The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-11-19
THE LILAC WITCH.
An Artists Alteration for His Won
derful Masterpiece.

OSTlui mdSI6Ipl0Co.
s'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"-hcr lip
quivered little-'or else the mort
gage will be foreclosed and father will
lose all his land and we shall be home
less"
mot if am aroundr' said Henri,
stoutly.
Sophie looked proudly at hin 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:
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 visit
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
you-that your father"
Sophie looked down sadly at pair of
neat little feet
''ncnri, you know I love you, and
that l have promised faithfully to be
your wife; but think of poor papa, and
think of all owe him--oughtn't | to
be ready to make any sacrifice to save
him from ruin?"
Then they both looked sadly away in
silence. Suddenly Henri squeezed So
phie's hand so hard that she started
violently.
''Wait, Sophie!" he exclaimed. "I've
got a plan! We, you and !, can earn
that twenty thousand"
"Yes, yes; how?"
"Why, you be my model, and I'll
paint YOU"
''Oh, will you? But-but you couldn't
sell picture of me for twenty thousand
francs"
In answer Henri drew her before n
little square mirror, hung between the
two windows, and made her look at her
own reflection.
''See there, Sophie! just look ut your
eyes-are they not the deepest gray,
with golden lights in them? and are
II, n
and just see that little pointed chin!
how could paint that! and those pink
cheeks-fresh as a 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
Won better than ] ever painted any
thing before-that you will be my
muse, my inspiration. You must wear
loosely-fitting lilac-very soft lilac
robe, and you will have your hair
down, hanging over your left shoulder,
which will peep through your curls like
white dove in a golden cage. And
you must hold a spray of lilacs in your
hand and be reclining under a lilac
bash, and Ill 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 a very
beautiful fairy and men came around
to catch smile from her red lips, and
the man she smiled on was made bold
to do high deeds; blu. if his heart was
drawn away to another woman, in a
moment she spoiled all he had done,
and made n beggarly wretch of him.
Besides, you know, the lilac will go so
well with your complexion and hair
and eyes"
And 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 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 that
longing. inspiring look in the large
gray eyes. which. mingled with an ex.
preston, half Of pity, half OF triumph,
IN the rest Of tho face, was to make up
the Ideal Of the Lilac Witch, lie found