Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-19
OUNCE and tried to sleep, in spite of

troubled dreams and visions.
"'About 9 In the morning the taclturn |
footman appeared and silently cleared |
away the untasted lunch, replacing 1t |
with dainty breakfast. AS he turned |
to go he said, should you wish for |
sir, there Is the bell. My |
lady will come to you at TO- Promptly !
at that hour the door opened and rose
with some awe and much curiosity to
greet a tall, large woman, with white
waving hair and piercing gray eyes,
who carried In one hand my little pict-
ure OF judith and Holofernes." She
greeted me coldly and said, Il took
quite fancy TO this little thing, Mr..
Norton, and wish you to paint SINH
lar subject upon this canvas indIcat-
ing the one on the easel. Il prefer
Salome with the head of John Baptist,
and have posed the model and made all
the accessories myself. Some of the
details of the head in your little picture
are not quite correct, as you will
shortly observe. l hope you will find
cOlors and materials provided, and that
you are ready to do little work this
mOrning.'n
Upon my assuring her that l had
paints with me, and that L was ready
TO do something at once, she went TO
the end of the great room. drew aside
a large pOrtiere, and, suppose, touched
a secret spring, for a panel slid back
revealing an alcOve where stood the
most beautiful young girl 1 had ever
seen, dressed IN Eastern costume. She
was deadly pale, her lips were slightly
parted as she gazed with a look OF fas-
cinated horror at huge silver salver.
on the table before her, on which lay
L.. h.,
brought me TO the place Apparently
the head had Just been discovered
"'The ghastly experience of Bellini
had become mine. i tainted. When 1
came To myself there was a soft rustic
and tread as of some one leaving the
room, and IA strong, pungent, but re-
freshIng oior. The panel was closed
and the terrible old woman stood over
me-"
"'Have you recovered?' she asked,
4 am sorry you are SO weak. L sup
posed you had painted from cadayers
enough at the schools not to mind
simple head. 1t is not always a young
artist has such an offer as l am about
to make you. Listen; 1 will pay you
two thousand pounds If you will paint
this picture to please me. See if you
cannot bear the sight now like man?
and again she touched the spring, and
again the fearful tableau was presented
As lifted my shudde-lng gaze upon it
the young girl raised her lips and gave
me one helpless, imploring look, which
steadIed me, with a sudden rush OF
sympathy for one who must be suIfer-
ing even more than l."
= Turning to the great canvas, 1
began with trembling hand to sketch
the picture before Inc. Soon L almost
forgot the horror OF the thing as my
! love of art gained the ascendency, and
strove with all my powers to portray
| the beautiful face and figure of that
| girl. Every now and then the old
/ lady rose and closed the panel, l sup
pose in order to give the model rest,
/ but as soon as il WAS opened there stood
! the living picture Just as before. The
pose and accessories were perfect, eX-
] cept that the models face showed an
| innocence and sweetness which the
| daughter of herodius could never have
| possessed. After two hours the old
lady announced that Salome would
pose no more that day, but that might
work meanwhile upon the head, and
finish that as soon as possible. Once
more raising her eyes to mine, the
young girl, at a sign from her elder,
turned and disappeared behind the
drapery which formed the background,
the old lady left the room after bidding
me ring if 1 wished for anything, and
saying that Salome would pose again at
ten next morning."
"'I was left alone with that head,
but drew the portiere, to conceal it.
Lunch was brought by grim old
woman who said nothing as she placed
It upon the table, and all afternoon i
worked upon the head, spending the
evening over aguiet pipe and some rare
and interesting books, which l found
in the chamber. Four days passed
much in the same way, when the old
lady declared the head to be finished
quite to her liking. and on the tiftL
morning Salome posed beside the empty
salyer.
"She breathed more freely and so
did !. but her face was still pale. and
doubt If It ever lost that look of terror
How beautiful she was! How
labored to portray her rare loveliness
The old lady was extremely critical
but not so critical as L; for my whole
sJul went out toward the mysteTiOu:
girl. l painted as l never painted
before. / fingered lovingly over every
detail, and, greatly as L longed FOR Z
breath of fresh air and the touch OF th'
glad sun, 1 almost dreaded to finish The
picture. would not, If l could, have
signed my name to the canvas, bui
wishing TO place some infallible mari
of recognition upon 1t, into the EN-
broldered border of SalOme'S scarf
where II would escape any ordinary
gaze, 1 wrought the crest OF my moth
, er's family. At length the old LADY
announced that in her opinion the
picture was finished, and that ther'
would be no more sIttlngs. SalOm'
gave no sign of hearing the remar h
but 1 stopped TO pick up a brush before
j answered that l still felt the need Of
some further work upon it, and that i
would require retouching and glazing
, here and there.
There will be no more sittings,
, said my patron, curtly, out you ma.
remain as long as il seems necessary 10
your retOuchlng.'
"SeyeraI intolerably dull days fol
! lowed, during which L did what Wa
necessary to the picture, and saw N
one besides the old servant, who serve'
, my meals, and cared for my rooms, an
, who seldom spoke. The long conune-
, ment and nervous tension was tellln
, upon me, and l determined to go ava
on Friday, feeling that l could do N
more to my picture, but L longed to Sc
Salome. Friday morning saw me wit
, nv yalise packed, and L bade the serv
ant tell her mistress that my work Wa
done and 1 should like to leave during
, the day. She bowed silently an
withdrew, while 1 paced up and dow
T the long room, wondring how L coul
: send some word OF farewell to th
beautiful girl who had so taken po:
. session of me. Just then with sligt
q sound the panel opened and there stoe
4 the object of my thoughts, no longt
= clad In Eastern dress. but in som
= white wooden robe, her hair hangin
. over her shoulders and her eyes full G
4 tears, appealing to me as If seekin
delIverance from some strange SPELL
. "'I sprang toward her, and instinc
a lively she stretched out her beautlfl
| 81 .aN.