Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1911-01-20
A Strange
Case
The Arhst and the Pictures
Of Mystery
By Carroll n. PIERCE
By Carroll H. PIERCE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

am an artist. Being in poor health
my doctor ordered me abroad. and /
went to Florence. Italy.
! rented rooms Of a widow and her
daughter. of the name Of MiceIe. They
ocespied the top floor Of building on
the river Arno. ! used a front room
for studio and a rear room for bed
room. The mother was q middle aged
woman. the daughter about twenty
five. Their ancestors had been well
Oh. but their estate had melted away.
and Sonora Micele and her daughter
got on with difficulty Blanca. the
daughter. was an artist but ar indif
ferent one.
Nevertheless there was something
remarkable about Blanca Micele. She
was neither pretty nor homely. The
eyes of the Italians are handsome but
Senorina Micele's eyes were more than
handsome: they were. 50 to speak.
compelling That Is. when she looked
out OF them at me ! felt strange
force compelling me to do her bidding
Not that there was apparent exercise
Of will. She was gent,eness itself The
power she exercised was rather per
sussive than forceful.
Not long after ! arrived In Florence
] fell i'll and did not leave my bed for
weeks. Sonora Micele and her daugh-
ter both nursed me.
A portion of the time l was in either
stupor or deliriGm. | don't know
which At such times | was very
weak and on coming TO myself usually
felt as if | had been doing exhaustive
work, though ! had been in my bed
all the while. where 1t would not have
been possible for me to do any work
even If had been mentally capable.
Ny illness occurred during the win
ter and when the spring came on and
the weather began to warm up Sonora
J Micele used to put me in an easy chair
and wheel me out on to one of those
little balconies common in Florence
\ houses We We're on the Arne EN-
bankment 1.-THE Lung Arno. they call it
therel. in sight of the green hills that
surround the city. Indeed, from my
balcony l could see some six or seven
miles distant the heights on which
Fiosole. the original Florentine settle
ment. was made. During three more
months l spent much of the day on
this balcony in fancy painting pictures
-
5 One of these was the undulating plain
beyond the city's edge and the heights
of Fiosole beyond the plain. There is
big clock tower at Fiosole which 1t
seemed to me would make an attrac-
tive feature in my imaginary picture.
and l spent hours working it In. An
other view dreamed of was the Arno,
directly beneath me. winding under
Its arched bridges toward the south,
and other nearer and consequently
greener hills. There is something in
the atmosphere of Italy to intensity
the color of a landscape, and on such
days l delighted in the Imaginative
s painting could not do in reality.
But | always noticed that such days
Instead of giving me strength drew
upon what had.
Fortunately | recovered before the
hot weather set In and after convaleSc-
Ing in the invigorating climate of the
Swiss Alps went to Paris. where l re-
mained some time.
Il Strolling one day down one Of the
i Partisan boulevards. stepped into a
picture shop. The dealer. fancying to
make a customer Of me. advanced and
me as to what ! was look
ing for. 1t occurred to me to ask for
one Of my own pictures, not that ex-
3pected to find one. but that to ask for
The work Of any special artist would
make it appear that / was not looking
ut his wares with no intention of buy
tng.
Have you anything OF Adrian
Eiles?' / asked.
81 "Giles. the Americana"
IL "Yes.e
VI Certainly | have a very remark
@able piece of his work. Come this
NAY
IS He led ME to one of his display
fooms and up to picture that had
4xidentiy been hung with eonsidera-
kle care. The subject was certainly
Amiliar TO me. for 1t was the plain !
Kad overlooked at Florence with the
Nils and Fi0sole In the distance. And
Is | stood looking at 1t / recognized
&ot only the identical scene l had
tainted in my day dreams. but my In
Eividual style. Quickly bending to the
Dwer left hand corner. cap was put
snpon my establishment by seeing my
WI name.
|x#I caught with both hands at the rail
Ihat extended around the room to
@uard the pictures. Here was view
had no remembrance Of presenting.
mt which l must have painted. II
las some time before | recovered sdf
cient equanimity to further examine
he painting. but when ! did so saw
once that for the first time in my
81 he I had portrayed scene exactly
saw II. What ! mean Is that II
bsSessed all the reality and beauty
nth which my Imagination had en-
owed IT,
w-h-e-r-e did you get it7' I STAN
Fred
.From q dealer whom l never saw
Pfores
-fdow 90 you know II Is genuine
1lesY
Fl know It because l have seen sew
N of the artistic pictures. One other
tried to buy. but failed TO make
zhn tn he.