The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-24


has lived for many years, luxur-
! sous large room we'll known TO all
models and a dining room reached by
| means Of long oaken stairway con-
stitute the whole apartment. The
/ furniture. which has been bought one
piece at time, bears witness OF the
| excellent taste of the owner--not u
gobelin, not painting which Is not
| OF value On the walls are num-
| Der of sketches, gifts from friends.
| unfinished heads In oil and pastel
and statuettes In plaster and bronze
without number.
| One day happened to draw aside a
| curtain covering recess under the
| oaken stairs, and as | did cry Of
| surprise escaped my lips. Hidden be-
| hind the curtain was painting of
1 the head Of girl, the like OF which
had never beheld, She was blonde,
| very blonde, with two heavy hraids Of
| hair thrown over her shoulders. Her
/ forehead was adorned with a wreath
| OF flowers, but this forehead was
| more pale than white and the large.
| expression. and the smile which
/ played about the pale lips was UNI
i speakably sad and the whole express
4 sion OF the wonderfully beautiful face
made you think OF Sehubert's song,
| .Lebe Wohl'
/ so you have found the portrait"
/ Soel said.
/ Yes. she is dead and | hid the
painting from everybody and from
/ myself because | did not have cour
age to burn it. Her story Is SO sim
pie. saw this young girl the first
| time in the Pyrenees. She was an
| orphan living with an aunt, a lovely
| old woman with snow-white hair. One
| OF my friends, Richard Lerieux, son
/ OF the general. introduced me to the
/ girl. Her name was Blanche, rath-
| err commonplace name you may
1 think, but to me 1t sounded sweet.
| Richard told me they had been
brought UP together and that 1t had
4 long been settled that they were to
be married. / saw her no more that
season
The next year / saw her several
times at dances. once at Nine. Lee
mares and once at DR.. Fauvers.
She was dancing with her tiance,
i whom sh. adored and her eyes, her
il face, her every feature and motion
| told oil her happiness. To her there
was no other man in the world than
him.
Gen. Lerieux was the owner OF
large plantations at Anam. Some he
had inherited. others he had bought
and Richard was sent out there to
supervise the work on these.
He had been away about six months
when letter was handed to me
Nine. du Castet ilnplores NJ Soel
to come to her with the utmost ex-
pcdiency, taking with him his eolors
and brushes. Tomorrow may be too
late"
| | gathered my things and jumped
into cab.
Kindly step in, NJ Soel, and walk
softly If you please, for the slightest
noise troubles her and makes her suf.
fer"
She was lying In her virginia. bed
room, the only furnishings Of which
were a bed Of snowwhite draperies
crucifx and small bureau. Hel
delicate hand was resting upon tht
white pillow. Her face was pinchec
and drawn with pain; her cheeks
were hollow | could hardly believe
: my own eyes and all my blood rush
ed to my heart. She the proud, thu
beautiful. the happy girl whom | re
membered! Could she be the same al
this thin, wasted, emaeiated little
b creature? The tears came into m!
eyes, but felt that must make my
self strong.
= Il am going to die, Monsieur" sh,
said In her soft voice. Il am goinl
to die without having seen hin
again, but he at least shall have m!
portrait to look at when he returns
Paint me, not as look now-do yo'
y remember how / looked once? Ii m,
fiance wants to see me once more a
I | looked when he left. who Low
! him better than my own soul-oh
Jeanne. viii you please braid my hal
as used to wear 1t and bring tn
! wreath of flowers. II looks almost q
the one wore at the last dance
painted her picture, but man
U times had to turn away to hide mi
tears and my hand trembled as
held the brush. She was stronge
than /, strong In her love, she wa
able to sit up, although 1t must hav
u cost her terrible effort to do so, bu
the smile never left her lips. Sh
Y died towards dawn.
A year later Richard returned an
= came to see me. He looked at every
thing In my studio and then said i
the most casual way. do you kuO,