The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-04-20

few bits that we hid IA the cellar
Come. Fanchette. bestir yourself and
set the tableF'
The table was set and the supper put
upon 1t. The stranger sat down. and
Fanchette poured into his glass some
OF the cheap wine Of the country. She
was between seventeen and eighteen
years old. a simple French maid who
had no secrets from any one in the
world.
''You wear a sad look. Fanchette. :"
said the stranger. us II from seeing
the slaughter todayT'
mo. monsieur. I did not look that
way"
~wsn. then. tell me what troubles
you"
1T is this. monsieur. Antoine Bris-
son went out asong the lighting and
received a wound. He Is lying now
In the next room"
HE Is your brotherT'
''No. monsieur"
"Well. then. he Is your loverT'
To this the only reply was eyes cast
upon the floor.
what was he doing out there
fghting7r
NO. monsieur; he has not yet be-
come a conseript. He win not be the
age for a month"
well. then. what business had he
on a battleheldY'
"SketchIngg'
Stretching? That's what / was do
ing there. When 1 have finished my
supper win 20 In and see him"
The stranger chatted on with the girl
and easily Cleaned from her that she |
and Antoine could not marry because /
she had no dot After having supped |
and smoked a pipe the artist went into /
the room where Antoine was lying. |
The boy had received a flesh wound,
but not Of sufficient importance to en-
danger his life
$50 you were making sketches OF the
fghtf'' said the artist THAT Is my
business. have been drawing for one
Of the Paris illustrated papers. Let
me see what you have DONE
Fanchette took an improvised port
folio that she had made for her lover
Of two pieces Of pasteboard laced to-
gether with a string and brought It 70
the artist. There were blood stains on
II. but he did not mind that. He had
seen plenty Of blood that day. He
opened the portfolio. took out what
there was in it-fve or six sketches
and began to look them over.
Where did you learn to sketchY' he
asked the boy.
Il have never learned, monsieur" he
replied
Never studied in an art school:
never had any Instruction."
mo. monsieur"
The artist went on looking AZ the
sketches one after the other and when
be had seen them all looked at them {
again Then he turned his eyes to the
boy on the bed {
DO you know, my boy, that my pa {
per sent me here 10 make sketches Of a
his battle7 l have graduated at the q
lrt school with honors, and yet you T
who have never taken a lesson have :,
lone what cannot do"
What do you mean, monsieur7v
Isked the boy. his eyes opening very
vide, while Fanchette was all atten- v
ion a
You are a born battle painter. You
ave put into these crude sketches an u
ction that I have not been able to :,
nut In mine. And you have known
THAT scenes to select. Your soldiers
move; they fight; they are impelled
y the demon Of war; they die--really a
lie, while mine-well. mine beside y
ours are like toy soldiers.y
"Oh, monsieur, !" exclaimed Fancheffe, \
lasping her hands, how good you lie
re TO say thatgv de
Good to say that I'm not talking 10
please you. I'm telling you the III
nth. And. to prove what ! say, II
nt0ine when he has recovered will Al.
,me to Paris am sure can interest ~
Z lovers in him who VIII see that be a
'ceives Instruction. en-
"Oh. monsieur" replied Fanchette. fe
low can he do that7 He has no mon fri
Z. He would have to walk to Paris. . ia,
Not az alL will take these sketches h.
ith me. They VIII be used IN one Of
q illustrated papers and viii be well
I'D for. The money received for them
VIII send TO Antoine"
The same night, having hired a con. ne
vance, the artist set out posthaste ac(
r Paris. Antoine's sketches we're len
oduced and created sensation. rhe cit
oney paid for them was sent him. foe
went to Paris. where owing to the cal
crest created by HIS pictures be vas III,
ken up and educated by the paper -.
IT published them yol
All this occurred forty years ago, rec
d the great battle painter has four GER
ed AND passed away. His widow bio
- "A al f.nu, ~ - -. 49, ~