Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-05


you crossed the seas to lay flower on
old General Odette's grave?"
"Was he in your regiment?"
"a more jealous Confederate, exclaim-
ed Wendell "neyer faced Union bayonet
than Odette."
The world was young when first | met
Wendell. He was then the handsomest
man in the Latin quarter. AS a drum
mer boy he had enlisted, and at the close
of the war his father set him up in sta
tionery shop in New England.
But the scribbler's S madness rioted in his
veins, together with love of adventure
that makes him, even at So, one of the
most attractive and refreshing of men. A
many sided fellow was Wendell, with a
"good disposition as the ateliers have 1t,
of no common order Like his compan-
ions, he had no money, no expectations,
yet he had not been six months at the
Beaux Arts before he possessed what the
cleverest of us could not hope to achieve
for many a year-a cozy little apartment
in the keeping of the best and loveliest of
wives
To this day Marcella Wendell rests in
my memory as the most beautiful of wom-
en-. To us lonely, often heartsick, Ameri-
can lads an evening at Wendell's had the
tonic effect of letter from home.
The Wendells were always on the wing.
He, restless fellow, had way of putting
girdle around the earth with less of the
golden fleece in hand or in prospect than
any ordinary son of Adam finds indispen-
sable for days outing.
1t was many years since had seen or
heard of them beyond an occasional
glimpse of his signature in magazine,
on book cover or on n copyrighted pho
tograph of q salon picture. But today q
parade had brought me to my studio win
dow Just opposite my eye caught rib
bon of the Legion of Honor coquettng with
a g. A. r. button in the lapel of a coat
whose wearer seemed familiar Before
had much time for conjecture Wendell was
in my studio.
"And Mrs Wendell?' 1 said. GAS
beautiful as ever?"
"Graham," /" he said at length, "Marcella
has passed away"
And the babies?"
"They are with her. All, all the old
life is beyond the stars. This is how it
came about" he said. "It was lonely,
insufferably lonely, after Marcella went
home. 1t seemed as if l should go mad.
No spot, however seductive to pen and
brush, could hold me over a day. A pur-
| suing spirit ever whispered, Move onp
until tho Queen of the Adriatic caught me-
| "Brownings funeral barge was floating
out to sea bearing the empty temple OF
| the poet to it's long home in Westminster
| abbey.
=" 'Oh, for picture! My fortune would
be made!' cried voice from a gondola
that drifted at my side.
Why, Miss Odette'
Why, Mr.. Wendell!'
| "a Whit from the mountains, breeze
from the ocean at midsummer, was Emily
Odette. She was corresponding for Amer
lean papers, and with the instinct of the
newsgatherer saw scoop to stir vet
eran. We lost no time in uniting ouI
forces and succeeded in stealing march
on the European press. 1t was 20 years
since I had been in America. In April
Emily sailed. followed in the next
steamer. Twas at Baltimore before Emily
had time to pave the way for my advances
to the general. Of all devoted southerners
in war or peace, commend me to Odette.
He was as brusque, as cutting, as No
vember gale off Newfoundland.
"sSir, do YOU know what you askY he
demanded with fire in his eye and grace
in his pose, despite battered limb. Con
cealed, but within hehriilg, was Emily.
do you know what you ask| he re
neated. 'The truest. brayest little woman
that ever trod Gods earth-an Odette, sir
every inch of her.
you say you are painter. What il
it to me if you daub the pyramids, out
Raphael Raphael and give Michael An
cello a thrust in tho side? And write
booksp Books be hanged! There are toe
many books in the world
THE question is, sir, are you man
clean to the core? That's what an Odettt
demands of suitor to whose keeping hi
gives the life of q daughter of his house
"In q moment Emily was at his side
II was a passing of an April shower.
"sI have no doubt, my dear said th,
general. with the cooling tenderness of
wood pigeon, that all he says, all you say
is true, but YOU will have to wait unit
| write to INV friends in Paris. 1 mus
have more than lovers rhetoric before
uart with all possess
meanwhile, pending the Paris mail
the general introduced me at MS CluD.
was feted. wined and dined. The Odette
were rich in friends. was progressing
rapidly in the old mans favor when un
luckily I surprised him one evening ii
pain.
'It's that accursed mimic ballp h,
proaned. Some blasted northerner's shot
To think that I should be in the thickes
of 80 battles and come off without scratcI
until I ran into that flying squad of Mas
sacbusetts volunteers!
"a table was drawn up, and soon tn,
scene Of his wound was hastily mappe,
out for me- Decanters represented tn
Confederates. wine glasses the Uniol
forces. while a tankard was the genera
mounted on his faithful Winnie.
we had fought all night and marched