The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-25

sho cried cit is Mardi Gras. And 1
want this bit of blue silk, and you must
lend mo this droll bag with tho spanglos.
1t will hold my confetti"
Anisotte twisted tho silk into her bright
hair. covered her worn velvet bodice with
tho drapery, suspended from her neck tho
bag with tho spanglos, and finally. when
all was complete, stood on n chair In order
To 500 herself In q misty and dcrrccntini;
mirror. Blackwood watched her with
contempt, contrasting her with tho intel
lectual dclicacy of his painted figure.
Anisette startled him from his reflections
by balancing herself uu ono foot and land
ing on tho other close to his chair, with
ono hand held out in IL saucy little move
mcnt of appeal.
A dark flush mount ii into Blackwood's
face. His hand made Is mechanical jour
ney TO his pocket.
''Only n littlo-a very little" she de-
mandcd.
I,lackwood's search brought to light ono
silver piece of 10 sous and half dozen
coppers. His sunkcn eyes blazed ut tho
girl, who was about TO possess herself OF
thcm.
"'rhat is oil have" he said harshly.
Anisctte hesitated, signing deeply. but
her eyes were rivetcd upon tho silver piece.
bring them back to you tomorrow, or, bot
ter still, this evening at ~
With a sudden, swift sweep her littlo
hand grasped the coin, and thon Anisette,
laughing like n child, threw him kiss
and fled.
Blackwood hurled the door to with his
foot. He glanced around tho room like
an animal, breathing heavily. His lips
moved into suppressed excavations against
her, against art, against tho whole ac-
cursed city.
Anisette ran out of the dark impnsse in
to tho Boulevard st. Michel. The streets
were crowded; ribbons of colored paper
fluttcred from tho windows and had caught
in the branches Of tho bare trees.
Pierrot with an artists beard caught her
and raincd n shower of confetti over her
head and shoulders. She snatchcd the bag
from his hand and peltcd him in return,
using her elbows to wedge her way through
tho crowd.
She invested her i'll gotten wealth reck-
lcssly In supply of colorod bags OF con-
fetti, which sho now proceeded to soil mt
exorbitant prices with n rafting accom-
paniment of sharp jests and questionable
compliments. y slim harlequin in black
and yellow satin slipped his arm about her
waist and they danced together down the
street. The Harlequin aided her sales ex-
acting even moro oxtravagant profits. He
became an adept in smashing bags OF con-
fctti in the faces of too afIcctionnto pur-
chasers, adding last touch of contempt
by tipping up Anisettes little face and
kissing her himself.
Harlequin was merry soul, and tho
droll bag with tho spangles began to weigh
with the copper, dropped into 1t. Anisette
invested in new supplies, drifting with the
motley crowd over the bridge OF st.
Michel, fighting her way to tho great
boulevards, where her little soul famed
with JOY, where sho and harlequin forgot
to make money and simply gave them.
selves to tho eSuberance of tho moment.
What gay, brilliant, fine thing 1t was to
be alive.
Anisette knew no exhaustion, but rs tho
lights sprang into the night she suddenly
paused in her rapacious and inoxhnustible
energy.
"V'la," she whispered to harlequin, ~
havo enough. 1 go. Amuso thyself, Co.
rinne. Thou art
She slipped her arm about tho neck Of
her friend and raised her face gratefully.
'For whom is 1t, all this?" said harle-
quin, rafting the spanglcd bag.
Anisette laughed and shrugged her
pun
who owes mo for ten poses. He paints me
as an angel. 1 am as much alive to him
as the Holy Mother TO n priest"
And l will be as much alive as the
Holy Mother il am not back in time to
make my good man his bowl of soup. Till
tomorrow, Anisette!'
It'll tomorrow Corinnel"
Anisottc slipped away into "a side street
Sho showered confetti as sho ran The
blood was flying through her veins and
singing in her dizzy little head. The air
o,Iioiil iio7 hot checks gratefully and she
found her breath rs she darted In and out
and around corners, through the circuitous
route she had chosen.
What would he say?" she thought that
strange, grave man, who starved and fell
into rage and was one moment in heaven
and the next in hell who gnawed his mus
tache and bit his lips and shook like
drunkard over his work, but who painted,
painted, painted. He would be great
man, without n doubt, or perhaps, re-
Elected Anisettc sagcly, no would die some
day with pistol holo In his head, like that
other poor George she had known with the
droll American name AT least for once
this door George would have dinner-as
much as she could carry.
Tho sky was studded with stars-twin-
king with enjoyment, thought Anisette-
the mir tingled with frosty radiance; the
moon had risen behind the bare light trees
of the Luxembourg gardens.
AS tho clock struck the half hour after
Z Anisette turned into the house where
Blackwood had his studio on the top floor.
The concierge had joined the jewellers, and
the small flicker of gas which usually en-
phasized the darkness was not yet lit.
Anisettc folt her way carefully. She had
her arms full. There was Il window on
one landing, and her shadow, laden with
bundles threw q long grotesQue blackness