The Red Cloud chief., 1892-09-16

the look of longing and inspiration in
sophic'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
rcclined on the models platform. lie
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 age. But the day
of foreclosing the mortgage drew on
apace. Still to-day was II happy day
Henri had a 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 offerto her
father, and how, as the days went 10y
and the first of January approached,
her father seemed more and more in
clined to accept. Henry smiled sweet
ly.
Very good for NJ. Bertrand" he
said. But have something &c tell
You. Something splendid-supcrb,"
and he Kissed his hand with n theatrical
gesture.
'Oh! what is it?" exclaimed Sophie,
jumping up and spelling the folds of
her carcfully-arranged drapcry.
Henry forgave her that for the
sake of the news. Then he told her
how the agent of IN oil mugnatc, just
over from America. was looking all
over Paris for paintings of beautiful
women; how he had seen the Lilac
Witch;' now nearly flushed, and how
he had, with an Americans cxtrava-
gance, offered the fabulous sum of thir-
ty thousand francs. That ended the
sitting for that day, for Sophie insisted
on taking Henri ut once TO her father,
telling him the news, and making him
break off all further negotiations with
Jean Bertrand. .
n II was so arranged. Henri vas
to pay of the mortgage as soon as the
picture was transferred, keeping the
surplus of ten thousand to start life
with Sophie, while her father dismissed
Jean Bertrand, witt, the precautionary
hint that, in case the American should
fail them he would Immediately accept
Bertrand's offer.
IL was the evening before the great
day when the picture was to be for
mally sold, the thirty thousand francs
handed over. and Henri and Sophie
married. Henri was in the studio.
standing before the picture. In one
hand he held n lighted cigarette, in the
other an acutely pointed paint brush.
He was scrutinizing the face of his be-
loved Lilac Witch with u look of in
tense exultation. Every now and then
he would make an infinitcsimal stroke
with the brush, after which he would
take n long pull Mt the cigarette, let
ting the smoke slowly cxudc from his
mouth and nose In q manner that be.
spoke keen satisfacti on. lie was put
ting on what he called the las
touches before he said goodnight to the
picture and went to ca II on Sophie. ii,
looked at his watch. II was already pas,
nine and he had promised to be there
at eight. Still there were only q few
more tiny touches needed and then hi
would go. He lit cigarette after cigar
cite. he walked up and down the room
changed the lamps and surveyed the
painting from twenty different point,
of view. Finally he seemed satisfied
threw down the brush, drew a sofa w
in front Of the easel, and lay there
watching the witch's face with n Low
er's rapture. His chest hcaved. hi.
eyes grew bright, the muscles rount
his mouth softened into an expression
of supreme delight.
Suddenly he started and looked a
his watch. II was twelve o'clock ant
he had forgotten, and Sophie had prob
ably gone to bed, wondering why h,
never came. He blamed himself foI
being so thoughtless.
This changed the current of hi
thoughts, reminding him that to.mor
row he married Sophie and they would
always live together; a bright smile Iii
up his face, but 1t was a commonplace,
smile compared to his look of q few sec
onds ago. Yes; tomorrow Sophie would
be his, and they would come and pay hin
thirty thousand francs and take ava,
the Lilac Witch" Lilac Witch?'
Why, of course; he had only pa inted i
for the sake of marrying Sophie.
Henri looked away from the picture
with a dull ache 1T his heart. Some
how, life with Sophie, when the "Lilat
Witch" Nas gone, did not seem S,
sweet as 1t used to in the old day,
when they had the first sittings. ThcI
the picture only mean to him the por
trait of his dear Sophie. Now, wher
he was gazing into that fair, arch fac,
on the canvas, SO triumphant and We
so plying and tender, he never though
of its being Sophie's face Mt all. III
seemed TO see there something that wa
all his W and had come out of hi.
own soul. How could he bear to par
with it? But he was winning Sophi,
by giving it up. A horrible doubt cam
to him. What If after all he shoult
love the picture better than the model
lie shook his head r~esolutely, ant
went to bed. All that night in hi
dreams that awful doubt tormente,
him.
n, Cha ,,n.nv SanLsa ,o..l L.