The Red Cloud chief., 1892-09-16

eyes were longing for, and whose vie
tim the mouth pitied. The very com
positcncss of the face, full of contradict
tions, was the origin of its charm.
Henri looked long at the face, and
then turned and glanced half timidly,
half hopefully, ut Sophie. She thought
She caught his meaning and smiled
back ut him.
sis IL likc?" she laughed.
~IIcnri's face lost the look OF hope.
He turned eagerly back to the picture,
looked at IL n minute, then turned
away with n sigh. Sophie came to him,
and looking over his shoulder at the
lovely reflection of herself. asked him
why he sighed. lie answered:
"Ah, Sophie. you cannot understand,
! you cannot know the feeling of adora-
ton which an artist has for something
into which he has poured his whole
soul. This is my masterpiece. | shall
never do anything us good, n rich. IA
expansive again!-no, never! All the
strength, all the purity, all the poetry,
of my ininost soul are embodied In that
one painting, and now-now, l must
part with it-must say good-by forever
To what has been meat and drink to
me for months past. You cannot know
what it has come to mean to me; how,
like Pvgmalion, I have worshiped IL as
I created it. II is moro than n portrait.
II is an ideal In which | have lived for
months. Oh, whcre-whcre shall 1
find anything to take its place."
And Henri, knccling before the pic
ture, spread out his hands in supplica-
ton. Sophie knclt beside him, and
gently passing one arm over his shout
der whispered softly to him, rs If they
already knelt before the altar:
"%licre, Henri, here | am! have you
not me? Did You not paint hat picture
to marry me? and now it's done, are we
not To be married, and you are to have
me- always?"
She paused. Henri slowly looked
around and gazcd long and steadily,
with u blank. searching look. into her
sweet. pale face. Then he turned to-
ward the Lilac Witch" shuddercd
and ~sorrowfully shook his head. lilo
noticed that in n spot near the edge OF
the canvas the varnish had worn n lit
tie rough. He got up from his knees,
and pushing aside II curtain, went into
a side room to get n pot of varnish.
Sophie remained motionlcss, kncel-
ing before the picture, her bosom heav-
ing, her eyes flashing, her hands clutch
ing convulsively ut her dress. She re-
pcated his last words: where shall
find anything to take its place."
Jealousy, cruel as the grave, jcal.
ousy of her own idealized self, jealousy
of the image of her own person re.
lectcd in the artists imagination. was
taking hold Of her. Oh, how she hated
the picture that had stolen her only
possession! had cheated her OF Henri's
love. She arose and looked savagely ut
the lovely Lilac Witch" Then, glnnc.
ing wildly around the room for q
weapon, she spicd on a little table
Henri's mixing knife. II was of steel
and quite sharp. She ran to IL, seized
il, and then coming up SO close that
her hot breath made the canvas moist,
she Kissed:
''Thcrc, you thief, you"-and with q
few strokes of the knife she cut and
slashcd the lovely face and tore out the
gray eyes, and hacked the poor head
and bosom into shreds. Then, throw.
ing back her head, she stood upright,
painting and trembling, before her dis.
figured rival.
At that second it seemed rs IL the
scornful. plying, triumphant look OF
the Lilac Witch had passed to her owr
face.
just then came q rustic ut the curtain
and a rattle at the door. Henri slipped
in quietly, from the inner room. ant
Sophie's father came bursting in from
the hall. The two men C m forward
and greeted one another cordially; Their
they turned toward Sophie and the
picture.
!, With n sharp cry Henri bounded for
ward, and, pressing his forehead against
the mutila ted painting, cried like q
child.
Sophie looked wildly about, ant
staggered toward her father. lie rough
ly led her to u chair. Then, pulling
his hat down over his ears, he sale
hoarsely. half aloud:
~ must go and find Jean Bertrand
Charles w. Shope, in Harvard Advo
cate.