El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-23
SAD STORY.
Suicide of the Queen of Artists Mo-
deIS.

| Gertrude Stockton known rs Gn
queen of artists models, committed su
eide by'drowning last Saturday.
She was spending the summer In o
tend with an American lady Mrs. Stocl
bridge, who was much interested in hel
Last Saturday she went sailing with
native mariner who always accomps
MED her on such excursions at sea
They failed to return at night. Th
next day the bodies were washe
ashore at Middlekerke, small bath
ing station about six miles south OF o.
tend.
Gertrude Stockton was one of tn
most beautiful women that lived. He
mother, who came from good famil.
of Kentucky, married at sixteen. 1
prosperous cotton broker of New Or
leans. The father and mother did no
agree very long. After few months
| Mr.. Stockton went to raise cattle IL
Dakota.
| Mrs. Stockton was barely eighteen
mere child. Disowned by her he1
father. to whom she tried to return
| leans.
There she boldly faced society and
cast of all restraint or scruples. One
day her husband, who had then estab-
lished himself comfortably in Mexico,
went back to New Orleans To settle his
affairs. Among the first people he met
on Canal street was his wife, prettier
than ever. The same evening husband
aud wife were speeding together on the
Sunset Limited toward the new home
in Mexico. Down in Mexico there WAS
q new honeymoon for the Stocktons. 1t
seems to have lasted just so long as the
young woman did not know enough
Spanish to understand what the caba-
leros were driving at The first decla-
ration Of love she was able to pene-
trate emanated from a toreador.
The toreador without difficulty took
Mrs. Stockton on q personally conduct
ed tour of Spain, in which country he
was due to fill series of bull stabbing
engagements.
Little Gertrude this time had been
left behind fortunately Mr.. Stockton
had grown very fond of her. She was
his only consolation. He gave her the
finest education the Mexican capital
could provide, and surrounded her with
every comfort as long as he lived.
When he died, six years ago, he made
Gertrude the sole heiress of all he pos
sessed.
The news that she was widow
came to the capricious daughter of the
Blue Grass region at q time when she
was having an unusual streak of hard
luck. this time in New York. She was
getting Infinitely tired of always won
dering where the next thousand dol
lars was going to come from. So she
decided to be dear, loving mother to
the poor, suddenly bereft Gertrude
who now had all the money. The
widow went south. She joined her
daughter and took her to Europe. To
Mrs.. Stockton this first year of Europe
was a long, intoxicating whirl of
pleasure; to her daughter long, pain |
full revelation. From day to day her
position at the side of this more than
open hearted mother of hers was be-
coming more untenable.
AT AK Les Baines the party was in
7ited out of the best hotels because
Lord Onslow made himself too conspi-
,uous in devotion of Mrs. Stockton.
Intimate frieuds of Gertrude Stock
on alone knew what she suffered. At
asst she despaired of ever rescuipg her
mother from that whirlpool of dubious
pleasure, and they parted, the daughter
yOing to live quietly with an ola chape-
ON in a little house in the enchanting
of Florence.
1t was in Italy that the romance of
Ter life, the romance which ended the
'ther day in Belgium, was waiting for
Ter.
Much like Marguerite when wsylaid
l
young stranger one morning
- she was coming out of church, with
he laxative Italian crowd all about
Ter in the square, and the marry peal
ng of Sunday bells in the air.
For weeks this man, FrencEm man,
her from afar, though he
lever ventured to speak, Summer
ame-this means the summer of two
ears ago, Mics Stockton and her old
n vi al |
i Tuscany, the lake region of South
I'm Switzerland. On the steamer
rom Como to Colico they net the
anne young officer with the steel blue
yes and the blond mus:ache. At his
vclamation of delighted surprise
Gertrude could not refrain from q
mile of recognition. After that he
Guild not be turned away very easily;
nd then. somehow, his appearance
7as pleasing and in Florence he had
zen bold at once and tactful.
All this refers to Lieut.. Raoul de
'erneuil, then the French hero of the
our, just back from some brilliant
a mpaining in Madagascar l.
In the fall cards announcing the mar
lage OF the handsome military hero, {
saoul de Verneuil, with the famously ,
eautiful daughter of Mrs. Stockton
he too-well-known American widow, Ii
'aris. ,
Soon sfterward the lieutenant was t
to colonial duty in Algiers, I
nd that was the last heard of the we'd
ing. 6
During the last two years some radi-
al changes had taken place in Miss q
tockton 3 financial situation. By some .
leans or other, and without much I
-ouble, it may be imagined, the f
lother had appropriated all that bad
cen left by her husband. t
Then it was that Puvis de Chavan- {
es, who had met and admired Miss q
tockton, with the artists enthusiasm, /
ut an end to Gertrude's martyrdom Z