho pretty mouths of my fair com
trywomen.
Miguel admired the paintings. He was
struck particularly with q crayon drawing OF
a mule. Mother of God, it is thu mule Itself
Victor broke in with, But it is nothing to
her writing; look, you shall tell to mo which
is the handwriting of Pho Pico;' and, from a
drawer in the secretary, he drew forth we
signatures. One was affixed TO a yellowiSh
paper, the other drawn on plain white fools
cap. OF course Miguel took the more mod
ern ono with lover-like gallantry. 1T is this
Is genuinel' Victor laughed t~rinmphant!y;
Carmen echoed tho laugh melodiously IN
childlike glee, and added, with a slight toss
Of ner piquant head, ut is mine!' The best
of the sex will not refuse a just and overdue
compliment from even the man they dislike.
It's the principle they're after, not the senti-
ment.
But Victor was not satisfied with this proof
of his niece's skill. Say to her" he demand
ed Of Miguel, "w hat name thou hkcSt, and it
shall be done before thee here" Miguel was
not 50 much in love but he perceived the drift
of Victor's suggestion, and remarked that
the rubric of Governor Micheltorena was ex-
ceedingly complicated and difficult. She
shall do itl' responded Victor, with decision.
From q file of old departmental papers the
governors signature and that involved rubric,
which must have cost his late exccllency
many youthful days of anxiety, YVES produced
and laid before Carmen.
Carmen took her pen in her hand, looked
at the brownish-looking document, and then
at the virgin whiteneSs of the foolScap before
her. But" she said, pouting prettily, Il
should have to first paint this white paper
brown. And it will absorb the ink more
quickly than that. When l painted the San
Antonio of the Mission San Gabriel for
Father Acolti, 1 had to put the decay in with
my oils and brushes before tho good padre
would accept it."
The two scamps looked at each other. 1t
was their supreme moment. Il think ] have"
said Victor, with assumed carclcSSneSs, Il
think | have some Of the old custom house
paper" He produced from tho secretary a
sheet of brown paper with q stamp. "Try it
on that"
Carmen smiled with childish delight, tried
it, and produced q marvel! ut is as magic"
said Niolel feioninp TO cross himself,