Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15

watched this perfect portraiture Of woman
whom be still huugrily loved, though sh'
was lost to him forever, o sense of the ter
rible irony of such q picture pierced him t,
the soul. The very excellence of its ar
would be an incessant jeer. Why had h,
not foreseen this? An abrupt desire Il
ruin the picture now swept down upon him
oddly blended with the egotism of the ere
ator, en- element always potent in every
true artists mind. He actually seized his
palette knife, and stood undecided as tc
whether he should rip the work into tatters
or spare it for future hours of mingled hap
piness and grief.
While he thus hesitated, knock sounded
at the studio door. "Come in," he said,
startled, casting the palette-knife on the
floor, and turning to meet, as he supposed,
Eric Tha1ter.
But it was not Eric To his very great
CONSERVATION it was the King. Clarimond
seemed repose itself
''You must pardon me-" he said, '.for in
truding upon YOU like this. No doubt I
bore you horribly. I do not? That is
pleasant to hear. Pray let me take this
chair, and vou-will you have the kindness
to sit near me? That is right I wanted to
stretch out my hand to you and clasp it for
a moment-like that You see, am GER
tain you are very unhappy, and when my
sympathy for them"
The Kings hand was pressing his own
while Alonzo, with dropped eyes, miserably
murmured: "Oh, monsieur, have behaved
with an immense vulgarityr'
"Vulgarity?" said Clarimond In q musing
voice, which had the effect OF giving his
listener chance to escape from the tolls of
embarrassment, just as the young SOW
ereign's marvellous tact had no doubt sug-
gested to him that it would do. Vulgar
ity," he went on, lis the intimate ally Of
passion. And passion is naturalness. We
can't always keep the landscapes Of our
lives full of clipped shrubs, like an Eliza
bethan garden. Tell me, now, mon ami,
were you not once engaged to marry this
kennaird?"
eyes, monsieur"
$50 1 gathered from the tumultuous
things her mother said after you left
scarcely spoke at all Her
mother had an extraordinary amount to
say"
"And against myself, Of course, mon
sieur?"
The King stared, for a moment, down at
the carven agate of his cane-hsndle
"Well," he at length said. smiling, 'she
was not merciful to you. But did not be-
lieve her, and it struck me that mademois-
ellie did not believe her, either. You will
think me a sad busy body"
"You, monsieur
"But should be glad to hear your YER
sion of the affair. Shall tell you why?"
He spoke with marked eagerness, and yet
the instant that his eyes fairly met those of
Alonzo he arerted his look and went on in
4 queerly altered voice: "It is because the
young lady, Mademoiselle Kathleen lis not
that her name?) has greatly interested me-"
After few seconds he repeated the words,
greatly interested me-" "Yes," he soon
continued, ''if you would tell me just what
occurred should feel most grateful for your
confidence
Permit me, then, to tell, you, monsieur"
aid Alonzo; and he at once began q recital
n which he adhered to the strictest truth
With what might be called a very carnival
If conscientiousness. Remembering Erics
,arsh judgment of his conduct, he allowed
his to cast upon bis disclosures self-ac-
,usatiYe gloom. Ending, he said: 81 fear
hat exacted too much. am conscious of
his now, monsieur, though once thought
myself sternly wronged."
The King rose. 'It all seems to be the
ault of that very dominating person, the
-oung lady's mother" he said. "You are
generous to rid Mademoiselle Kathleen of
ii blame as you do. But it is like you"
He stretched out his hand, which Alonzo
prang forward to grasp with both his own.
4 have known for some time that you had
large, humane heart 1 did not need Eric
o tell me that"
'fEric will rarely see my faults, Mon
ieur," faitered Alonzo.
The King now turned his eyes toward the
icture on the easel. "Ah. you have been
ainting something" he said, in the voice
rksome pause. Then he gave great start,
nd hurried toward the portrait.
at is she.'' he exclaimed. Rece ing o
ew steps, he threw both hands upward with
gesture of extreme enthusiasm. "Wond-
rfulr' he pursued. mot merely as q
ortrait, mean, but as a work of art 1t
eminds me of the Monna Lisa in the
louvre. 1t has the same fine security of
reatment, the same rich subtlety of color"
Monsieur is very kind"
"KinG? No, nor the King replied,
lmost irritably. He turned toward Alonzo
nd surveyed him for a moment with an
id, restless, enkindled glance. ''Good
eaven!" he hurried on, guawing his lips,
now i envy you LOT Delng aDic TO paint
Ike that-to paint her like that!'' There
as now a dead silence. Alonzo, with
holly new emotions, watched h N while
e gave to the picture fresh impetus of
urvey.
''You can name your price for thisr' he
n6denly said, turning and facing his COM
anion once more. 81 want it. want it
ery much"
81 did not wish to dispose of it, mon
ieur"
'sNot wish to dispose of it?" shot the
uick and caustic response. "But, man, I |
ill pay you a fortune for It'll Come, now
Whatever you please to ask shall be yours
v tomorrow morning" And then the |
yes of these two men very meaningly met.
larimond read in the others gaze a refusal
old and obdurate-and perhaps he read
here the cause of this refusal as well. |
However it may have been, an abrupt /
hange took place in him. "You spoke of |
ulgarity not long ago." he said, visibly
and walking toward the door of |
he studio. 1T is / who am vulgar now.
'ardon me-" And at once he hastened |
rom the apartment. With his eyes fixed |
q the portrait Alonzo sank into chair,
''The King loves heri" left his lips in .
urried whisper.
He closed his ewes, clenched his hands,
nd surge of ungovernably Jealous feeling |
eemed to food his soul
CHAPTER <
Clarimond. with scarcely more than nod |