The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-09-17
THE LILAC WITCH.
An Artists Alteration for His Won
derful Masterpiece.

derful Masterpiece.
''It can't be as bad as that, Sophie.
Must your father have twenty thou
sand francs by the first of january"
"Yes, Henri, or else"-her liz
quivered little-"or else the mort
gage will be foreclosed and father will
lose all his land, and we shall be home
less"
'Not if 1 am around!" said Henri,
stoutly.
Sophie looked proudly at him and
then around at the wall of the studio.
What an artist Henri was!
She came to him and laying her hand
gently on his shoulder, gazed sadly into
his eyes and said;
II know, Henri, know. But then
you are poor now"
Il will rise-get picture into the
Salon-make money"
''Yes, dear, but if papa loses all his
property, and besides" and her gray
eyes grew moist and she looked wist.
fully away.
''And 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 offers to pay off all the mortgage
on the day of his betrothal to me-"
"To you, Sophie! you don't mean that
tru-that your father"
Sophie looked down sadly at pair OF
neat little feet
Henri, you know 1 love you, and
that l have promised faithfully to be
your wife; but think of poor papa, anG
think of all owe him-oughtn't l tc
be ready to make any sacrifice to save
him from ruin?"
Then they both looked sadly away il
silence. Suddenly Henri squeezed So
phie's hand so hard that she started
violently.
''Wait, Sophie"' he exclaimed. GIVE
got plan! We, you and l, can carr
that twenty thousand"
''Yes, yes; how?"
"Why, you be my model, and II
paint you"
"Oh, will you? But-but you couldn
sell picture of me for twenty Thousand
francs"
In answer Henri drew her before ;
little square mirror, hung between tht
two windows, and made her look at he
own reflection.
'See there, Sophie just look at you
,eyes-are they not the deepest gray
with golden lights in them? and arr
not your lips as red as this carmine
and just see that little pointed chin
how | could paint that! and those pinl
checks-fresh as baby's!"
Sophie began to blush at Henri's en-
thusiasm, and, turning from the glass
looked into his dark face, which wa
lit up with the glow of an almost poe ii,
inspiration.
And, you know" he went on
something tells me that 1 shall pain
you better than ] ever painted any
ahing before-that you will be IN,
muse, my inspiration. You must wea
a loosely fitting lilac-very soft lilac
robe, and you will have your hal
down, hanging over your left shoulder
which will peep through your curls lik
a white dove in golden cage. AM
You must hold spray of lilacs in you
hand and be reclining under a lila
bush, and I'll call you the Lilac Witch
Didn't you ever hear of the legend o
the Lilac Witch? Grandma used to low
TO tell me about her; she was a yer,
beautiful fairy and men came aroun,
20 catch smile from her red lips an,
the man she smiled on was made boil,
to do high deeds; but if his heart wa
drawn away to another woman, in
moment she spoiled all he had done
:and made beggarly wretch of him
Besides, you know, the lilac will go s.
well with your complexion and hal
and eyes"
And so it was planned. The sitting
were daily. Sophie was very patien
model, and Henri was full of inspira
ton and worked with a certainty o
success. He made studies of her fac
in all possible moods and expressions
till by culling what was most entranc
ing in each, he began to create an ideal
He threw the whole vigor of his poeti
soul into his work, striving to get tina
longing, inspiring look in the larg
gray eyes. which, mingled with an ex
preston half of pity, half of triumph
in the rest of tine face, was to make ii
the ideal of the Lilac Witch. He foup
the look of longing and inspiration il
Sophie's eyes, but the pity and trump
that divine mixture of pride in vic
tory and sorrow for the conquered
were wanting. BY his own talent Hem
created them, inspired by his love an
the prize set before him.
One day in December he was work
ing away with his brush while Sophi
reclined on the models platform. II
could see how tired she was. His ow
face showed that, but for the indomit
able fire in his black eyes, he woul
have given out long ago. But the da
of foreclosing the mortgage drew o
apace. Still to-day was Il happy day
Henri had a surprise for Sophie, and q