The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-07-28
Copyright. 1904. by
the Author.1

: ICODyr1Ght.
: !
lf3|HI HUI" the Author.1
zjui[lIll1 ~ HE often sat to
.2al'lH TIL TX Williot; lie
- AS NlIN|Nt1 d liked her ex-
>NM %nnn.V> preston a n
the TIA 81
VIZ tone in Ii .
color. More
over, he grew interested in her from
certain words and hints she let fall.
She was y devout Catholic, but adj
mitted she had not always been SO.
One day Wiiiot led her on step by
etep to tell her story, and how she had
become devout. They were discussing
matrimony in the abstract. and she aP-
peared SO conversant with the law be-
tween man and wife that he asked
her how she knew it.
HOw did 1 come to know the law?'
said she. ''Well, because you see
was brought up behind the scenes
born in the property room of 81 provin-
cial theatcr, and educated to emerge
gracefully from pantomime pies or
gigantic rosebuds as n diminutive
fairy. With this refined birth and
training I learned many things not
generally impaired to children. At
any rate. very early knew that a man
could legally chastise his wife. so long
as he never struck her with a stick
thicker than your little finger. I anew
by the lawyers when my father was
sent to Jail for having beaten my
mother with some thing a good deal
thicker than the prescribed dimensions
permitted"
~Williot smiled and suggested that
that edifying spectacle had apparently
not deferred her from taking "a hus-
band herself.
No" She answered. land was only
seventeen when I did marry
'How did that come about?'
Because l was sclf-willed young
fool, and I thought l loved the other
self-willed young fool, who was our
assistant scene painter. l was playing
general utility in the theater, and he
was painting general utility, as you
might call it,
Ibid you love him then?'' intcrposed
Nilliot.
Yes, I say so, but got to hate him
as we'll. Love and hate seemed ever
to go hand in hand with me all through.
First one was uppermost, then the
other. a contradictory, violent-tem-
pered young wretch / was. 1 never
tried to control my passions-I'd never
been taught. My mother always said
rnever had a heart; perhaps she was
"Tell me. why did you hate your
husband?''
"Because found he had a stronger
will than I had, and because he grew
to be more savage and morose as he got
on in his profession. oddly enough Be-
cause, too. he was as artfu1 as he was
handsome; and he knew the law bet
ter than my father. He never struck
ME with stick at all. thick or thin,
but once, and that once settled tho
business, but l shall come to that pres
emily. Yes, he was a clever fellow.
too, in his art. He gave up scene
RI End
that sold at high prices lie used to
make me sit AS his model often. and
hated that more than anything. You
may wonder that l didn't run away
from him long before ! did. The truth
is 1 was afraid of him. He co,ved the
very life out of me. At one time he
made a lot of money. but he couldn't
keep it, and finally we had to go abroad
to avoid creditors
I'VE went to Rome. and lived there
several years. In those days an artist
could live there very cheaply. as we
did, but still he got into debt again,
and for months he was afraid to show
himself by daylight. You can guess
how we carried on. and if you can't it
won't matter. and SO, as I've told you
so much, I'll come to that last scene
between us, which, as I say, settled
the business. / seemed to be quick at
languages. and picked up a good snat-
ty he made me sit n model for other
painters in order some times to get
food He even went SO far, aud
didn't mind. to make me go and
wait in the Piazza di Spagna, on hire
with the native models. At first they
were inclined to resent Sig. In
glese's Intrusion on their domain, but
they were good-natured people, and
put up with me after awhile.
He was in hiding at that time, and
] had to go to and from home with the
greatest care. not to betray our
whereabouts. My training on the
stage, and then as a model. ma de me
pretty nimble at DISCUSSES and. wear
ins. strange dresses, and when I went
on hire to the piazza.
eve lived in a curious half-ruined
place, part of what had once been the
chapel of a Benedictine monastery. We
hired it of a kindly old monk for song,
but no one else lived in the building
we were there quite alone. I forget
exactly where it was, but it was out
side the city. on the edge of the Cam
pagna. We had small room where
he painted. with part of it divided by
q curtain where we slept. At the foot
of the short stone stair leading up to
this apartment from >the outer door.
another stone stair led down to a sort
of vault or crypt, lighted up by a
barred window. At the end of this
were the remains of little shrine.
- IL a. n. AZ =.