The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-04-02

lost feeling in one of her feet, and her arms
trembled with the effort of holding them up
raised. She had posed standing from
o'clock till 12, from till nearly a. She was
grateful that the February day was short
but Blacl, wood, as the light faded, worked
himself into desperation. He had exhausted
his tube of madder; Anisette's little figure
had grown rigid, it had lost its subtle deli.
cacy of movement.
"Basia!" he said at last, dropping into a
chair with sudden spasm of exhaustion
his palette arm had cramped, his painting
hand was stiff rs with cold.
Anisette threw herself eagerly into her
preparations for departure. What wild
schemes of revelry dared into her brilliant
little head, pale but moment before with
faintness ana fatigue!
:" / want this handkerchief, my friend" "
she cried it is Mardi Gras, and 1 want this
bit of blue silk, and you must lend me this
droll bag with spangles. 1t will hold my
cOnlettiD
Anisette twisted the silkinto her bright
hair, covered her worn velvet bodice with
the drapery, suspended from her neck the
bag with the spangles, and, finally, when
all was complete, stood on chair in order
to see herself in misty and deprecating
mirror. Blackwood watched her with con-
tempt, contrasting her with the intellectual
delicacy of his painted figure.
Anisette startled him from his reflections
by balancing herself on one foot and landing
on the other close to his chair, with one
hand held out in saucy little movement of
appeal.
dark flush mounted into Blackwood's
face. His hand made mechanical journey
to his pocket.
only little-a very little" she de-
manded
Black woods search brought to light one
silver piece of 10 sous and half dozen cop
pers. His sunken eyes blazed ut the girl,
who was about to possess herself of them.
That is all have" he said, harshly.
Anisette hesitaied, signing deeply, but her
eyes were riyeted upon the silver piece.
Lend them to me" she said. II will
bring them back to you tomorrow, or, better
still. this evening at T."
With sudden, swift sweep, her little
hand grasped the coin, and then Ansette,
laughing like a child, threw him kiss and
fed.
Backw0od hurled the door to with his
foot. He glanced around the room like an
animal, breathing heavily his lips moved
into suppressed excavations against Eer,
against art against the whole accursed city.
Anisette ran ont of the dark impasse into
the Boulevard St. Michel The streets were
crowded, ribbons of colored paper fiutteIed
from the windows and had caught in the
branches of the bare trees A Pierrot with
an artists beard caught her and rained a
shower of confetti over her head and shoul-
ders. She snatched the bag from his hand
and pelted him in return, using her elbows
to wedge her way through the crowd.
She invested her ill-gotten wealth reck-
lessly in supply of eolored bags of con-
ietti, which she now proceeded to sell at
exhorhitant prices, with a rattling accom-
panment Of sharp jests and questionable
A slim harlequin, in black aud
yellow satin, slipped his arm about her
waist, and they danced together down the
street.
The harlequin aided her sales, exacting
even more extravagnnt profits; he became
an adept in smashing bags of confetti in