The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-08


much admired guest of Mrs. Winans
Freeman. doesn't really belong in a
newspaper story, although she is quite
ornamental enough to decorate any front
page.
She's a girl who has stepped right out
of a wonderful picture frame-and so
clamourously artistic that ordinary peo-
pie who talk about the mere common
places of life seem a bit out of place in
the beautiful atmosphere she creates.
To begin with, Miss Peterson is an
artist of international reputation, her
paintings having been exhibited both in
London and Paris and throughout this
country.
Her work is pronounced by connois-
seurs to be exquisite.
Another thing. Miss Peterson is very
pretty, and very young.
That ought to be enough, but it isn't.
Even a rapturous description of her
soft blonde hair, her big blue eyes and
her rose-leaf color wouldn't do Justice
to her prettiness, for her beauty is the
kind that is made luminous by her
charm and her enthusiasm, and by her
love of all the aesthetic things of life
music. painting and art.
1t was of none of these things. how
ever, that Miss Peterson and I talked
in the soft gray twilight the other aft
| ernoon. but somehow we veered round
to a subject that seemed quite as near
to her heart as to mine-"The Garden of
Allah" of which Mr. Hichens has writ
ten so wonderfully and in which place
Miss Peterson spent six delightful
months recently.
The soft nuances and shades of light
fell slantingly upon the pretty girl as
we sat in the rose parlor of Mrs. Free
mans lovely home, and just above us
stood the handsome portrait which Miss
Peterson has just completed of her
charming hostess.
The setting was perfect for the beau
tiful story that Miss Peterson told me.
How did I happen to go to Biskra,
the famous Garden of Allah?'" she re-
peated after me. Simply because | al
ways wanted to go there and paint ever
since l read Mr.. Hichens' book. 1t is
that which takes most of the tourists
says: Did you read Mr.. Hichens' book?
Yes you reply; that is what brought
me here It's the reason I'm here, too,
they say in return.
And is the real Garden of/Allah just
as Mr.. Hichens pictured it?' 1 asked
curiously.
EVERY word he wrote about it is per-
fectly true" said Miss Peterson. 1T
was rather curious the way l finally
made my plans to go there. Mr.. Pc
tries sketches and his book were pub
lished Just at that time. and I became
very-much interested in them. l was
going to spend the winter in Madrid
painting with Sorallo. Mr.. r. Hoplxin-
son Smith had very kindly given me let
ters of Introduction TO some very agree
able people there, including the ambassa-
arrange to go to the desert until later,
arraneg to go to the desert until later,
which really suited me much better be-
cause the springtime in the desert is
simply wonderful 1t is far too cold in
the winter. AT any rate, early in March
we started forI Biskra. Once arrived we
stayed in the very hotel, the one where
Domini and Androvsl<y met In the tower
Do you remember"
"Of course, I do I recalled, "but
doesn't Mr.. Kitchens call this strangely
beautiful African place Benz Mora?" Il
asked.
Yes that is Bisl1ra'' said Miss Peter
son. Every evening at sunset the peo-
pie go up in this wonderful tower and
see the glorious sunset on the African
desert which Mr.. Hichens has painted
in coors that no artists brush could
ever blend 1t is rapturously lovely"
"And the real garden?" 7 asked
'Ts exactly as Mr.. Hchens has writ
ten about It," said she. TT is owned by
Count Lansdown an old bachelor, by
the way. who is avery wealthy and owns
all sorts of beautiful places. In the
book Mr. TIichens calls him Count Ante
loni The garden is surrounded by the
queerest little white structure, sort of
fence. and 1t is filed with all sorts Of
tropical plants--the great jamelon tree
is there, but there are very few flowers.
The soil of the garden is all made and
the water pipes have been carried out
from Biskra to the garden"
"And Batouche-tell me. is his proto-
type to be found there?' I questioned.
"Oh. absolutely" said Miss Peterson.
''Batouche himself-the real Batouche-is
insane now but we asked our guide.
wonderful Soudanese, all about him. Our
guide name was Arose and he was
big and Jet black. quite seven feet tall.
and he told us all about Batouche. 1t
is very amusing to see the way that the
guides have realized what Mr.. Hichens
has done for that part of the world.
They are very commercial and scheming
and cunning and they would murder It
man easily for 10 cents and never
scruple to do IT. We told our guide that
one of the things that We wished him
to do was to keep strangers away from
us while we were busy with our paint
Ing This he did with consummate sue
cess every day, but the Holy Men who