The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-02

| t1er oellcaJe, rounQed nmD S were halt VS.
| ible through the enshrouding waters, and
| they wore the same terrible hue of death
we had shuddered over in the former pict-
ure. The coloring of every feature of the
scene was so lifelike, the outlines so per
| feet, that one could almost hear the swish
of the waves and catch the undulating mo-
| ton of the dead.
! went away more dissatisfied than ever
| Who was Valette's model, and how had
he caught the hue of death which others
found SO impossible to master?
At last the grand exhibition opened and
only paused to give a self congratulatory
nod as | saw what an advantageous light
had been given my own picture in hurry
ing on to find Valettes masterpiece.
Worse and worse. Ugh! l shudder at
the remembrance even at this late date,
but among all that immense collection of
pictures there was none before which the
crowd so persistently fingered.
1t was a second sea scene. Under glar-
ing tropical sky, where the sun CLEANED
like a ball of fire, floated a raft, upon a sea
whose waves were copper hued and scorch-
ing. Upon the raft were three human
forms One woman so grandly proper
toned, so wondTously beautiful, that you
instinctively envied death her possession.
She clasped babe lovingly to her barred
breast, as if the mother love had sought
even in death to prolOng the feeble life.
The other form was that of a man, as SUI
perbly formed and proportional as that of
the woman. Death had claimed them all,
as was proved by their CLASSY eyes and up
turned faces, helpless under the burning
sun. Here again was the grayish pallor,
horribly suggestive of decay.
As l gazed, fascinated by the very horror
of the scene, a messenger put note in my
hand. 1t was from Valette urging me TO
come to him at once, as he was i'll. in
stantly left the building, nor paused until
l stood by his bedside A Sister of Charity
and an old gray beard of doctor were in
attendance 1t was Roman fever and
would likely prove fatal, was the verdict.
Valette bore the sentence bravely, and
then requested to be left alone with me.
Il shall be delirious in a moment" he
said, grasping my hand eagerly, 80 must
talk fast. Behind yon curtain you will
find large box of which this is the key"
pushing one into my hand; take one look
at its contents and then see it laid in con-
secrated ground. When l am dead lay me
beside it. Keep my -pron1ise-prom-
ise." The last words came gaspingly, and
ere l could reply he sank into unconscious
ness
/ hastily recalled the attendants, then,
with pitying glance at the doomed man,
lifted the curtain behind which l had
never been, notwithstanding my intimacy
with Valette. There was nothing remark
able in sight, save the box of which he had
spoken. 1t was large, and stood upright
against the wall, where the afternoon light
streamed full upon it.
Inserting the key in the lock / quickly
swung open the door A cry of horror had
escaped me as its contents were thus re
vealed. Its sides were padded and lined
with white satin and costly lace In
the center, in a kneeling posture, was the
half nude form of dead woman. The
original of all his horrible pictures 1 saw
at once, for here were the superb limbs
and wondrous beauty. Here was the
model about whom we had made so many
conjectures.
The embalmer's work had been skillfully
done, but an unmistakable charnel house
odor came to my nostrils, and | fastened
to close and lock the door, destined never
to be reopened.
lost no time in seeing the fearful thing
under ground, although it was not accom-
plished without some risk, unlimited lying
and a generous use of gold.
l then devoted myself to Valette's care,
and had the satisfaction of seeing him re-
cover. Slowly, it is true and with many
relapses, but one day six months later we
sailed away from Rome together. In
long voyage around the world he recovered
health and spirits, and the love he gave me
fully repaid me for all the sacrifices had
made in order TO be with him.
1t was many months ere the subject Of
his model was mentioned between US, but
one day, in the wilds of a Brazilian forest,
he told me a strange story of wrong doing
and sorrow.
He had loved the beautiful woman whose
form had laid away, but she was the wife
of another.
In life he could not possess her, but when
death laid his icy hand upon her he had
stolen her body away and lived in its pres
ence for months, half mad and wholly
heart broken.
He shuddered at the remembrance of
those fearful months, wondering now, in
his sanity, how he could ever have been
possessed Of such morbid madness and he
has never since looked upon those terrible
pictures-Translate for Pittsburg Bulle-
tin FROM the Italian of Psolo MARITIME.