Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-17

the sky the December wind
swept keenly round The light nearly
In half an hour It would be quite dark.
The wood fire sent out tongues of flames that hick-
cred and gave to the old armor the black oak chairs,
the curious silver the litter of brocades and lace and
tnseled and old tapestries that hung upon the
walls, curious stealthy life. on the model throne
old empire frock, yeowed with and thrown care
essy upon an oak chair seemed to move as though 1t
danced some quiet ghostly measure.
The men smoked, and there glasses standing
on the hoor by the side Of their chairs Above them
chung slowly moving cloud of smoke. The dancing
light of the fire played over an unframed canvas that
hung on the left 1t was study of head unfinished.
hardly more than sketched in roughly a dull fiat,
background unfinished except for the These
when light touched them. cleaned glowed and
gowered The genius which had painted them
obvious. Yet for all that perverted genius The
were horrible. They looked out from dim, ghosty
face with fear intense, lurid, soul shaking
that Belgian had hair turned his chair that he
might avoid seeing them
Pierre Labelle did not smoke. He sat in his pecu-
liar huddled way, and and then his long, yellow
right hand feeling furtivey for the glass of
absnthe and which he slipped In the studios he
was known as Mad Pierre" He lived alone in the big
roomy studio with the small bedroom behind the por-
there opposite the fireplace No one knew much of him
lie a genius, that was ncontroyertbe. OF the
power of his work all Paris and therefore the wide
world which is Paris led, knew. He realist and
painted the horrible, and his prices big. But he
live like the others-poorly-an chung to the
old studio in the world forgotten street
1t was not without reason that his companions
spoke him Mad Pierre" He fed irreguarly,
sometimes not at al. for day two, and he given
abrupt long absences, the secret of which no one
ly, his temper fierce and sudden he exercised a
influence his fellow workers Influence
which was thrown of with relief and laughed Al when
he left them but which never failed 10 hold them i'm
his presence They listened to his most extravagant
outbursts with odd belief I'm them which they
despsed afterwards
ITO paint picture-one picture that would be
great real, living To paint truth; TO This, my
picture, is real It lives II is That would be great
matter would die for 1T would give all-for after
that what matter what comes?
Nonsense Perre!" cried Edwards. We all have
60 h,tt At
half whisper of a voice that strangely from
huge gaunt frame. Il love art-we all love, art
what is 1t? II Is only big sleep And life?
life is the time for art I would see all the world
crumple up truth Rah YOU love art
your love is poor. You 40 not understand
Come. Pierre you unreasonable. You have a
reputation your works bought the dealers kind
to you That should make life good" The artist sighed
The dealers kind 20 his Twilight Evenings
and Births of Spring"
why, my friend? Because the world is ignorant
have painted truth yet--never, never never
But I will day; I will catch something that you
may say This is TRUTH"
My dear boy, your pictures real enough now
You the most promising realist in Paris Some OF
your gives shudders'
Il will paint truth-but not yet, not yet friend
day l will paint and then YOU shall then you
shall shudder then you shall look upon naked life"
little American who had dreamed of in Chi
Cago and had followed his mistress and
curously the easel in front of the throne
What is it, Perre?' he asked laziy.
A blot a smudge. 1 can't get it-not yet But
it shall oome-it must come. would sell my soul-my