El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-23
By Henri Dubois.

~ nee travelling from Paris Il
Dieppe / changed cars at Rouer
- and entered a third class com
partment which I thought was empty
but when the conductor closed the door
1 discovered a young lady at the win.
dow on the other side looking at the
passing landscape.
She was sitting as motionless as II
she had ben a model sitting for me In
my studio. 1 began to turn over. the
leaves of my sketch hook putting q few
finishing touches to the sketches I had
made in Normandy and scarcely realiz-
ing what / was doing 4 soon began &c
draw my companion.
1 had almost finished her head and
shoulders when she suddenly turned
and looked at me with her large. blue
eyes 1 had been caught in the act and
stammered an apology while closing my
sketchbook.
No" she said calmly. please don't
put your book away. Draw my por-
trait if you care but draw me in a po-
-sition that does me justice-like this
She threw back her cloak so that II
bent forward with her hands in her lap,
looking at me with a dreaming express
sion
Neither position nor expression could
possibly have been improved upon so I
quickly got out my pencils and started
working, wondering who was this ele-
gantly dressed lady travelling alone in
a third class compartment.
l thought she was not going very far,
for she had no baggage. She volunteer
ed NO information, however, answering
my questions briefly but politely That
I stared at her did not seem to trou-
Ia Hc~ he Inch - Oh H. 4
not deepen and the calm expression
never left her eyes while she seemed to
look straight through me-. Evidently
her thoughts were far away.
/ worked hard and succeeded remark
ably WELL the likeness was excellent,
and, told myself, 1 had never drawn a
finer portrait AS we drew nearer
Dieppe /she grew uneasy and at last
asked me If l had nearly finished. In
stead Of answering, / put my signature
and the date underneath the drawing
and handed her the book. She looked
at the drawing attentively and said:
1T is good. Justsas 1 hoped it would
be-"
1 could not help smiling, for 1 had
drawn a woman of ideal beauty
AS she handed me back the book, her
hand happened to touch mine and felt
it was cold as ice. / was afraid she
was sick, but she simply shook her
head when 1 asked her.
The train was nearing it's destina-
ton and I began to gather my belong
ings. When 1 took up the sketchbook
she begged me not to part with the
sketch. Her manner was strangely
earnest.
Keep it," she said, until you meet
somebody who las a greater claim on it
than you have
She placed her hand in mine and
again her icy touch made me SILVER
replied laughingly that surely no one
could have greater claim on the
drawing than I, If she did not want 1t,
and promised to keep it.
Thank you" she said. Remember
your promise when the time comes"
The train stopped and while looked
for q porter, she disappeared mysteri-
ously.
1 had nearly a mile to drive to my
friend DIR. villier's house and on the
way I constantly thought of my fair
companion.
you must let baron Beauchamp see
your sketches JEAN" said my friend to
me the morning after my arrival He
has invited US to dinner today and you
will be interested in the chateau and
its picture gallery, and 1 am sure you
will like the baron immensely. He is a
splendid old gentleman"
He is a widower, isn't he?"
Yes, and childless. His only daugh-
ter was killed in the great railroad
wreck at Rouen last year. Poor Claire
Beauchampi She was charming girl
and her father idolized her. He has
never been quite himself since he lost
her"
I found Baron Beauchamp a most
amiable host. His face wore the express