Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06

| Matters have progressed satisfactorily,
when the husband coneeives the idea
of having the artist paint his wite's
portrait and brings her to the studio
for that purpose.
When she is left alone with the
painter the two refer briefly to the
| sentimental relations of earlier days,
agreeing that 1t is all past-the artist,
It may be added, making the confess
sion with apparent reluctance. AS the
portrait is to be somewhat decollete,
with only a scarf thrown about the
woman's shoulders, he retires to an
other room. leaving her to remove her
bodice.
AS she does so fear seizes her, and
her vague surmises of impending evil
are realized in the sudden appearance
of a strange looking man, who explains
that ne had dozed off in a chair, the
high back of which had concealed
his presence. The woman makes an
outcry, which brings the artist into
the room, and from this point on the
pair are slowly brought into subjec-
ton by the interloper, who, as may
be surmised, Is the devil in modern
dress and guise, with cunning that is
unearthly and the wit and resource
| fulness which are assumed to be the
Accomplishments of unrelenting evil.
The artist is at first loath to recog--
nize the stranger, but is reminded OF
a chance meeting at Monte Carlo When
he had staked his last gold piece ana
| lost and when the stranger had en-
abled him to recoup his losses and
leave the table with a handsome profit.
By subtle insinuation, inuendo and IN
| trigue the willy visitor is able to bring
about the fall of the pair.
Model Becomes Jealous
The artist has had model who. at
the beginning of the play. reproaches
him with the fact that he no longer
loves her, for now he paints land
scapes not figures, as before Ihe
model is introduced by the satanic
master of ceremonies at exactly the
right moment to ignite a spark OF
jealousy in the wife's bosom.
The young girl has begun to suspect
that the artist does not love her; her
suspicious are properly emphasized, but
she goes away believing that in the
stranger she has found friend able
and willing to advise her to her best
advantage. AS a matter of fact ne mas
arranged matters so that the WlIe
! shall see her and the artist In ten
der tete-a-tete.
Thus the two women are placed IN
opposition to one another, each pre-
| sumably acting in line with the stran-
| gers beneficent advice and each as
ssting him to weave the web little
| tighter.
| In the meantime the devil has subtly
! conveyed into the artists mind the
notion that if he does not possess the
woman whom he loves some other man
will do So In an amusingly contrlVed
scene the devil then induces the wife
to come to him, wearing an opera
cloak, so that only her hands, neck
and feet are revealed.
The artist has previously been leu
to believe that the wife has ylelded TO
the devils persuasions, and that she
is now about to carry forward brazen
lest. by passing through the ballroom
in the guise of a modern Monna van
ma. When the three meet ne loses
control of his temper, conveys ms sus-
melons. and the woman turns TO tne
devil. requesting him to remove her
| cloak. This, in one of the most anus
ing moments of the play, he refuses
to do, admitting that even ne IS now
in doubt ,abd
But the entrance of the husband
puts an end to conjecture. For the
wife. with a glance of scorn at her
! detected lover, turns to her husband
and asks him to remove the cloak. he
| does so, and she appears fully goWLeu.
Then she sweeps from the room. Inc
subsequent proceedings serve to place
| fine pair completely at the mercy OF
their unrelenting pursuer, and the play
ends with the devil triumphant ana
| consequently happy.