The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-08

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able sorrow of the lovely. perfect mouth.
As I stood gazing AZ the yisitant, | be-
came aware that Bernard Green had fall
en- DC his knees: for my own part, terror
stricken though l was. I could not move
nor take my eyes from that face. She
spoke at last: her voice was rich, and
deep, and Infinitely tender: but its tones
were the most patheticAily weary / have
ever heard.
Your prayer has been heard o painter
first among the sons OF men 10 know me as
I am--to grasp, as nearly as human under
standing may. some thought OF what arm
and why I am Your souFs desire shall
have fuIfiIlment--once, and once only"
She paused. and looked for moment in
silence az the man who knelt before her.
And them"
He did not speak: he bowed his head.
and let his clasped hands fall between his
knees.
My aid Is yours-yours must be mine.
II has been said. IL may find one human
soul that-au unsought-shall elect to go
down the aeons with me. shall cast away
all higher things even as once cast them
away, shall cling to me. seeking nothing
higher. and understanding my need, that
soul shall be truly mine. beyond hope Of
redemption. even as i am beyond IL. Are
you contsnt?''
The man glanced up once. and then
bowed his head again. In a whisper /
caught the words: II am content"
No other word was spoken; the fire died
and feb, with little rattle of ashes, upon
the hearth. the wind shrieked outside. and
tore madiy at the windows. And the fig
TIRE was gone. The room was in total
darkness: there was no sound other than
the bowling of the wind, save the ticking
OF the little clock upon the mantelshef.
Shaking from head TO foot, stumbled to
the door and threw II open. The light that
streamed in from the landing outside
showed Bernard, lying prone upon his
face. quite still.
/ got light and raised him up. and
sprinklsd water on his face, and he grad
uaily recovered. For a long time, while
he sat in his chair. gripping its wooden
arms tightly, and staring straight at me,
neither Of Us spoka At last 1 tried to
laugh. but the laugh would not come.
What trick have you sprung upon me-?
What mesmeric business is this?" / said.
In a voice I tried vainiy to steady.
You doubling foolT' he breathed, scorn-
fully. You saw and heard everything;
you KNOWN your heart you know, and
yet you caE say that? How like the
i snail conquer; shall stand out beyond
all men-once. and once only. But that is
enough. And after that" He raised
his eyes. and smiled.
] left him presently and crept down.
stairs to my own rooms, doubling, and yet
believing: perplexed by thousand shad-
owy fears. All my world seemed to have
changed since 1 had looked on that face
and heard that voice. l scarce dared to
think; scarce dared to sleep. That great
err understanding that had come to me
seemed TO weigh me down: / had never
felt my little life so insignificant before.
Thereafter ] saw but little OF Bernard
Green. He was more strange and pre-
occupied than ever: he worked incessant-
ly. worked all day till the light failed In
the late afternoon; and he worked with
the door OF his studio locked. In answer
TO my questioning he merely told me, with
quiet smile OF triumph, that he had COM
menced new picture: ] should see II
completed AT night often heard him
pacing up and down his room, with I'M
even tread, hour after hour. He grew
thin. haggard and worn. But he never
faltered. he never rested, and in all his
strange. warped life. had never seen
such look of happiness as dwelt in his
eyes and strengthened day by day.
He came to my room one afternoon and
told me, In Il low voice. that the picture
was finished; then, without further word.
he walked out again. and / followed him
silently. with a curious quickening of my
pulses as went upstairs Inside the roorn.
he flung back the covering from the can
vas and stood aside. looking at me with
that strange smile had seen so often dur
Ing that later time. am not an emotional
man: have even been told that am en-
inently practical. Yet I remember gazing
| at the canvas with sudden, quick sob In
my throat, j remember covering my eyes
fer m oment with my hands and shud-
! dering before looked again.
All the world knows that picture now:
earnest and ambitious men have stood be-
fore II, and sighed I'm utter hopelessness of
1 ever attaining it's level. or even OF reach
/ Ing any adjacent plane. 1t was called
/ Tbs Fallen Angel" Only Bernard and
! Knew that the face was the face of the
| vision. But the awful beauty of that face
/ the majestic tragedy OF centuries OF lone
~ sorrow. the WEAKNESS so far above the
! earthly~an these had been caught by the
painter. and gioNed from the canvas. /;
! was more than llfeliks; IL was stronger and
I greater than life Itself. | turned away
/ at last with A white face, walked across
! To the window. and stood there looking out
/ ana vaguely trembling. When l turned
I ne mad covered the picture: he asked nc
praise OF mne--it was beyond all praise
! The picsur~ Wa exhibited that year. I,
! set The artistic world ahlazs II flung Rer.
nard Gr@en Into the very forefront. and
/ placed him on a pinnacle apart from the
others. Ien asked where this woudror.
! magician OF the brush had bean hiding
+ the man Only smiled and waited. &c
not Know what thoughts were Il, his mind
( az That time. for my own part. | dared
10; think. Over and over again the
words we had heard that night IN htg r,,n,,,
same pack 10 me. suFgiag in upon me re.
ientlesSly. hooking saner thought.
/ That soul shall toe truly mine. bevond
/ nope or redemption, even as / am beyeud
IL" ''
! IN the Hush of his success. II happened
( one evening that We again sat together ia
/ his studio. ] remember thar /, was cen
( evening In summer. an evening almost
I MINDLESS, Il was LAKE. and the room wei
/ NsEh IN darkness, at one side Of IL in
+ sharp outline. stood the empty easel had
StriVeH, tn my weak. hesitatins fazhlo,, -
/ forSet that there WAS the possibility ~
I strange happenings, I mad forced ulvsal,
/ % the remembrance that we We're in tha
J closing years 81 the prosaic nineteenth zen.
j fury Suddenly, = Wind seemed n burst on
+ the house dashing through the omen wln.
doWs. catching me long curtains ard
{ ~airsing them, hUtteriny. ghos,-;tke
/ against The ceiling, Bernard started mn
aud waved me back with nervous hand
/ iTemo''Esly l feli back within the shadow
( - 'as wan sax MS profile. ;hin. eager
/ hakgAT1 o'itA5ed against the window.
In asl iastant the figure WAS again with.
IN ,se :oonl--s,anafng on the spo; " lere !,
/ hsd stood before. Baj j, came In no som,
her galse or gTSy sestmeu;s now. Il
Z stood crest, triumphant in i eoadrsas
/ roae - dead. heavy kost -olo--a robe thai
+ outlined the splendid woruanly figure and
! seemed pa@t e the atmosphere that en-,
/ Neicped Il The haunting. musical tender.
ness 81 'ne voice taat was like no e2rtaly