The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-23

A charming studio. in the Latin
Musketeers of the Brush: Talbot
Wynne, or Taffy, big, fair, blue-eyed
young Yorkshireman, who had been
a soldier but was at last following his
wish to be an artist; then Sandy Nc
Allister, or the Laird, as his friends
called him, intended by his parents
for solicitor, but who was in Paris
painting Toreadors and singing
French ballads, with a decided Scotch
accent.
THE third he was Little Billie" or
William Bagot, pleasing young Eng
lishman from London. To live and
work in Paris had been Billie's dream
and at last it was reality, he and his
two friends having taken the studio
together He often looked at these
friends and wondered if anyone, liv-
ing or dead, ever had two such glor-
ious chuu.s. His absolute belief in all
they said and did, touched them ex-
ceedingly, and they in turn loved him
for his affectionate disposition and
lively ways; and recognizing his
quickness, keenness and delicacy in
all matters of form and color, they
had also a great admiration for him.
! On a showery April day the three
| friends were in the studio, each occu-
pied to his taste, Taffy vigorously
swinging a pair of Indian clubs, the
Laird sitting before his easel painting;
and Billie kneeling on the broad divan
before the great studio window was
gazing out over the roofs Of Paris
| specializing upon the future OF him.
self and his friends.
rnHa1V in
terrupted by a loud knocking at the
door, and two men entered; first a
tall, bony individual Of any age be-
tween thirty and forty-five, of Jewish
aspect, well-featured. but sinister. He
had bold, brilliant black eyes, with
| long, heavy lids. He went by the
name of Svengai, spoke fluent French
but with a German accent. His COM
panion was little, swarthy young
man, possibly gypsy; under his arm
| he carried a fiddle and bow.
| Svengali at once suggested that
| they have some music, and, seating
himself at the piano, ran his fingers
I'D and down the keys with the easy
power of a master. Then he fell to
playing Chopin's Impromptu in A flat,
so beautifully that Little Billie's heart
was nigh to bursting with emotion
and delight. He never forgot that
Impromptu which he was destined to
hear again one day in very strange
circumstances.
Then the two. Svengai and his
companion Gecko, made music togeth.
er so divinely, indeed, that even Taffy
and the Laird were almost as wild in
their enthusiasm as Billie, but with an
enthusiasm too deep for words.
Suddenly there came another inter
ruption, a loud knuckle-rapping at the
outer door, and voice of great vol
ume, that might belong to any sex. or
even an angel, uttered the British
Milkman's yodel, milk below" and
before anyone could say "entrez." a
strange figure appeared framed in
the gloom of the antechamber; the
figure of a very tall and fully devel.
oped young girl, clad in the gray over
coat of a French Infantry soldier: be-
low this there showed a short striped
petticoat. and beneath it were visi
BILE her bare white ankles. the toes
losing themselves in huge pair oil
mems list slippers.
While not strictly beautiful, the girl
had great charm; she was really much
like a healthy young English boy
Closing the door behind her she said
wistfully, we're all English, now
aren't ye? l heard the music and
thought I'd just come in for a bit and
pass the time Of day; you don't mind
Trilby, that's my name. Trilby O'Fer
rail-
Yes this was Trilby of the studios
artists model taking her MONDAY rest
She sat down upon the model throne tt
, eat her luncheon and listen to the
music.
When Svengali had brought the mu
. sic to a close, Trilby remarked it wa!
!. not very gay, and offered to sing {
, song which she knew, and in English
whereat she sang Ben Bolt" and fin
J ished amid an embarrassing silence
for her hearers did not know whethe
/ it was intended seriously or in fun
such volume of sound ensued tina
it flooded the studio, but without mel
ody or music of any kind. in fact as i
, the singer were tone-deaf. as indeed
) she was.
! With her charm and goodfellows ship
Trilby won the hearts of the Tire
, Musketeers, Billie's most of all, an,
= it was Billie for whom she felt tn
, deepest affection. She cooked fol
| them at times, mended their clothing
: listened to their music, and the wor
3 derful talks Of ''the glory that wa
Greece and the grandeur that wa
3 Rome" At other times she criticise
! their work, in fact was quite 'one Q
4 them"
: A climax came one day when Billie
. visiting another studio. discovered
, Trilby posing for the altogether" H
i. was SO shocked that he was awakeue