The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-07-07


whom he sometimes used for model.
Francesca he announced impera-
lively, there is something you must
do for me-a secret you must discover
from Anton"
He saw the color come into her
cheeks, and fear into her eyes; and he
continued mercilessly: He keeps his
studio here, though now he could af-
ford better one. Oh, yes, he says
the light is good, but | think, my sis
ter, it is the light of your presence he
fancies. For the present encourage
that fancy, and discover the essentials
of certain coloring he used in his
work"
But l cannot, my brother" Fran
cesca returned firmly, sit would be
wrong
His anger flashed forth fierce and
terrible "Anton's success was gain
ed by trick" he said, land it was /
who, when the wine had muddled
my wits, put him on the way to sue
cess by pointing out wherein his
work was lacking. In every recent
picture of his, there is at least a
touch of brilliant coloring; it flames
forth, bright, glowing, living, COM
polling mems attention; as yet other
artists have not realized that sue
cess would come to anyone who used
that coloring. What he uses to pre-
serve its brilliance I have discovered,
but not its essentials; SO you must
win the secret from him; otherwise
| must take it from him by force
The girls lips were white and stern.
But it may be- she said slowly,
that he does not keep any of the
mysterious coloring, except when
using it. He may not even have a
written formula
Torture will doubtless persuade
him to furnish one," he retorted
brutally. IF you have any regard for
this man bring me within the next
few days either formula or some of
the coloring."
Francesca was telling herself that
it was surely best to seem to consent:
Il must wait for a good opportunity
before | can search the studio" she
said.
Very WE'LL" her brother returned
CURLY. And with grief and dismay
in her heart, the girl passed to her
own apartment. There before Our
Lady's shrine she knelt to pray for
her brother and her lover, with that
unfaltering faith and devotion which
in other days dwelt in all the land of
Italy.
Was it her duty to warn Anton?
Was there no other way to save him
than by betraying her own brother?
A few days later Marco stopped
her as she was passing his door,
Have you found the formula?' he
questioned
NO." and she did not tell him that
she had not searched for it,
81 give you till tomorrow night to
bring me the formula or some of the
coloring," he said sternly. IF you
have not succeeded by that time, +
must proceed to force. Is Anton in
his studio now?'
Eyes"
Go to him, then, and endeavor to
entice the secret from him; l will
accompany you, though to wait out
side. | will hear all you say, and at
the least hint of treachery it will be
worse for him than for YOU"
Francesca hesitated; she was on
the point Of refusing to go with him
when it occurred to her that her
brother would probably keep her un-
der surveillance until her task was
accomplished; this might be her last
opportunity of warning Anton, and
Cat all costs, she had now decidedly he
must be warned. In silence she led
the way up the narrow stairs that
ended in small platform before the
studio door. There Marco stopped,
motioning her to proceed; and the
girls heart sank as she realized that |
Marco, standing in the shadow on the
platform with the threadbare cur
tains before him, could not be seen
from within the bright studio, while
he himself could plainly discern all |
that might transpire there. But she |
parted the curtains, and with smil- |
ing lips stood within.
Anton was intent on his work, but |
at the sound of her footstep, he turn
ed gladly indeed to greet her.
Il have come to see the picture"
she said lightly. Have you done
much today"
At this moment, to Marcos intense |
annoyance, someone began knocking |
at the front door. Loud, persistent,
the sound came to him, up the first |
wide fight of stairs and the second |
narrow ones. Marco recalled with
vexation that the servant who attend
ed to the door had accompanied his
mother to the market-place;; yet if he
himself went down he would lose this |