El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-09
BY PAUL vILLIERs.

@ OELS studio is at the upper end
of the Rue de Rome. His whole
apartment consists of an elegant
and comfor table, working room and a
| dining room to which leads an old
oak staircase. The forniture which
he has bought piecemea1 on his trips
| all over the world shows his excellent
/ taste.
| On the walls the canvases, studies
| of women's heads painted by himself,
| souvenirs of friends and statuettes in
plaster and bronze
| Three times a week. sometimes
more. never less. I drop into Soers
| studio at in the afternoon to smoke
cigar.
One day L happened to raise a cur
| tain under the oak stairs and was
greatly surprised to see the most beau
tiful portrait of woman L had even
seen.
cred carelessly and hung down her
shoulders. On the head she wore a
wreath OF flowers. but the forehead
bore the stamp Of death.
The eyes were large, half closed
and their expression langnid and the
smile was pale and sad. When I saw
| this wreath of flowers, roses and Ill
| lies, on the fair hair. this gay orna-
ment against a background Of suffer-
| ing, my thought tried to guess the
| reason Of the suffering. and Schubert's
Farewell sounded softly in my mind.
$50 you have discovered the por-
trait" said Soe1.
rs she dead?" I asked
Yes. I hide her from others and
from myself. because 1 lack courage
| to burn her picture. The story is
quite plain. I met her the first time
in the Pyrenees. She was an orphan
| in the care Of madame de Beauvais, a
most charming and kind hearted wo
man of my acquaintance. A friend Of
mine, Richard Lerieux, introduced me
to the two women. Blanche, the young
girl, was charming. slender, grace
| full sy1phlfke little creature. Richard
told me they had been brought up to-
gether and it had been decided long
| that they were to marry.
THE following winter met her again
at a dance at Nine. Lemaire's and
| later at doctor Faure1s. She was dane
| ing with her fiance. Her eyes her
| face, her happy smile, everything ex-
pressed one of these perfect conquer
| ing feelings which fill a whole life.
To her there was only one man in the
world, her future was wrapped up in
| him.
'Ierieux's father owned vast estates
IN AMMAN and Richard was out there
| to look after these and find suitable
| managers to put in charge.
HE had been away for about six
months. when late one night I was
| called to Nine de Beauvais, who asked
me to call Immediately with canvas
and brushes, tomorrow will be too
late she added.
an a things
and hurried to her house in a cab.
Nine de Reauvais was awaiting me in
the hall.
"'Come Mr. soel,' she whispered
but please walk softly. The slightest
noise hurts her.
"She was lying in her. plain little
bedroom A white bed crucifix on
the wall and a branch of blessed myr-
tle Resting on the pillow her face
was that of beautiful child but her
cheeks were sunk and the eyes told of
unspeakable suffering.
IN Soel,' she said, 7 am going to
die without seeing him again. 1 want
him to have at least my picture. But
do not paint me as 1 look now, try
to paint me as I was. When he who
was to have been my husband. looks
at her who loved him, let him find me
as he saw me last
Turning to her maid she said,
Jeanne, comb my hair as before and
hand me the wreath. 1t looks like
the one I wore at my first ball when I
danced with him.
at painted her portrait, often turning
away my face to hide my emotion. I
see her still. how she almost dying
put the wreath on her hair. Her whole
soul was in her dying eyes. My hand
trembled She who was stronger than
/, strong by her love. sat erect prop
ped up with pillows. She was too weak