The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-13
THE TIE THAT BINDS.
BY MARTIN SAKE.

fitted Up with many ingenlus deSiceS Jhat
his wonderful Imagination would invent,
he painted. On the evening from which
our story dates, De MerlinCourt was pos
sessed of a feverish excitement; 1t was
only natural For on the morrow his
rooms would be filed with artists, critics,
masters and many notables. His own
creation, a new thory Of technique, would
then = s0me discussed.
T .ainting which he was about to ex-
hibit as the first illustration of his art
represented a lovely Rymph of physical
perfection. lust going to step into the
cool. green waters that washed the en-
trance to her erotto. In his large studio
the frame was hung, properly draped and
lighted. As one approached closely TO
the canvas the eye was arrested by the
myriads of small pigments Of color that
spotted both figure and background De
MerliucOurts theory did not permit the
mixing of colors, and so each was put on
in little specks varying in size, to attain
the desired result in blending. At GER
tam distance the harmony Of pigments
was perfect, and the effect was both
startling and wonderful. About the
whole. this technique produced an air of
life and nature that, as yet, no other
school had achieved.
Down on the divan directly opposite to
his work, De Merlincourt contemplated.
oh, the many thoughts, the many ambi-
lions that surged through his inlagina-
ton! His mental wanderings grew more
intense and he fell into a reverie. A
do0rin the further end of the apartment
opened and in stole q female figure
wrapped in travelling cloak. StealthilY.
on tiptoes she approached the divan,
and for moment looked lOnglingly In the
face of De Merlincourt She was his
model: he was done with her and she was
going back 10 Paris, 10 the Quarter
Latin. 1t was only for an instant she
eazzed at the painters face. Then, with
the action Of a strong and sudden i'm
pulse, she through her arms around his
neck and sobbed aloud, Thus, roughly
torn from his world of Dreams De Mer-
lincourt became quite nettled.
Come, now, little one he cried Sc
verely, this sort Of thing won't do.
You're going away and there's the end of
fl. Don't make fuss it annoys me.
Come, if YOU don't run along, you'll miss
your train l dare say, the carriage is
waiting for you now. GoOdby!"
She chung to him and he pushed her
away Then she fell on her knees. mid
way between De MerlincOurt and the
painting Her bonnet had fallen. The
light from above came down in a beam
Nymph" became at once apparent.
"Oh, Jules, " she pleaded sadly, her arms
outstretched in suppiocation, ito leave
YOU now is like tearing the infant from
its mothers breast, jules" and she be-
gan TO sob, Il love you dearly-very
dearly / can't go away now. You said
You were going to America-I may never
see you again. OH will only die!' All
the pain of heart agony was written on
her face.
"Come-come! l said would have no
scenes. You'll forget all about this by to-
morrow. At any rate, I've had enough.
GoodbY." "a.
She looked at him wildly, gave a pro-
longed sob and fell in heap upon the
floor. De Merlincourt rang the bell and
ordered the attendant TO carry the girl to
the carriage, revive her on the way to the
station and on no account let her miss the
train. The poor girl realized the situa ton
when she recovered her equanimity On
TO Paris she sped. And late that night,
from her gaiety, none of her companions
in the Cafe d'Harcourt could have sur
missed that earlier in the evening she had
been In the exactly opposite mood. In
fact, she herself became so much preOc-
cupied with her surroundings that the
past was almost forgotten. But in the
Quarter Latin every one knew Lucille
forget an injury.
Up and down the floor of his studio
paced De Merlincourt. Now his thoughts
troubled him His mind would not return
to the bright, happy dreaming which en-
gagged bin before Lucille gave vent to her
feelings, He soliloquized:
Just like the rest of them. Confound
it all! What is there in the nature of
woman that continually prompts her to
fall in lover That Lucille is the most
abominable model for that sort of thing.
She is always falling in love with the
chap who makes a good likeness of her /
presume it tickles her vanity. | warned
her. too, that | would have none of it..
After all, -" he sighed, ''it wasn't all her
fault. ! had no business telling her | was
going to America. That made her
cry, and l wanted her expression for
my Head of Halcyone' 1t was cruel,
know, but art must have her sacrifices. y
This logic satisfied his conscience and he
sat down to enjoy cigarette. II he could
only have fOreseen what sacrifices his art
was yet TO bring, perhaps he might have
been more lenient TO Lucille True she
was only model only an artists tool
still, models are human and have human
passions. Ills true, alas, sometimes toe
true!
The next day people came and went, and
the house OF DE Merllncourt was taxed 10
its utmost capacity for accommodation.
Many and loud were the praises poured
out on the genius of the painter. This art
would live! They prophesied it, OF course
it would take time to teach the masses tu
understand the theory; in the end they
would comprehend, and his fame would be
established. His audience was an appre-
clative one, but Justly so. De Merlincourt
WAS happy. What man in his position
at that time, would not have beenl Pos
sibly amid all that was said in his favor
no laudation affected him so much as thai
of his old friend -Plancou. They had
studied together at the university: had
Travelled together and knew each other
well. Their friendship was most sincere
and bOundless. During the hubbub and
excitement, at a time when the assem-
blage was more interested in examining
the painting than in the painter. PlancC
came over 10 his friend, grasped his hano
with true pressure, held him at arms
length and spoke in strong admirlng
tones:
@My dear friend" he said, ''this day
have the pleasure of shaking hands with
a genius at home. Some day / hope L
have the honor TO assist in carrying thai
genius on my shoulder before the admir-
ing public
De Merlincourt was not given an op
portunity to reply. for as soon as Planco1
had ceased, little group completely sur
rounded the artist and separated tn,
friends But De Merlincourt managed