Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-23

to declare his love.
Nevertheless he was unable to tear
himself away from Miss Laurence, nor
did she seem inclined to part with him.
After the finishing Of her portrait, or,
rather, his conception Of purity, he
was unable to work. The mornings
usually found him In one Of the gal
leries, where he expected to meet the
girl who had captivated him. he was
seldom disappointed, though she was
not always alone. While she was sit
ting for him, so far as he knew her
time was exclusively bis own, but now
that she had no engagements with him
she was free to go about with whom
she liked, and since he was not. occu-
pied he had an opportunity to meet
her In other company.
Although Ashley suffered the pangs
Of jealousy upon seeing Miss Laurence
with other cavaliers, she always reas-
sured him with one of her sweetest
smiles on such occasions and not in
frequently would make it plain to him
that she wished him to join her. When
relieved Of her other attendant she
would take him to the Boboli gardens,
In rear Of the Pitt gallery, than which
there Is no more fitting place for low
ers. These gardens are representative
Of the medieval method Of cultivating
shrubbery and flowers. The perfume
Of the latter alone Is conducive to love.
In the evening they would walk to-
gether on the AIno embankment which
when the lamps are lighted Is as near
fairyland as any real scene that can
be produced. But It was in the apart
ment occupied by Miss Laurence and
her mother, where the lovers were
alone together, that Ashley broke down
and confessed his love and his fears.
She received this confession and his
fears with no definite response.
he was hoping one morning that a
reputation would come from his mas.
terpiece to enable him to muster cour-
age to propose to his model, when, tax
Ing up a morning journal, he saw an
announcement that young American
had the night before committed suicide
by jumping from the Ponte Vecchio,
a medieval bridge, into the Arno. 1t
was limited that the young man had
taken himself of for love Of fair
eountrywoman. Ashley recognized the
name of a man he had seen with Helen
Laurence one day in the gallery of
the Pitt palace and to whom he had
been introduced by her.
As an American, Ashley considered
It his duty to go to the lodgings Of the
young man to learn If anything was to
be done in the premises. On reaching
the house pension on the Lung
Arno, which means In English the
Arno embankment-he made inquiries
Of the proprietor. He told the artist
that the suicides mother and sister
were there and brother was expect
ed during the day.
~ noticed" said Ashley, that an
American lady was the cause"
Eyes, signor; the lady whose portrait
Is now attracting so much attention.
This episode will likely make the art
lists fortune"
Ashley. seemed turned to marble. BE
stood looking at the man as If stricken
by some fearful calamity. The other
who. was handing key to guest at
the moment, did not notice his changed
appearance and continued:
'sThe American Is not the only one
who has suffered from this same cause.
An Englishman made great ado
when the lady refused him, and one Of
our own citizens, a prince, fell into the
same pit. Among her victims she is
named La Belle Dame Sans Merci, aft
er an English poem"
Ashley staggered out into the open
air. Standing with a hand on the
stone coping that protects the side
walk from the river, 1t seemed for
awhile as II he would be another vic
tim to La Belle Dame Sans Merci. But
presently, steadying himself by the
coping, he walked slowly In the direc-
ton Of his studio.
The idle prediction Of the landlord
was fulfilled. The story attached to
his picture Of purity was well known,
and every one vieited it from curios-
ity II for no other reason. Since the
name of the artist was attached to 1t,
he might have taken advantage OF the
1t gave him to make a for
tune, but he never painted another
picture and was never seen again In
Florence after that morning.
After the suicide story concerning
Miss Laurence's part In the matter
was hushed up. It appears that, haV-
ing heard of the young American who
was hunting for a model Of purity. she
made a bet that she would sit for the
picture and that It would be a success.
She, too, left Florence Immediately aft'
er the tragedy and returned to Ameri-
ca, where It Is to be hoped she -
pented Of her many sins.