The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-04-23
and the ports he had visited this last

her heart burn like a globe Of fire with
in her. Somewhere, somewhere, Mari
no did not smile as he did now upon
her, as though she We're half a child
still! And suddenly taking the beads
from her neck she threw them at him.
'"Ihere! have worn those a long
time, but l shall wear them no more"
He seized them, seized her, too. His
eyes burned now and danced as never
the lagoon waters did.
"Are you crazy? What are you do
ing?"
'"Teaching you not to think OF other
girls when you talk to me-"
"Ah, you Jealous little viper! Jeal-
GUS? Jealous, are your" He was
laughing, laughing and pressing her SO
close that her breath seemed to be 60
ing from her of you are jealous, then
you love mel" "
And he kissed her as she stood sud-
denly motionless, struggling no longer.
And just then two strangers passed
along the narrow alley way leading be-
tween two canals, and saw the scene
under the dim high doorway.
"That," said one, sis the girl / have
been watching for days. Iwant her
for a model"
"That girl? She is not as pretty as
some others,' said his companion,
who was not q painter. :,
"My dear fellow pardon me. You
don know anything about it,"
The next day the first speakea came
that way once more.
"Will you be my model" he asked
OF Touiella. 81 am painter"
She looked him over. GLOW much
will you pay?"
He named his price. II want your
face and head" he added.
She thought moment, "Well," she
assented shortly.
She came to Leicester's studio
promptly at the hour named. She sat
very still. She was intelligent. She
made good model.
"And the handsome fellow I saw
talking to you one EVENING"" said Lei
cester one day, in a wish to be friend
ly.
Her heavy eyebrows came together
in the way they had.
"What do you know OF Marino?"
she asked.
Leicester laughed.
Nothing, but that he looked very
much in love with you"
She was silent some time. "He is a
sailor. He is gone away again."
Ion! And when he comes back you
will be marred?"
eyes"
The. long, hot summer came, and
Leicester's friends left him one by one,
but he stopped on in his wide old
rooms in an ancient palace on a re-
mote canal and painted day by day,
and it seemed to him that he had
never done work so good.
Touiella had sat to him for one pic
ture and another.
II never had as excellent a model"
Leicester told her with one OF his
sunny smiles. For moment
Touiella's facelost it's moody, passion
ate absorption, and smiled too, slowly,
in return. These strangers were queer,
she thought. This one was always
very kind and gentle, Not like some
painters other girls she knew had sat
to. Some were rough and surly, and
others again paid SO many compli-
ments. But this stranger made one
feel as though he were almost bro
ther; as though one could tell him
many things. She looked at Leicester
50 strangely, hesitating as she was
| about to leave the room, that he
asked: .a.
what is it Touiella?n
But her purpose had changed al
ready. =.
Nothing" she said abruptly.
Leicester watched her more narrow
ly after this and finally, one day
"And the sposo, the bridegroom, the
handsome Marine, when is he coming
back?' he said. -. -. ~.
"He has been back two weeks"
"Ah, Touiella! I congratulate you.
But why did you not tell me? And
the wedding When is it to be-"
He was working diligently, his eyes
on his canvas, as he spoke. A sudden
sound arrested his hand. Touiella
stood before him, quivering from head
to foot, her eyes glowing like Goals un.
der her mass OF hair.
"He would marry me soon enough il
1 had a few pieces of money, a few
quattrici, like other girls! Now, mol
All, I know him! I know him! and ]
| hate him!'' -.. s"-
"Hush. Touiella, my poor girl. You
don't hate hin- You love him only too
well if that's the way he serves you,''
murmured Leicester, kindly.
She drew herself up instantly.
"No one serves me except as wish, y
she said, with an air OF proud cool.
ness. ..$
Leicester smiled to himself. After
all the girl interested him. She had
made the best of models. Her face
was full of beauty to his painters
eye. He would have liked to see the
poor, passionate little thing happy
with her handsome Marine, whom he
rightly surmised was faithless enough
The next time she came he said to her.
"Touiella, if you and Marine want
to get married can add some little
thing, l fancy. to the money I pay
you for sitting to me-
| The offer was simply made. Itoould
not have been more simply received
Touiella did not seem to understand
at fret TTbor che coiI or1,y 18Th - ~ l.