New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-03

know exactly how she came by IL Perhaps II
was her eyes. which were OF a cerulean hue and
lit with happiness and sunshine-or SO they
often seemed to be. Perhaps ii was the oiue
ribbon, matched to a shade with the tint OF her
eyes. which she wore at her throat Perhaps It
was even play upon words. Jeu desprlt'
Hkening her to the kilograms which arrive ar
odd and unexpected moments Who knOws2
OF all the models who came to the studio
none was more popular petted than P'tite
Bleue She was so ethereal-in a word so
petite. For nymphs and young girl studies
there was none better For the Venuses and
Junos. or even the mondaines. one had TO fy to
the less refined charms OF Suzanne or Louise or
Marthe.
No one knew exactly whence P'tte Bleue
had come. One morning a Saturday in June.
hot and oppressive as though q thunderstorm
brooded over Mont Valerien to descend on Paris
at shutdown. the maitre brought her into the
studio. She was shy with that exquisite shy
ness which should never leave a woman when
having dealings with unknown men-the tia1d-
ity which, alas. so often evaporates in the at
mosphere Of the studio and life class. but which
happily, never left P'tite Bleue.
The maitre. if he troubled himself upon the
point; the massier and the rest of US often Won
dered how it was that P'tite Bleue unless she
came Of a model stock. could pose as she did
from the very first But upon this point she was
silent If over a cafe nOir a, the Taverne du
Pantheon when money was less scarce than
usual or at the Cafe des Lilas when funds
were low. we asked her, she would laugh lightly
and say with sometimes a strange. faraway
look in her blue eyes: "Ah. yes; I pose well be-
cause love It Voilar'
Pstite Bleue was just the same TO Us all till
Paul Angler came to the school It was always
Bon Jour Tsieu Antoine Bon jour. Msieu
Edouard," or "Au revoir. ATsieu McPhatL" as
the case might be and little or nothing more
But with the coming OF Paul Angler. who was
/ speedily nicknamed 'BTsieu AdoniS" but not
contemptuously, everything seemed changed
II became apparent to most OF Us that some
thing had crept into P'tite Bleue's life which
/ had not existed in it before. Soon It was seen
/ that She as it were. posed for Angler Not that
l she either neglected her work OF had lost inter
/ est in it: but when posing. her eyes sought his
figure in the circle OF workers before her. rather
than travelled. as had been their wont. over
1 each Of US In turn with mild interest or Curios-
ity.
'1rhe little god has been at work with P'tita
/ Bleue" said LOrin Chivers. who came from
/ New-York; and he was right
/ This strange little god IS always busy In the
| Quarter. always waylaying the hearts or stu
/ dents and their amies along the BOuf Niche
Formerly, P'tite Bleue. after the pose. was
/ soon ready TO wend her way down the steep
| ana narrow stairs. and across the pebbled court
yard out into the Rue de Ia Grande Chau1niere.
and away along the Boulevard 70 her little aP-
nartement In the Rue Nicolst: sometimes she
/ would pause TO speak word with the uasster.
| who generally emerged from his den on seeing
/ her. or. perhaps she would stand and put a
| finishing touch to the hang Of her veil or pose
| OF her todue before the somewhat inefficient
mirror Afforded by the glass door Now sns
fingered over her toilet after posing. and went
away reluctantly.
Before Angler came. she had seldom waited
for arv OF US IF any one wanted to take P-tire
Pleue 10 lunch at lie Chat Blanc or to hear
1 the music in the Luxembourg Gardens, he had
70 clean I'd suartly and hasten after her Now
va often found her outside the dingy portal near
the doorway OF the little laundry, watting'-ror
Angler.
We used to shake our heads. for this sort OF
| thing was quite new phase OF P'ttts Bleue
| and upset our analysis OF her character com
pletely.
| paul Angler. whose dark eyes contrasted 50
with her own, and whose brown beard was
/ trimmed with such nicely that even woman
/ who hated such things might have forgiven
/ bir, fts possession worked hard during the
ssancs. cleaned up in a Ieisurey manner. usual
/ ~ resumed his coat deliberately. ana went
| away down the stairs almost last OF al De-
/ cause he knew P'tite Bleue would be waiting,
/ and into her cheeks would come a wild rose
hued hush at the sight OF him
/ At first some OF Us felt iealous-not that va
/ dislixed Angler, but because P'tite Bleue had
hitherto belonged TO al OF U.s. had accepted IN
/ vitations TO luncheon TO dinner or to Butler on
/ Thursday or Sunday nights with truly royal
/ and unspeciaIized graciousness- Now she sim
py vanished with Angler. A small, dainty figure.
] dressed with the inexpensive grace and chic OF
| the Quarter Where they went for some weeks
/ none OF Us discovered. At first his entry at
/ the school Angler had freQuentsd lie Chat
/ Blanc. the upper room o. which, overlooking
/ an Ill paved street. is still the resort OF many
/ kindred souls. But after he and P'ttrs Bleue
/ had fallen victims TO the little god, whose bust
ness is said 10 be briskest in the fair sprtngtime
1 he no longer came there
! Sonetimes-we suspected it was when An
gier's funds ran low, and there are few who
work and live in the Quarter with whom this
/ never happens-Ptite BIeue would come TO
/ take luncheon with one or the other OF Us. and
( be gay and bright and repay US by her wit and
/ naive criticisms OF the pictures on the easels
/ al CoIarossis with all the time reserve OF
\ something which we suspected she kept for An
/ gier alone.
AT length we discovered their dining place
/ quite by accident
! It was a little restaurant IN a narrow street
/ to the westward OF the Odeon-a place where
/ two could dine at the price OF one Some OF Us
/ went there once or twice. but both P'tite Bleue
/ and Angler were so evidently distressed by our
/ intrusion that we left them alone to play out
their little idyIl destined TO end in tragedy amid