The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-08
Short Stories by the Best Writers

deal, is now displayed In a shop In the
Boulevard des ltaliens. You may SEE
II there There Is the same unmlstak
able individuality about IL as In this"
what is the subiectf'
ut Is also a Florentlne scene, called
up the Arno.' Ii takes In the river
with the hills beyond. 1t, too, is q
great picture"
My knees began TO knock together
My jaws chartered. but not sufficiently
TO prevent my asking. "What do you
ask for this picture"
Twenty thousand francs"
"Great heavens! | had never re-
ceived the half of that for a picture,
/ looked at the man so astonished that
he fastened TO say:
'AIy profit will be but 500 francs.
paid 1880 francs for it."
Taking the number OF the shop
where he said the other picture was
TO be seen, staggered out of the store
and was soon before the picture | had
also created In dreams. 1t, too, far
exceeded any work | had ever done.
The dealer told me he had paid $4,000
francs for IL.
Fortunately occupied rooms with
an American friend In the Quarter
Latin and rushed home to tell him
that had discovered something which
If not explained would drive me crazy.
He listened TO my story, but l could
hxY L. hat hn
feared something had occurred to dis
turb my mental balance. He would
express no opinion till he had seen
the paintings. and as | could not re-
main quiet insisted on his going with
me at once for the purpose He did
So and. being familiar with my work,
he pronounced the pictures mine,
though they were far beyond any OF
my work he had ever seen.
On our way back to our rooms
neither he nor said anything about
the strange occurrence, but when we
reached them he sat down before me.
lit pipe and said:
"While you were i'll in Florence and
out of your head you undoubtedly
painted those pictures, not knowing
what you were doing; consequently
rou retained no remembrance of
them"
but / wasn't out of my head when
l was wrapped In the views given in
the pictures. Besides, how could /
have done the work without the
Miceles knowing It? And, knowing it.
they would have called my attention
to it."
My friend pondered awhile. blowing
at the same time clouds of smoke, and
finally said:
Whatever you have been physically,
I'm sure you are all right now. But
If you wish an explanation go back
to Florence, see the people you board
ed with and get II from them"
Acting on his advice. started that
evening. On the way had time to
think over the matter of my investiga-
ton and decided to approach the
Miceles without being known TO them.
On arrival l asked about them and
learned that they had been left a
legacy of some fifty thousand francs.
This at once assured me that they had
received the amount paid for my pic
lures. One morning / rang their bell.
Blanca answered the summons and,
seeing me at the door. turned pale.
Going in. / asked her to call her
mother and told both of my experience
in Paris At first they assumed to be
as much surprised as L; but. seeing that
was not to be deceived. Sonora Mi
cele finally began confession which
the senorina finished.
1--WE did not suppose that you would
ever happen to see your pictures" said
the former.
'Well, tell me where they came
FROM" / asked her. She looked at her
daughter.
81 can only tell you" said Blanca,
"that / painted them while you were
sitting out I'm your chair on the bal
know not. All do know
is that 1t seemed to me that 1t was
your brain working with my hand"
questioned her and cross questioned
her. eliciting nothing further except
that she had discovered some time be-
fore meeting me that she possessed
some strange power of the order COM
monty called clairvoyant. My own in
depreciation of the incident was that,
not being able to do good work herself.
she had exercised this power over me
to utilize my ability. Since she had
painted the pictures herself the only
fraud involved was her placing my
name on them. She did this not re-
alizing the pecuniary value of the pic
lures themselves and supposed she
could not sell them without a name
to them. She and her mother were
tempted chiefly because they were
in desperate straits. They
had sold the paintings through a
friend who appreciated their worth
and paid them all they brought ex-
cept bare commission. l old them
that they were welcome to all they
had received for the paintings. The
sole Interest I took in the matter was
curiosity to know how the work had
been executed.
Every year brings to light new EVIL
fence to show that there are subtlo
forces acting psychically within ma
nat we do not understand. I believe