Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-09-15
THE LILAC WITCH.

i Il II IlIAC VllCH.
An Artists Alteration for His Won
derful Masterpiece.
SIT ,an't be as bad as that, Sophie.
Must your father have twenty thou
sand frames by the first of January?"
eyes, Henri, or else''-her lip
quivered little-''or else the mort
gage will be foreclosed and father will
lose I'll his land, and we shall be home
less
''Not if I am around!" said Henri,
stoutly.
Sophie looked proudly at him and
then around at the wall of the studio.
What I. n artist Henri was!
She came to him and laying her hand
gently on his shoulder, gazed sadly into
his eyes and said:
u know, Henri, know. But then
you are poor now"
81 will rise-get picture into the
SalGn-rmake money"
''Yes, dear, but if papa loses all his
property, and besides" and her gray
eyes grew moist and she looked visit
fully away.
'Ana besides?" repeated Henri, with
anxious inquiry.
And besides, papa has been limiting
at the marriage proposals of Jean
Bertrand, an old playmate of mine,
who oIers to pay off all the mortgage
ON the day of his betrothal to me-"
''To you, Sophie! you don't mean that
you that your father
Sophie looked down sadly at pair of
neat little feet.
''E;enri, you know love you, and
that l have promised faithfully to be
your wife; but think of poor papa, and
think of all l owe him-oughtn't l to
be ready to make any sacrifice to save
him from 1.uin?r
Then they both looked sadly away in
silence. Suddenly Henri squeezed So
phie's hand so hard that she started
violently.
''Wnit, Sophie!' he exclaimed sI've
got a plan! We, you and l, can earn
that twenty thousand"
Yes, yes; how?"
''Why. you be my model, and I'll
paint you"
'.Oa, will you? Bnt-but you couldn't
sell picture of me for twenty thousand
francs"
In answer Henri dres. her before a
little square mirror, hung between the
two windows, and made her look at her
own reflection.
''See there, Sophie! just look at your
eyes--are they not the deepest gray,
with golden lights in them? and are
not your lips as red as this carmine?
and just see that little pointed chin!
how could paint that! and those pink
cheeks-fresh as baby's!''
Sophie began to blush at Henri's en-
thusiasm, and, turning from the glass,
looked into his dark face, which was
lit up with the glow of an almost poetic
inspiration.
'And, you know" he went on,
something tells me that shall paint
you better than ] ever painted any
thing before-that you will be my
muse, my inspiration. You must wear
a ]ooselyftting lilac-very soft lilac
robe, and you will have your hair
down, hanging over your left shoulder,
which will peep through your curls like
a white dove in golden cage. And
you must hold spray of lilacs in your
hand and be reclining under lilac
bush, and I'll call you the Lilac Witch.
Didn't you ever hear of the legend of
the Lilac Witch? Grandma used to love
to tell me about her; she was very
beautiful fairy and men came around
to catch a smile from her red lips, and
the man she smiled on was mace bold
to do high deeds; but if his heart was
drawn away to another woman, in
moment she spoiled all he had done,
and made a beggarly wretch of him.
Besides, you know, the lilac will go so
well with your complexion and hair
and eyes.
Ard so it was planned. The sittings
were daily. Sophie was very patient
model, and Henri was full of inspira-
ton and worked with certainty of
success. He made studies of her face
in all possible moods and expressions,
till l,y culling what was most entranc-
ing in each, he began to create an ideal.
He threw the whole vigor of his poetic
soul into his work, striving to get that
longing, inspiring look in the large
gra, Eyes. which, mingled with an ex-
preston, half of pity, half of triumph,
in the rest of the face, was to make up
the ideal of the Lilac Witch. He found
the look of longing and inspiration in
Sophie's eyes, but the pity and triumph
that divine mixture of pride in vic
tory and sorrow for the conquered
were wanting. By his own talent Henri
created them, inspired by his love and
the prize set before him.
One day in December he was work
ing away with his brush while Sophie
reclined on the models platform. He
could see how tired she was. His own
face showed that, but for the indomit-
able fire in his black eyes, he would
have given out long ago But the day
OF fpreclosing the mortgage drew on
apace. Still to-day was happy day
Henri had surprise for Sophie. and as
he occasionally searched his palette for.
colors, the corners of his mouth
twitched with his suppressed secret.
Sophie was just saying how Jean
Bertrand kept repeating his offer to her
father, and how, as the days went by.
and the first of January approached,
her father seemed more and more in
clined to accept. Henry smiled sweet
".
Very good for NJ. Bertrand" he
said. But have something to tell
you. Something splendid superb,
and he kissed his hand with theatrical
gesture