The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-12-19
THE SIXTH BENCH.
BY ROBERT BARR.

that state of things exists anything may
happen. The occurrence may be COM
monplace, comic, or tragic, depending on
the temperament and experience of the
woman. In this instance the result was
merely an appointment both of
them kept. Hector McLane came to
Paris with noble resolutions, theory Of
colW and a small allowance. Paris
played havoc with all of these. He was
engaged to a nice girl at home, who be-
lieved him destined to become great
painter; delusion which McLane
shared. He entered with great zest into
the life of a Partisan art student, but
somehow the experience did not equal his
anticipations. What he had read in
books-poetry and prose-had thrown a
halo around the Latin quarter, and he
was therefore disappointed in finding the
halo missing. The romance was sord;d
and mercenary, and after a few months
of it he yearned for something better.
In Paris you may have nearly every.
thing-except the something better. 1T
exists, of course, but it rarely falls in
the way of the usually impecunious art
student. Yet it happened that, as luck
was not against the young man, he
found it when he abandoned the search
for it..
NlcLane's theory was that art had be-
come too sombre. The world was run
ming overmuch after the subdued in colcr.
He wanted to be able to paint things as
they are, and was not to be deferred if
his pictures were called gaudy. He OBJ
tanned permission to set up his easel in
the Church of Notre Dame, and in the
dim light there he endeavored to place
on canvas some semblance of the splen-
dor Of color that came through the huge
rose window high above him. He was
discouraged to see how Opaque the colors
in the canvas were as compared with the
translucent hues OF the great window.
As he leaned back with sigh of defeat,
his wandering eyes met, for one brief in
slant, something more beautiful than the
stained glass, as the handiwork of God
must be more beautiful than the llandi-
work of man. The ficeting glimpse was
of pair of dark limpid eyes, which,
meeting his, were instantly yelled, and
then he had a longer view OF the sweet
face they belonged to. 1t was evident
that the young girl had been admirine
his work, which was more than he could
hope to have the professor at Julien;s do.
Lack of assurance was never consit.
cred, even by his dearest friends, to- be
among McLane's faiIings. He rose from
bis painting stool, bowed, and asked her
if she would not sit down for moment;
she could see he-the-painting so much
better. The girl did not answer, but
turned a frightened look upon him, and
fled unlcr the wings of her kneelins
ducnna, who had not yet finished her
dcvotions 1t was evident that the
prayers CT the girl had been briefer than
those of the old woman in whose charge
she was. Where the need is greatest the
prayer is often the shortest. McI-ane
had one more transitory glimpse of those
dark eyes as he held open the swinging
door. The unconscious woman and the
conscious girl passed out of the church.
This was how it began.
The painting Of the colored window Of
Notre Dame now occupied almost all the
time at the disposal of Hector McLanc
No great work is ever accomplished
without unwearied perseverance. It was
remarkable that the realization of this
truth came upon him just after he had
definitely made up his mind to abandon
the task. Before he allowed the swing
ing door to close he had resolved to pur.
sue his study in color. It thus hap
pened, incidentally, that he saw the
young girl again and again. always at
the same hour, and always with the same
companion. Once he succeeded, unno
ticed by the elder, in slipping note into
her hand, which he was pleased and fiat
tered to see she retained and concealed.
Another day he had the Joy of having a
few whispered words with her in the dim
shadow OF one of the gigantic pillars.
After that, progress was comparatively
easy.
Her name was Yvette, he learned, and
he was amused to find with what expert
dexterity perfectly guileless and inno-
cent little creature such as she was man.
aged to elude the vigilance of the aged
and experienced woman who had her in
charge. The stolen interviews usually
took place in the little park behind Notre
Dame. There they sat on the bench fac
ing the fountain or walked up and down,
On the crunching gravel under the trees.
In the afternoons they walked in the
secluded part of the park, in the shadow
of the great church. 1t was her custom
to send him dainty little notes telling
him when she expected to be in the park,
giving the number of the bench, for
sometimes the duenna could not he
eluded, and was seated there with
Yvette. On these occasions McLane had
to content himself with gazing from affair."
She was so much in earnest that the
particular emotion which occupied the
place of conscience in McLane:s being
was trouble. He thought of the nice girl
at home, and fervently hoped nothing
of this would reach her ears No matter
how careful a man is chance sometimes
plays him scurvy trick. McLane re-
membered Instances, and regretted the
world was SO small. Sometimes cry of
recognition from one on the pavement
to eomrade in the park, shouted
through the iron ratings, sent q shivcr
through Sic1ane. Art students had an