Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29

the work you shall accomplish and proportionate
to the zeal with which you do it."
He raised his fingers once more in benediction,
and departed with his companions, leaving Clio
vanni staring after him The poor brothers.
head was spinning with frightfs thoughts He
had made progress with his Judas, because,
being surrounded solely by of faith and holy
living he had had no model We'll, was not The
Lord Bishop a holy man? And yet that nose,
those shifty blue eyes, that hideous mole If
these were not proper to Iscarot, then what
features could fit him? With shudder he hid
his face in his hands to shut out the vision Then,
iingng his brushes down, he fed to his cell and
shut himself in TO struggle against temptation
In the clear light Of summer evening, the
Lord Bishop and his train sent out for Firenzc.
From the window of his cell Brother Giovanni
watched them depart. Far on into the night he
tossed restlessly upon the plank that formed his
couch. At midnight he could bear it no longer,
and, seizng a horn lantern, he hurried guiltily
from his cell to the pantng-room. Desperately
he worked by the feeble rays of the lantern until
the face of Iscariot stood out hdeously, with
pale sandy hair and shifting eyes and mole
upon his chin. Almost he feared to ook upon
it himself 1t was ke-horriby like! With a
shudder, he dashed his brush at the face and
obiterated all that he had done.
| During the next few days Brother Giovanni
went about the monastery pale and preoccupied
The great work made progress, for he could
not touch it. He was obsessed by a vision of the
Bishops face He knew now that no other Ju-
das was possible for him; he knew that he would
have to paint it, and he trembled at the knowl
edge.
On the fifth day he could keep away no long
err He fell to his work with feverish eagerness.
One thing, and one thing only, he would do. lie
would replace the scanty hair with thick and
matted red locks. Possibly that would be suf
fcient disguise And he would leave out the
mole, too-if he could. He worked as starving
man eats-without stopping; and Judas grew
hideously once upon the canvas.
The good Abbot Paolo watched him with per-
plexity.
at reminds me-" he said vaguely, scratching
his head ct reminds me of some one-yet of
whom l cannot tell"
The brethren thought the same. 1ney gather
ed in little groups before the picture, endeavor-
ing to recall whom the face of Judas resembed.
None of them, however, penetrated the disguise
of the thick matted hair. And the mole was not
there though Fra Giovanni had long made up his
mind that Judas had had just such mole, and
his fingers itched to put it on.
At length one morning he could resist the temp
taton no longer, and with few vicious dabs of
umber, the mole stood revealed. Barely had he
finished it when the Abbot hurried in with Joy
upon his face
"My brother" he cried, ''hast thou finished
thy picture? The Lord Bishop returns this way
from Firenze today, and will arrive in the after
noon. He is certain to wish to see it; and doubt
less he will reward thee, my son, according to
thy deserts"
"Yes" said Giovanni quietly, ''it is finished"
The Abbot departed joyfully, too full of his
preparations for his guests reception to glance
at the canvas. But Giovanni stared at it dis
mally.