The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-01-31

Boulevard des ltaliens. You may see
it there. There is the same unmistak.
able individuality about it as in this"
what is the subject?'
ut is also Florentine scene, called
up the Arno.' 1t takes in the river,
with the hills beyond. 1t, too, is a
great picture"
My knees began to knock together.
My jaws chartered. but not sufficiently
to prevent my asking, "What dc. you
ask for this picture?"
Twenty thousand francs"
Great heavens! had never re-
ceived the half of that for a picture.
l looked at the man so astonished that
he fastened to say
my 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 $1,000
francs for it.
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 could
see by his expression that he, too,
feared something had occurred to dis
turb my mental balance. He would
express no opinion till he had seen
the paintings, and as I 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
| the strange occurrence, but when we
reached them he sat down before me-
lit pipe and said:
"While you were Ill in Florence and
out of your head you undoubtedly
| painted those pictures, not knowing
what you were doing; consequently
you 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
| al a. -
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 1t from them"
Acting on his advice, l started that
evening. On the way 1 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
Dlulltd uuSNGlFh iuV NhlhilpiiN anu
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 whicl
the senorina finished.
ssXNn JiI NOT cunnoca thnt Won Womb
ever happen to see your pictures" SAID
the former
"Well, tell me where they came
FROM" l asked her. She looked at hei
daughter.
81 can only tell you" said Blanca
'that l painted them while you were
sitting out in your chair on the bal
cony-how ! know not. All do know
Is that it seemed to me that it was
your brain working with my hand"
l questioned her and cross questioned
her, eliciting nothing further eXcep
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 m
to utilize my ability Since she hal
painted the pictures herself the onl
fraud involved was her placing m,
fainee Oh item She did this moi re
alizing the pecuniary value OF the pic
lures themselves and supposed sh
could not sell them without IL nam
to them She and her mother wer
tempted chiefly because they wer
financially in desperate straits The
had sold the paintings through
friend who appreciated their wort
and paid them all they brought ex
cept bare commission, | told then
that they were welcome to all the
had received for the paintings. TIL
sole interest | took in the matter wa
a curiosity to know how the work ha
been executed
Every year brings to light new evi
dence to show that there are subtl
forchS aptinV nsvchipaIlv within II