The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-01
"How do you know it is u yraun,

it there. There is the same unmistak
able individuality about it as in this
"What is the subiect?'
at is also a Florentine scene, caie,.
up the Arno' 1t takes in the river
with the hills beyond. 1t, too, is Il
great picture"
My knees began to knock together
My jaws chartered. but not sufficient;
to prevent my asking. what do yor
ask for this picture?'
Twenty thoussnd francs"
"Great heavens! | had never re.
ceived the half of that for picture
l looked at the man so astonished that
he hastened to say:
'My profit will be but 500 francs.
paid 19,5O0 francs for it,"
Taking the number of the sho.'
where he said the other picture was
TO be seen, staggered out of the store
nd was soon before the picture I had
also created in dreams. 1t, too, far
exceeded any work | had ever done.
The dealer told me he had paid 27001
francs for it,
vi NuuslttlN OCCuDltu lOuihS W IL u
an American friend in the QuarJiCr
Latin and rushed home to tell hiiu
that | had discovered something which
If not explained would drive me cray
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
hn
the paintings, and as I could not re-
main quiet | insisted on his going with
me at once for the purpose. He die
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 I said anything about
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
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 1t from them"
Acting on his advice, l started thai
evening. On the way I had time to
| think over the matter of my investiga'
| ton and decided to approach the
| MicCles without being known to them.
| On arrival | 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 a confession which
the senorina finished.
I'VE did not suppose that you woulL
ever happen to see your pictures" sale
the former
"Well, tell me where they came
from" asked her. She looked at he'
daughter.
II can only tell you" said Blanca
''that l painted them while you wer,
sitting out in your chair on the bal
cony-how ! know not. All do know
is that 1t seemed to me that II was
your brain working with my hand"
/ 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 N,
to utilize my ability. Since she ha'
painted the pictures herself the onl!
fraud involved was her placing m!
name on them. She did this not re
alizing the pecuniary value of the pic
lures themselves and supposed sh,
could not sell them without a nam,
to them. She and her mother wert
tempted chiefly because they wer
financially in desperate straits. The,
had sold the paintings through
friend who appreciated their wortl
and paid them all they brought eX
cept bare commission. l 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 hat
been executed.
Every year brings to light new evi
dence to show that there are subtl
forces acting psychically within II
that we do not understand. l believ
| that lust as surely as the invention o