Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-09-18
heard little Martineau's voice excIaim:
~Holy Maryi what q subjectl"

-
It was large picture of superb and
was a luxuriant growth of tropical
verdure. To the right the shining
swells of the sea rolled in upon beach
of shimmering white sand. But the
figure occupying the foreground sub
ordinated nearly all these. 1t was the
nearly nude form of superbly beauti-
full woman struggling IN the folds of an
immense serpent
One instantly comprehended the fu-
tility Of the effort she was making, but
every sinew in ones body frightened in
sympathy. Both white lIands clutched
at the monsters throat. and tire loatling
horror upon her face told how she fully
realized what must be her doom. Two
folds Of tie cleaning body encircled her
waist and limits. and the terrible head.
with iistended jaws and diamond bright
eyes. gradually nearing her face.
Ugh! Whatever possessed Valette to
paint such pictures Ii is so horribly
realistic. grumbled Martineau -See,
Webster, the woman's face and form
have already the hue of the dead.
Ii was so, and I shivered as l had in
gazing upon a decaying corpse a few
days before.
did not ask my friend how he knew
this was Valette's picture, for there was
no mark upon it. As gazed, the con-
viction grew upon me that it was, and
as / at length tore myself away / re-
echoed Martineaus words, Whatever
possessed Valette to paint such horrible
things?"
returned every day to gaze upon it,
and it indeed seemed as il decay had
fastened upon the rounded limbs and
beautiful face, so perfectly was the hue
of death depicted.
said nothing to Valette upon the
subject, however, but waited with inn
patience for the opening of the next
months exhibit
This time it did not need Martineau to
point out Valette's work, though as be-
fore there was no mark by which to
identify it.
wide stretch of angry tossing sea,
extending on all sides to dull sodden
sky, no living object visible, but in the
foreground the floating form of a woman,
her dead face, with half closed eyes,
cleaning ghastly white through the
semi-gloom. Her delicate rounded
limbs were half visible through the en-
shroudng waters, and they wore the
same terrible hue of death we had shud-
dered over in the former picture. The
coloring of every feature of the scene
was so life like, the outlines so perfect,
that one could almost hear the swish of
the waves, and catch the undulating
motion 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
masterl
At last the grand exhibition opened,
and only paused to give self con-
gratulatory nod as / saw what an adj
v@ntageous light had been given my own
picture, in hurrying on to find Valette's
masterpiece.
Worse and worse. Ughl 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 persist ntly fingered.
1t was a second sea scene. Under
glaring tropical sky. where the sun
cleaned like ball of fire, floated raft,
upon a sea whose waves were copper
hued and scorching. Upon the raft were
three human forms One, woman so
grandly proportioned, SO wondrously
beautiful, that you instinctively envied
death her possession. SHE clasped a
babe lovingly TO her barred breast, as il
the mother love had sought even in death
to prolong the feeble life. The other
form was that of man, as superbly
formed and proportioned as that OF the
woman. Death had claimed them all,
as was proved by their CLASSY eyes and
ulturned faces, helpless under the burn
ing sun. Here again was the grayish
pallor, horribly sugge tive OF decay.
As / gazed fascinated by the very
horror of the scene. messenger put a
nose in my hand 1t was from Valette,
urging me to come to him at once, as he
Was i'll. / instantly left the building,
nor paused until stood by his bedside.
a sister of charity and an old grayb beard
of a doctor we're 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.
II shall be deIirious in moment. he
said, grasping my hand eagerly, so
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 consecrated ground. When am
dead lay me beside it Keep my secret
--promise-promise. The last words
came gaspingly, and ere could reply he
sank into Inconsistencies.
/ hastily recalled the attendants, then.
with a plying glance at the doomed
man. lifted the curtain behind which /
had never been, Notwithstanding my in
timacy with Valette- There was moth
ing remarkable in sight, save the box
Of which he had spoken II was large,