The Washington herald., 1916-04-16

beside me, not with the long pale face Of
a saint, but as you see her in the picture.
Her lovely dark face was laughing, and she
wore the crimson silk and blue gauze
costume she designed for Carmen.
The enchantress got into my eyes and
flowed In my blood. I painted as ! never
painted before. You can see for yourself
the result"
Whether Lotta Faust did come back to
her artistlover or whether II is a hallucins-
ton, does not, as far as be is concerned.
make any difference II is not what hap
pened that matters, but what be thinks
about it, and he is convinced that she did
return. and has remained ever since, tor
turing herself and himself with the fra
grant memory OF a dream Of things that
has gone glimmering and never can be re-
called.
The buoyancy and nghtheartedness that
had characterized him up TO the time OF
her death fell away Immediately sfterward
He took on a dreaming. brooding appear
anCe, with a far-awsy look in the eyes,
leaving the impression Of a man who was
wandering down life eternally, seeking and
never finding until be met the Winter Gar.
den girl
His marriage four years ago to her Gre
ated a rustic Of incredulous surprise in So
Ciety, but It was no surprise to his friends,
for she bore a strange resemblance. in lit
tie mannerisms and in her way Of talking
to Lotta Faust. And, curiously enough. so
does Mrs. Seligmann, not in person or ap-
pesrance, but in little tricks Of gesture and
in her way Of drinking" a person with her
eyes. Otherwise the society girl is a diff
ferent type Of beauty, fragile and ethereal
a soul Of fire in a shell Of pearl, whereas
Lotta Faust was glorious, colorful rose,
brilliant and pulsating with life Mrs
Strauss is more like her in this respect.
Before his marriage to the chorus girl,
when she was posing for him Strauss, his
friends say, seemed almost happy just to
have her sitting on the divan in the studio
crosslegged and turning over the pages Of
a fashion magazine, as Lotta Faust used
to do. Lotta was deeply attached to the
Bryant Park studio. She designed almost
all her stage Costumes there. And she was
intensely ambitious for the artist
He IS young" she would say, but be
has made a brilliant start He will go
high. You will see"
And the saddest part Of il all, per
haps, lies in the fact that he is working
harder than ever, as il trying to forget that
there in the shadows, calling TO him allur-
ingly, one arm upTaised and the other rest
ing on her hip, her figure draped in a bold
gypsy costume, her feet flying in the Sc
ductive tarantella, was one Of the worlds
most alluring Carmens.
It is related that he duplicated the cos
tune she wore in Carmen for Mrs. Strauss,
and in the early days OF their marriage his
wife used TO wear II in the studio. whore
he Iavished on her all the pent-up fever Of
love that was burning within for the phan-
tom in the shadows. Then, when Miss
Snellenberg came into his life, everything
changed, according to his wife
81 practically was barred from the studio
when he began to paint her." Mrs Strauss
SAWS. Il did not leave him until / came
unbidden to the studio one day. For my
part, went away that day"
Miss SneIenberg is little more than a
girl. She became Sehgmann's bride only
a few days ago and is now on her honey.
moon in Japan.
Meanwhile, however, the spirit that
Strauss sees floating in the shadows must
know all that transpired in the studio.
and the question obtrudes, is ii still sfre
with the old consuming passion, does its
allurfng lips still move in little endear.
ments and words of inspiration and encour.
agement. does it still whirl in madcap
dance. or is it silent brooding and ac,
cusinE?