The diamond drill., 1920-12-11
a CHARMING studio, In the Lat
~ in quarter Of Paris, sheltered
- -&- s@rhraa M1tQkataara nf fha

- '"Three Musketeers of the
Brush" Talbot Wynne, or Taffy. a
big, fair, blue-eyed young Yorkshire
man, who had been n soldier. but was
at last following his wish to be an art
ist; then Sandy McAlllster, or the
Laird, as his friends called him, in
tended by his parents for a solicitor,
but who was In Paris painting Torea-
.dors ana 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 Bibles dream.
and al last II was a reality, he and his
two friends having taken the studio
together. He often looked at these
friends and wondered IL anyone, liv-
Ing or dead, ever had two such glori-
GUS chums His absolute belief In all
they said and did touched them ex-
-ceedngly, and they In turn loved him
for his affectIonate disposition and
lively ways; and recognizing his
.auickness. keenness and delicacy In all
matters OF form and color, they had
also great admiration for him.
On showery April day the three
friends were I'm the studio, each occu-
pied 10 his taste. Tafy vigorously
swinging 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
speculating upon the future of himself
and his friends.
These speculations were rudely In
terrupted by n loud knocking at the
door and two men entered; first n tail,
bony individual of any age between
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 or
:Svengali. spoke fluent French. but
with German accent. His companion
was a little. swarthy young man, pos
sibly a gypsy; under his arm he car
ried fiddle>and bow.
Svengall at once suggested that they
have some music and, seating himself
mt the piano, ran his fingers up and
down the keys with the easy power of
a master. Then he fell 20 playing
Chopin's Impromptu In A fiat, so
beautifully that Little Blllie's heart
was nigh 60 bursting with emotion and
delight He never forgot that I'm
promptu. which he was destined 10
hear again one day in very strange
circumstances.
Then the two. Svengall and his com
panion Gecko made music together so
~iivineiy, indeed, that even Taffy and
the Laird were almost as wild In their
enthusiasm as Billie. but with an en-
thusiasm too deep for words.
Suddenly there came another inter-
rupt1on. loud knuckle-rapping at the
-outer door, and voice OF great vol
ufne, that might belong TO any sex, or
even an angel. uttered the British
mllkman's yodel. milk below" and
before anyone could say "entrez," a
strange figure appeared framed In the
gloom OF the antechamber; the figure
OF very tall and fully developed
young girl. clad In the gray overcoat of
French infantry soldier; below this
there showed short striped petticoat,
and beneath " were visible her bare
white ankles. the toes losing them
selves IN a huge pair OF mems list
slippers.
While not strictly beautiful, the girl
had great charm; she was really much
like healthy young English boy
Closing the door behind her she said
wistfnlly: "Ye're oil Il nglish. now
aren't YET heard the music and
thought I'd just come In for bit and
puss tbe time OF day; you don't mind'