The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18


together.
Another day he visited Robins stu.
do: It was shortly before his last
death; he had gone to the exposition
that day and, coming out by the Porte
de rAlma he went to the great SOUP.
tors studio. What Rodin showed him
was his monumental piece Of scuip-
| turc called THE Gate of He'll"
Paris had nothing for him save Tho
few dngy places where-unknown--h
could find warmth and alcohol. H.
friends dropped Off. The visits 81
Robert Ross. of Sibleigh, of Smithers.
became less frequent. He fell into
black neurasthenia- Poverty was an
| other trouble. The 10 francs a day
given him By his family paid for the
narrow room in the tenth rate hotel In
the Banheu and what he had to eat and
drink. But he ate l!ttle--taking "A bad
and furtive meal now and then. always
drinking. He could not get up before
O'Clock in the afternoon. Then ~
came To the cafe. one evening he tod
us.-Schwcb and mysplf-that ne had
been poisoned by eating bad musses
His thick. loose body was full OF pain
and he poured into IL glass after glass
OF whskey, and talked. 1t was as II he
were trying to tell everything at once
and he hiccoughed out fantasies ami
dreams. plays. stories. shining para
doxes and memories. He was go!ns ,o
write them all-some day.
And then he damned the mussels
He said they were killing him. and a.
the thought Of death he got frightfully
pale and heaved himself up on his fee
and went away. slow and Dubious ano
shaking. Perhaps what he died OF was
, fear of death. He got back to III"
shabby hotel where ne lived under the
name Of Sebastian Melmoth--that wan
derer OF half forgotten novel, written
! believe, by one of his forebears.
wilde, on the edge OF the gray.
turned Catholic. 1t was in his destin,
to receive only two sacraments-thr
frst one he did not hear nor the las
When the priest they had sent for cam
no was already in a coma. The prizes
who gave him baptism and eNtromr
JUNCTION was bearded Englshman
himself n recent convert. He stage
with the awful corpse, fas, slipp,rr
back into decay. as though It should
have been buried months before
until dawn came and the croqucmor,s
cohned il.
Then, in "a cheap coffln--marici.
Heaven knows why! with the number
thirtcen--what was left of the tragir
! comedian was carried out into the mar
row hail OF the hotel. Exactly thirteen
people stood there TO watch II pas,
Outside n rickety hearse waited the
lank horses covered with dirty black
cloths. decorated with stars Of tarnIshe
silver. Two old landaus, commonly
used for duels. trailed after the heArse
Then the church. 1t was Saint Ger
main des Pres. No mortuary HANGING
had been put in the place. There was
n wreath of laurels. There were a few
haggard flowers. Only an obscure sll'
door OF the church was opened To aduI'
the funeral cortege. No bells We"
tolled. There was a low mass. without
music. II was said by the bearded Ems
lish priest in harsh mispronounced la
tin.
Thirteen people were present II 10
not count the three reporters who looked
on. bored but benevolentD
And there was one woman. mysterious
draped from head To foot in black
stood leaning against a pillar, si,.f
She stirred the languid attention Of o..
reporters, but they did not learn ..
name and SO they made her the ul.r'
figure in their articles--forGcttiug '..
dead man in their interest in "'r ."
Yelled Woman" Her name has u,,,'
been printed. She was the wift = '.'
American poet who prefers to ~.
his beautiful verses In French. A.
shall l name the thirteen? Some ~
them were Davray. Ross, Turner 8"
leigh, Tavcrn. Rrunot, Jean de Ma.