The Washington herald., 1914-05-15
Stories Of the Photoplays.
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4 tAS umG C0lOmlAl TO00Y1.
Fanny Lesrand wss picked out of tn,
gutter by Caoudal the sculptor-who uset
her a. the model for his famous statue
Sapho-the creation which made him, a,
. sculptor. For soms m6aths or years
the time does not matter-shs was faith.
full to him-their life was idyilic. Their
caoudai left her. ana she was taken ur
by La Gournerie. the rhymester-whc
abused her until endurance ceased to
be virtue. The famous Dechlette-
gineer. explorer. and statcsmAn-honored
her with the shelter Of his roof for one
night-the most any woman could ever
say OF him-and made her a. celebrated
as himself by his attention. Then came
Flamant. the engraver-who spent his all,
and eventually forged for her. Always
the fascination for men OF brains! Al
ways-mental and physical stimulus to
original creation which made each of
them famous. Finally-after many years
/ came Jean Gaussin, the young pro-
vincial destined for Q consular career
| and with their hrst meeting At Dechlet-
te's bal masque, the story really begins.
She attracted him by her combination
of youthful igenuousness. mature knowl-
edge Of the world and a certain delicacy
which the romping girls Of the bal
masQue 30 glaringly lacked. To her he
/
| lette's In the early Observation-Disclosures.
She murmured the question, ITO my
house-or yoursr And he took her home.
| She admitted some fatigue after the
nights dancing and he carried her up
four flights of stairs to his quarters.
After the first night-vainly proud of
his youthful strength he swore she was
a light as a feather. At the top, his
heart seemed bursting, his lungs suf-
locating, and the burden he bore one
Of stone or lead. She left him after two
days with q memory Of soft skin and
fine linen. Afterward. she came again
never importunate-never complaining
when his studies prevented his receiving
her-always stimulating to his imagina-
tion-always watchful as to his littler
needs, the sort which make for q mans
comfort or discomfort.
Presently. she received him in her house
and while they were breakfa sting on the
terrace. Flamant, the epgraver came beg
ging her to return TO him. The noise Of
the vulgar squabble penetrated to the
terrace and spoiled Jeans breakfast. To |
his amazement, he learned that Flamant
had provided her with the house and |
gardens-and this one instance IL the |
only one in the whole story in which
Fanny betrayed the man who was sup
porting her. Eventually she made up to
him for It.
Jean left her-for several weeks after
her quarrel with Flamant-but her con-
slant placing herself unobtrusively in
his way soon melted his resolution and
they set up a little establishment to-
gether. Here comes perhaps the strong
est situation in the whole story. While
at cafe with Caoudai. Dechlette
and La Gournerie. they fall to discuss
ing the perennial Sapho-unaware that
he has not as yet suspected her Identity
with Fanny Iegrand. Each in turn de-
scribes her life with him-and this is
where q moving picture dramatixation
offers possibilities entirely beyond the
scope Of q regular theatrical representa-
ton. As each Of the famous men de-
scribes her relations to him. the scene Of
the four men dining at the cafe 4fs-
solves into ghostly superimposed scene
of the occurrences at that moment beingi
described. The same thing IL done toi
show Jeans hallucinations during the
lever which came on him later.
Finally, with his brain reeling. Jean can
listen no longer. Making his excuse. he
caves the cafe and returns to their
apartment. where he finds her asleep in I
he moonlight and notices, as never be- I
'ore-''in the treachery Of sleep, wrapped
n the silence of death"-the lines of '
lge and infinite experience upon her neck
md breast. She awakens. Seeing his
mood of bitter disgust and renunciation.
he follows him out to the living room
md shows him the letters in q locked {
'ox which has. more than once, piqued &
lis curiosity. In these letters. her former a
citations with q dosen famous men are 1
aid bare-and he feels q thrill Of half g
hamed pride at the fact Of his sharingI
er with such men. At least there had
een always In her personality that in
ate something which placed her in a
lass by herself-in an entirely different
7orld from the women Of the streets.
Again, Jean Yields to her fascination. r
hey take a little place In the country
nd here. as a soiace for the hours when
e is away from her. she commits the -
listake OF sending for her child by
eepers an elderly couple Of her former =
cquaintance, whose table and other man. :,
ers are a constant annoyance to Jean. \
[e leaves her again. During his ab- :,
.nce, Flamant returns after his twelve A
ears In prison as a forger-and begs a
amy to marry him. She finally con- =,
,nts-and is moving out when Jean re- .
rms for the last time. asking her to
, with him to his consular appointment ri,
Peru At first she consents-then real h,
es that she IL too old for such q COM ..
etc change. She marries Flamant, who a,
thus, in q measure, rewarded for what h,
. has done and suffered on her account. ,r
5 for Jean, We get the impression of q y.
oxen, useless life-the dregs left him ],
a vampire. a,