The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-13

could not see how any other man
should be enthralled as he had been.
for he laid his enthrallment to his pc
culiar perceptive faculties which Ell
abled him to perceive perfect en-
bodiment of purity.
When the picture was finished it was
q marked success, not as a portrait,
but as a representation Of purity. The
models mother accepted 1t without
comment. though it was not likeness
Of her daughter, for 1t was beautiful
picture. 1t was placed In conspicu-
GUS position and much admired, but
few of those who were acquainted
with the subject recognized it as her
portrait
Meanwhile Ashley had become so
absorbed in his model that he failed
to be elated with his success. During
the last sittings his subject. by fire.
quent casting down of her eyes under
his gaze, by pouting her pretty lips at
any inattention on his part had given
evidence that her innocent heart had
gone out to meet his. Since he was
poor and had not yet made a name for
himself in his profession. he hesitated
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 his 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 We're
alone together, that Ashley broke down
She received this confession and his
fears with no definite response.
He was hoping one morning that q
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 ar
announcement that n young American
had the night before committed suicide
by jumping from the Ponte Vecchio
a medieval bridge, into the Arno. II
was limited that the young man had
taken himself off for love OF fall
countrywoman. Ashley recognized the
name of n man he had seen with Heller
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 tc
be done in the premises. On reaching
the hOuSe-a pension on the Lung
Arno, which means in English the
Arno embankment-he made inquiries
of the proprietor. He told the arts
that the suicides mother and sistel
ed during the day.
81 noticed" said Ashley. that al
American lady was the cause"
Yes, 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. He
stood looking at the man as IL stricken
by some fearful calamity. The other
who was handing a key to guest al
the moment, did not notice his changed
appearance and continued:
"The American Is not the only one
who has suffered from this same cause
An EngIishman made a great ado
when the lady refused him. and one OF
our own citizens, 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 oper
air Standing with a hand on the
stone coping that protects the side
walk from the river, 1t seemed fol
awhile as if 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
f,,lGloI Tho ctorv attached tf