The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-05-13
is THE FACE

SAO SAopCs ~ E
The rush Of visitors made little diff
ference to Paul Rizeni, the wood cary
er, except that it brought him now and
again a private order.
One day a stranger passed the little
workshop and was attracted by a large,
unfinished panel that leaned against
the side Of the window. and, glancing
at the workmanship, he noticed the
worker within.
Paul lifted his head and met the gaz-
er's eyes, and the stranger smiled and
hurried On. But after that he passed
the corner constantly, and Paul got
to look for his honest, CHEEKY face and
Kind blue eyes. He vas an old MAJ
and English. every bit of him.
At last N day he knocked at the
low door, and Paul admitted him.
"Could you execute a little order for
me?" he asked. ." want to surprise
my little granddaughter with one of
your beautiful crucifixes."
"Certainly," Paul answered. "It will
give me great pleasure, but I am very
busy, and you must allow me some
time"
II want it for an Easter gift"
Paul calculated. Yes, I think l can
let you have it,"
II am hindering you. 1 fear" the old
man said, but l have peeped at your
work so often through the window,
and that was so unsatisfactory. You
are a great a~rtist..'
do you find me SOP he said in his
foreign way. ''That panel will sell for
4 francs, and shall get /. Great art
lists are paid better than that, signor!!'
"Why don't you demand Il just val
ue?"
"Oh, why should l care? If they
gave me 1000 francs it would be the
same-I should only work on and on.
Aye, signor, I love my art! Do you
know, the petal of that ROSE took me
one whole week to bring to perfec-
tion?'
II can imagine it. 1t is superb! But
I like your faces best. Those angels
on that shield
"Ah, but they do not satisfy me. My
angels face l have not attempted vet,
but l have seen it.. l go to benediction
at st. Marks every night to watch it
and carve it on my soul, and one day
l shall produce it."
The old man took his departure, but
he came again and again, making each
time some excuse to speak about the
crucitix, and gradually he won Paul's
confidence, and the carver told him his
story.
He belonged by birth to the old Ital-
ian aristocracy, but his boyhood had
been passed in troublous times, and
his family had had to fly from the
country. Gradually he had worked his
way back to his native Italy, the seat
of all art and beauty, and there he had
settled down to his life's dreams.
That night in st. Marks at benedic-
ton, when he knelt gazing at his an
gels face, a sudden warm glow stole
through his frame. His angel had
turned her face and met his eyes, and
she had flushed with emotion, and he
realized it "a the loneliness Of a liv-
ing woman; NO ethereal spirit, as he
had almost grown to believe.
His old friend wondered at his
change, and at last Paul told him.
II am in love-" he cried restlessly,
"and 1 must-I will possess her"
"But, my friend, l thought
Eyes, that is true. l only see her in
church. We have never spoken"
"Most wonderful the old nan NUT
tered to himself as he walked home.
"But l wish it hadn't happened. IL
have been so slow. l ought to have
brought him to see Ellean before. Now
1t Is too late. All, and they were so
suited-both SO pure, SO beautiful, SO
idealic."
Grandpa" Ellean said to him one
evening-it was Easter eve-sitting at
his feet in her white gown and resting
her beautiful arm across his knees,
grandpa, l want to confess to you. l
am in love-"
"Eh? Eth? What's this?"
"Nothing, dear, for it is nothing! It
II only a face-a face that haunts me
night and day-that-that-oh, you
cannot understand, but my soul goes
out to that facet!
"A gentleman to see you, sir. l have
asked him into the salon. A foreigner,
I think, sir-Signor Ritz-Ritz"- {.
II know. That will do. Excuse me
a minute, my dear" :
Paul was standing at his full height
gazing into the fire, and the red glow
lit up his distinguished features, and
the old man, looking upon him, realized
what a splendid man he was, and he
wished Eilean could have seen him
thus.
"How kind of you to bring the cruel
fix yourself, my dear friend. l see you
have it."
With a cry of wonder, delight and
Gmazement he seized it in his hands
and touched the angels face that stood
out at the top Of the cross.
1T is Ellean" Then, recovering him
self he Crashed the artists hand sT