The Opelousas courier., 1896-09-12
returning across the park from a

returning across the park from
study of the chalk'pits. His curiosity
having been fred by Persons account
of the new arrival, he turned aside
with the idea of discussing. n~octurna
art.
Mr.. Watkins was apparently I'M
aware of his approach. A friendly
conversation with Lady Hammer
ponds butler had just terminated, and
that individual, surrounded by the
threN pet dogs which it was his duty
to take for an airing after dinner had
been served, was receding in the dis
lance. Mr.. Watkins was mixing color
with an air OF great industry. SAINT,
approaching more nearly, was sur
prised to see the color in question
was as harsh and brilliant an emerald
green as it is possible to imagine.
Having cultivated an extreme sensi'
bility to color from his earlier years,
he drew the air in sharply between
his teeth at the very first glimpse OF
this brew. Mr.. Watkins turned
round. He looked annoyed.
"What on earth are you going to
do with that beastly green?'' said
SAINT.
Mr.. Watkins realized that his zeal
to appear busy in the eyes Of the but
Ter had evidently betrayed him into
some technical error. He looked at
SAINT and hesitated.
pardon my rudeness," said SAINT
"but really, that green is altogether
too amazing. 1t came as a shock.
What do youdnean to do with it,"
Mr.. Watkins a. collecting his re-
sources. Nothing could save the sit
uatlon but decision. "If you come
here i~nterrupting my work." he said,
"Im~a-goin' to paint your face with
it,"
SAINT retired, for he was a peaceful
man.
Twilight deepened, first one, then
another star appeared. The rocks
amid the tall trees to the left of the
house had long since lapsed into
slumbrous silence, the house itself lost
all the details of its architecture and
became q dark-gray outline, and then
the windows of the salon shope out
brilliantly, the conservatory was
lighted up, and here and there a bed
room window burnt yellow. Had any
one approached the easel in the park,
it would have been found deserted.
One brief, uncivil word in brilliant
green sullied the purity of its canvas.
Mr.. Watkins was busy in the shrub
berry with his assistant, who had dis
creetly Joined him from the carriage
drive.
MI. Watkins was inclined to be self
congratulatory upon the ingenious
device by which he had carried all his
apparatus boldly, and in the sight of
all men, right up to the scene of opera
tions. "That's the dressing-room,"
he said to his assistant, "and. as soon
as the maid takes the candle away and
goes down to supper, we'll coll in.
My how nice the house do look, to
be sure, against the starlight, and with
all its windows and lights! Swopme,
Jim, j almost wish I was a painter
chap. Have you fixed that there wire
across the path from the laundry?"
He cautiously approached the house
until he stood below the dressing
o. window, and began to put to-
gether his folding ladder. He was
much too experienced a practitioner to
feel any unusual excitement. Jim was
accommodating the smoking.room.
Suddenly, close beside MI. Watkins in
the bushes, there was a violent crash
and a stifed curse. Some one had
tumbled over the wire which his assist
ant had just arranged. He heard feet
running onthe gravel pathway beyond,
Mr.. Watkins, like all true artists, was
a %siIgularly shy man, and he incon-
tinently d. pped his folding ladder
and beJan running circumspectly
through the shrubbery. He was in
distinctly aware. of two people hot
upon his heels, and he fancied that he
distinguished the outline OF his assist
ant in front of him. In another mo-
ment he had vaulted the low stone wall
bounding the shrubbery, and was in
the open park. Two thuds on the turf
followed mis- own leap.
It was a close chase in the darkness
through the trees. Mr.. Watkins Was
q loosely built man and in good train
ing. and he gained hand-oyer-hand
upon the hoarsely painting figure in
front. Neither spoke, but. as Mr..
Watkins pulled up alongside, @ qualm
of awful doubt came over him. The
other man turned his headaat the same
moment and gave an exclamation of
surprise. otis not Jim," thought
Mr.. Watkins, and simultaneously the
stranger flung himself, as it we're, at
Watkins's knees, and they were forth.
with graphing onthe ground together.
"Lend q band, Bill" cried the
stranger, as the third man came up.
And Bill did-two hands, in fact, and
some a~ccentuated feet. The fourth
man, presumably Jim, had apparently
turned aside and made off into a diff
ferent direction. At any rate, b. did
not join the trio.
Mr.. Watkins's memory of the incl
dents of the next two minutes IS ex-
tremely vague. He has a dim recol-
lection Of having his thumb in the cor.
her of the mouth OF tue first man, and
feeling anxious about its safety, and
for some seconds at least he held the
head OF the gentleman answering to
the name ofBiIl to the ground by the
hair. He was also kicked in a great
number different places, apparently by
ID vast multitude of people. Then the
gentleman who was not Bill got his
knee below Mr.. Watkins's diaphragm
and tried to cur! him up upon it.