The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-14

his attention. There was something
in the despairing attitude that made
him pause; even in Paris, the home OF
waits and fallen humanity, there
could not be many like this.
And as he hesitated, the girl had
raised ner head, and the sickly light
from one of the lamps had fallen on
her face. In an instant Emile Blisson
know that his search was ended, that
here was his Outcast, the model OF al
others for whose coming he had
patiently waited. He had engaged her
to sit for MIN. and for the last two
months she had regularly attended at
his handsome studio in the Rue HauS-
mann He worked rapidly, and already
though not more than half finished,
the figure on the canvas gave promise
of extraordinary power and intensity
The face was little more than a bare
sketch at present, but every line OF
the dim shadowy form which lOOmed
out from a background of mist and
darkness suggested the extremes OF
want and despair. He was not man
to be carried away by enthusiasm, OF
to over-rate the value of his own work,
but he knew that when The Outcast
was finished it would entitle him to
place among the greatest artists IN
history AS the foremost portrait
painter in Paris, he had amassed q
fortune, and all he craved for now
was That this picture. into Whlcn ne
put his whole heart and soul, should
proclaim him to the world a genius.
On this grey afternoon he worked
steadily for some time. glancing from
the pitiful f.ure before him to its
counterpart on the canvas, and back
again He had turned away for min
ute. when a stified moan from the glIl
made him look up. She mad tainted,
and was huddled, a miserable heap, on
the platform on which she had spent
hours of agonized torture. The man
frowned-the light was failing, ana II
some brandy he poured a little down
her throat. noticing for the first time
that she was wet through. Onder the
influence of the spirit she quickly re-
vived and, with a murmured apology
for her wea kness feebly took her place
on the stool He did not speak, not
even to ask if she felt better, put TOOK
M his brushes and continued WORKING
where ne had left off. At last he stood
back with a sigh. and, laying down
his brushes, looked long and earnestly
at the picture a.,
s.That will do" he said shortly, the
light has gone, you he "i Tepeated: to
morrow at this time, and take care
you are not late.
This time she understood, ana rising
walked stif7y across to the door. The
man did not even bid her good-day,
but was STOPPING oyer his colors, re-
placing them in the box she Waileu
until he had closed the lid, and then
attracted
He He faced e. her impatiently. 81
thought you had gone; what is It =,
She hesitated a minute Wui
m 'sieu advance me a rev francs NY
rent is owing: they will not let me
back unless I pay" There was no
eagerness in her voice, she seemed TOO
weak and i'll to care much Whether
s'they'' refused to receive her or not
ssT7bis is the second time he said,
brusquely. Il told you before Woulu
not. 1t is not good to borrow.
She did not ask him again, but gave
one appealing glance round the stu
do with it's many signs OF luxury,
opened the door and closed 1t sottly
after her The servant was waiting
outside and conducted her down the
stairs through the hall, ana out INTO
the wind and rain
After the girl left Blisson drew his
chair to the fire and Surred the AosS
into a blaze. He did not feel partc-
ularIy happy at the way in which he
had treated his model, but then he re-
Elected that his harshness was fully
justified in the cause OF art he was
not a hard man by nature, but ne was
selfish both for himself and for the
profession which he almost wor-
shipped. Surprising that he had treat
ed the girl well, paid her nigh wages,
and provided her with the comforts
she so sorely needed. what would have
been the result? She would have lost
her starved and hunted look, the color
would have come into her pale
cheeks, the shadows would have dis
appeared from her big sorroWful
eyes; in short, she would be useless
for his great purpose-she would be
1.-THE Outcast'' no longer 1t could
not be otherwise And so he starved
her. told her he was paying liberal
wages, when it was a pittance which
would hardly keep body and soul to-
gether. Never for moment did he
let her guess that she was worth thou
sands to him, or that without her as
his model the ambitions of his life
could never be fulfilled When the
picture was finished he would give
her more than enough to compan-
safe her for all she had undergone.
but until then--no. He realized well
enough that then it might be too
late, her constitution would be ruined
past repair. and that she must drag
out her short remaining span of life.
a broken husk of what was once a
woman. On the one hand there was