The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-12

| TO her i'll tones that were n more suh.
tie music To her ear than any she had
ever heard. 1t was beneath pcyrac To
weigh life in the balance; he Scorncd
the idea that right and wrong should
enter into mans calculations.
AS to the girl, she was as unSophistI.
Gated in her comprehension of thr cmo.
tionS as the man was familiar and OK.
pcrlehccd. She only knew that She sang
tpeSe days as she never before had
sung and that she felt the need To sing
contihually. She called ii practicing
when she spoke of il, but il seemed
to her rs If II were really taking breath.
however Pcyrac was as powcrlcSs as
ever to effect the one wish of his heart:
she would not sit to him. one day he
studiously let fall some words about
his intended departure the following
week. He spoke to Llama alone. and
his face looked stolid.
The girls heart bounded. then stood
still. 1t was some seconds before she
relt 1t beat again. y reckless detcrmi.
nation took possession of her.
why are YOU going?" she said Her
voice was cold almost hard
Because I've nothing to paint here"
he answered curtly, nothing that suits
me, at least"
Would You stay if YOU could paint
me-"
"Yes."
"Thcn stay" she said in the same
dull tone.
He seized her hands like a man be-
hin,Snlf
them to drop kiss, he whispered the
one word, 'Darling"'
But to himself he said. "Famc and
fortune at the next SALON.
That night, after Anna had gone to
sleep, Llama slipped out of bed and
leaning her elbows on the sill of the
open window, she sat for Il long while
letting the cool air fan her brow. Her
ears were full of Pcyrac'S infectious
tones, her pulses still throbbed with
his mcsmcric touch. She reached over
to the dressing table and, taking up 4
crimson rose which she had placed
there In tiny vase, she kissed It pas
sionately. Pcyrac had given 1t to her,
and in this wise: His artistic eye had
not liked the magnolia flower which
she had carried about with her that
evening; the milky whitencsS had
brought out unpleasant i,ntS in her
smooth skin. "Thc crimson suits your
Castllan beauty better, scnorita," he
had said rs he handed her the rose
Poor, dear Inocenciow sighed Llama
demurely, recalling this little instance.
'He never found fault with me and
1,n -;
ture was upon her, and even while she
felt indignant and rcscntful for having
been forced to yield about the picture
there was strange sense of sweetness
In submission.
BY and by in the alternate light and
shadow of the trees down below a
small, red spark appeared, moving reg
ularly to and fro, but the foliage was
too thick for her to see it, 1t was Pey-
rac's cigar. He had just come out from
his studio, where he had been choosing
a canvas, placing it OH an easel and
arranging model stand preparatory
to the first sitting the next morning.
The appointment was for o o'clock
The early light was the best. "I'n give
her n half hours grace" he had said,
but punctually to the minute the han
die OF the door turned, and Llama was
on the threshold. He turned quickly
to greet her.
She stood framed I'm the dark cur
tanned doorway, her long dress caught
up round her In one hand, the other
resting slightly on the porticre. 1t was
an attitude Of grace and beauty, and
she looked upward at him with eyes
that were bewilderlng in their mani
fold lights. She looked at him appeal
iIgly as child innocently as n girl,
proudly as woman.
Dearest" he exclaimed could you
take that pose? Would it be too hard
for your
The gentle beauty OF that first word
own.
"Try me and see" she said, with a
soft exultation in her voice.
And when ut last the picture was fin
ished 1t was wonderful indeed. Even
those ignorant OF the art Of painting
could see that. Peyrac had decided
that his subject should be dressed I'm
queenly apparel. There were jewels
on the slender shoe, from which the
wind about the door was supposed to
blow the garments back q little, and
Jewels on her fingers and Mt her throat.
She was wrapped in rich cloak OF
rather coat OF strange cut, of that
dusky, rose sheen of which Tintorettc
alone seems to have mastered the vel
lowing tones, but which the brush here
had caught and rivcted. However, II
The child, the girl, the woman-tht
painter had put them all into the love
ly eyes that looked out at one from tn,
canvas.
When Peyrac had been working OF
the face, his movements had been lik
the dartings Of bird. He dabbed ant
mixed his colors, scarcely glancing n
them. The sitter could even hear tn
hurry In his breaths. In the quicl
glances from the canvas to her fac
and back again there was no sign o
aught except workman's concentra
tion on his task. He was flushed, O
course, and his eyes scintillated, Tor II
was realizing a long cherished dreal
in this glut Of form and color ecstGs.
But Llama did not know--how coul
sle?-what his emotion meant. TT
thing which 1t all implied to her we
warming and swelling her heart da
by day with a sweet, subtle JOY.
And 30 things might have gone on Il
de1qitely but for letter which Peyrt
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