The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-27

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yealed probably to him alone. ne
could not see how any other man
should be enthralled as he had peeh'
for he laid his enthrallment to MS pc
culiar perceptive faculties Whlch ell
ahled him to perceive perfect en-
bodiment of purity.
When the picture was finished IL was
a marked success. not as porHai''
but as a representation Of purity. Inc
| models mother accepted 1t without
comment, though it was not likeness
Of her daughter. for 1t was Deautilui
picture. 1t was placed In conspieu-
GUS position and much admired, pu.
few of those who were acquainted
with the subject recognized 1t as her
portrait
Meanwhile Ashley had become SO
, absorbed in his model that ne 1alleo
to be elated with his success. During
the last sittings his subject. by ire
auent 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 TOT
himself in his profession. he heslta.ed
to declare his love.
Nevertheless he was unable to tear
himself away from Miss Laurence, nor
did she seem inclined to part with hlm
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 panss
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 cultivatinS
sbgpbbery 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 dowr
and confessed his love and his fears
She received this confession and his
fears with no definite response.
He was hoping one morning that
: 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 al
announcement that a young American
had the night before committed suicid
by jumping from the Ponte Vecchic
9 medieval bridge, into the Arno.
/. was hinted that the young man ha
. taken himself of for love of fai
q countrywoman. Ashley recognized tn
!. name of man he had seen with Hele
!, Laurence one day in the gallery 0
n the Pitt palace and to whom he ha,
h been introduced by her.
a AS an American, Ashley considere
r 1t his duty to go to the lodgings of th
e young man to learn If anything was t
d be done in the premises On reachin
the house-a pension on the Lun
# Arno, which means in English tn
n Arno embankment-he made inquire
t of the proprietor He told the arti.
/ that the suicides mother and sste
1 were there and brother was <expec
, ed during the day.
.. Il noticed" said Ashley. that a
4 American lady was the cause
e Yes. signor; the lady whose port a
r Is now attracting so much attention
This episode will likely make the ar
n. lists fortune"
&c Ashley seemed turned to marble. II
It. stood looking AT the man as IL stricke
~ by some fearful calamity. The othe
.. who was handing key to guest
the moment, did not notice his change
ie appearance and continued.
u The American is not the only or
VI who has suffered from this same ca,.s
y. An Englishman made a great aC
'h when the lady refused him. and one |
10 our own citizens. n prince, fell into Il
&c same pit. Among her victims she
M named La Belle Dame Sans Merci, pf
ly er an English poem"
ne Ashley staggered out into the or,
air. Standing with a hand on Il
ID stone coping that protects the sid
m walk from the river. 1t seemed f
wv awhile as If he would be another vi
no tim to La Belle Dame Sans Merci. r.
ne nraSaptlv Ivin