Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-05-25
The LIGHT OF HIS EYES.

had just finished playing one OF the pop
ular marches, which set the toes OF all
the little models sitting under the trees
in the Luxembourg Gardens, tapping
sympathetically upon the gravel.
Out on the broad walk near the pond
passed to and fro the ceaseless stream
of types" which enc meets with only II
the Quarter, and very frequently even
there only on Friday afternoons. Above
the palace huttered focks of pigeons
which have made the gables and finals
! their home for years.
"1ruly the palace would not be the
same without pigeons" remarked q little
model to her ami as she tripped gayly
down the steps and passed across the
sun bathed path Oh their way to o shady
corner on the farther side of the garden.
But neither BONES, with fluttering rib
bons and immense white aprons nor
orerdressed nor underdressed children
bowling hoops and growing, ROT Huttcr-
ing balloons on the end of the strings.
nor artists, nor students, nor even the
cid soldiers with grizzled mustaches and
shutting footsteps. attracted half so
much attention as the blind young man
/
chestnuts. with the lovely, quietly
dressed girl at his side.
All" said Dufayel, as he saw our
chances rest questionably on these two.
there is a sad history attached to him
and to her, aud yet why should | call it
sad, for they love each other?''
And Dufayel shrugged his shoulders
and smiled in the cynical way with
which goodhearted chap that he was, he
tried to deceive his best friends into
thinking him a misogynist.
That" he continued, is Andre De
lorme, and she-once Suzanne, the pretty
model at Colorossi's-is his wife. Yes.
he is blind, and that is the sadness of
their history Three years ago Andre
was one Of the most promising OF the
younger painters: every one thought that
he was sure of a Bronze He worked
hard and studied hard, and except that
he admired Suzanne no one could accuse
him OF having any interests outside the
picture he was painting
One day-you will remember reading
about it-a great fire broke out at the
back of one Of the studios rot far from
the Care du Mont Pagnasse. We heard
nothing OF it at the studio until the noise
Of tie engines laundering by at the bot
tom OF the street and the shouting and
the blowing of horns told us that a fire
was in progress.
Andre and half dozen others hastily
threw down their pallets. put on their
coats, dashed down the steep staircase
out into the street. and then rushed away
along the boulevard to the place where
the fire was. Before they could make
their way through the crowd which
e a..
flash it came to several Of us at once
that Suzanne on Tuesdays-it was Il
Tucsday-always sat to jules Bonnard
No one liked Jules-somehow we
could not trust hi,r-and therefore we
were net much surprised to gather FROM
ore of the crowd that jules mad made
his escape from the studio at the first
alarm of fire without giving much
thought 10 Suzanne
| Soon there was a great cutlery as the
roof of one Of the studios fell in with
crash, and plumes of sparks and smoke
and flames darted skyward. Not long
and another shout, for Bonnard had sui
ficiently recovered his nerve to say that
there was a girl in his studio, the end
of which was already on fire. Andre
dashed at him and shouted close to AIS
lace:
:. Is it Suzanne-is it Suzanne? Tell
me, OF III Kill you!''
And then. Just as he was about to
seize him by the throat, Bonnard gasped
out:
Yes, it is Suzanne
Andre turned without a word. and
pushing through the pompiers, who tried
III vain 20 stop him. he dashed down the
narrow passage which led to the court
OF the studios from which people We're
throwing furniture pell nell, as though
the flames were already at their heels,
and disappeared.
! What happened to him when he van
lshed from our sight we learned from
one OF the pornpiers. 1t appears that
he dashed into the studio above which
Bonnards now burning one was, and
forced his way up the narrow staircase
Iii spite OF the volumes of smoke which
poured down it. Into the studio he man
aged to crawl, although no sooner was
the door open than names rushed at
him like fiery serpents.
Just inside he stumbled upon Su-
zanne who had hastily thrown on her
/ things in an endeavor TO escape, and
| had then evidently been overcome by the
smoke He had dashed upstairs so rap
idly that the pompiers scarcely realized
What he was loing until he disappeared;
but they arrived in time to catch him as
ne staggered blindly out of the studio.
which in few minutes had become like
d fiery furnace, holding Suzanne in his
arms.
Except for smoke and fright she was
little the worse. But Andre He, poor
fellow, was terribly turned-no doubt his
face and hands had been licked by the
flames ere he discovered Suzanne The
;scctcr at the hospital gave little hope at
FIRST Of his recovery. and Suzanne waited
:nNiml,ly day after day for any news
that was coed news of him And then
when at length one sunny day in the
spring ne emerged from the hospital per
tai with Suzanne leading him, and the
kindly surgeon accompanying them to
the facre. we who waited to welcome
aim back to the Quarter knew that he
YES blind.
0 more would Andre Delor1ne be