Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-13


"Great heavens. 1 had never re-
ceived the half of that for picture.
looked at the man so astonished that
he FASTENED to say:
MY profit viii be but 500 francs. l
paid 1880 francs for IT.
Taking the number of the shop
where be said the other picture was
10 be seen. staggered out of the store
and was soon before the picture / had
also created in dreams. II. too. far
exceeded any work I had ever done
The dealer told me he had paid 2sOOO
francs for ii.
Fortunately l occupied rooms with
an American friend in the Quarter
Latin and rushed home 70 tell him
that / had discovered something which
il not explained would drive me crazy.
He listened TO my story. but i 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 l 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
NV 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:
"FWhile you were i'll 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
I was wrapped in the views given in
the pictures. Besides. how could !
have done the work without the
Miceles knowing It? And. knowing 1t.
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 It 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 I-asked about them and
learned that they had been left
legacy of some fifty thousand francs.
This at once assured me that they had
received the amount paid for my pic
D I
Blanca answered the summons and,
seeing me at the door. turned pale.
Going in, l asked her 20 call her
mother and told both of my experience
in Paris. At first they assumed to be
rs much surprised as /; but, seeing that
was not to be deceived. Sonora Mi
cele finally began a confession which
the senorina finished.
1--WE did not suppose that you would
ever happen to see your pictures" said
/ the former.
"Wen, tell me where they came
/ from" l asked her. She looked at her
daughter.
at can only tell you" said Blanca.
chat I 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 IL was
your brain working with my hand"
/ 1 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 clairvoyaut. My own in
| depreciation Of the incident was that,
U IL u. IL hnR
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
financially I'm desperate straits. They
had sold the paintings through
friend who appreciated their worth
and paid them all they brought ex-
cept a bare commission. l told them
that they were welcome to all they
had received for the paintings. The
sole interest took in the matter was
a curiosity to know how the work had
been executed.
Every year brings TO light new evil
dence to show that there are subtle
forces acting psychically within us
that we do not understand. I believe
that Just as surely as the invention Of
wireless telegraphy will come an ex-
PLANTATION of how Blanca hicele united
my artistic ability with her own per
sOnality and of the union made a far
better work Of art than / could have
produced by myself. 1t is possible that
the advantage came merely through a
certain suppleness I'm her wrist or in
some other mechanical feature that
was superior TO mine. thus enabling
me to attain an ideal that / had never
been able 70 attain before with my less
perfect member But this is a mere
Hypothetical exposition Of my own.
unsupported by proof.