Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-14

sense, I was sufficiently concerned
for his health and sanity to come
ever in the summer and spend 9
couple of months in London, Though
perhaps I flatter myself, I believe
that when one of his now recurren'
a ttacks Of melancholia threatened tt
master him I was the means o1
pullingShim up on the brink Of sui
eide, and When left he had settled
down to at feast slower method
Of self destruction by excessive work
and somewhat EXCESSIVE drinking
In time l hoped he would~recovel
enough of his old-time indifference
to dispense with even these aids t
oblivion but illness attacked weak:
ened constitution and "a broker
moral resistance, and he flickere6
out like rushlight, as I have al
ready suggested, before he had giver
himself time to struggle against
death.
That he made no reference tt
Blanca hardly surprised me, though
1 was glad to be spared questions
which would only have elicited>that
my prophecy was being fulfilled. He,
passion for Gaunt, held in check and
mastered by the shrewd knowledge
that she could never make him q
suitable wife, was unhappily not
killed when she ran away from his
importantly nor even when he said
goodbye to Italy, AS had predicted
her mind was unsettled, for time
at least she could think of no one
else; and her obsession was most
pathetic in that her old sweetheart
from association with her tragedy
was the man of all men whom she
refused even to meet.
''In time :" L used to say. He
and I had no quarrel; and, though
at first he suspected me as Gaunt's
friend, l overcame his hostility with
most genuine sympathy. "In time
my friend. . We know what
girls are. :"
And then, with troubled eyes and
his face drawn into its perpetual
scowl, Antonio--if that was indeed
his name-would generalize about
women and would counsel patience
and give him what encoura cement
I could. If l found this difficult al
all times, it became impossible on the
day when he told me that Blanca
had disappeared; though neither
dead nor spirited away, she was nc
longer at home, and it was unsafe
to ask her mother what had become
of her.
My unhappy friend fancied for a
time that Gaunt had somehow
swooped through the night air and
borne her away in his talons, but
I could tell him with confidence that
he need fear no rivalry from a man
who replied to an invitation from
nee by saying, with less than his
usual irony or polish, that he might
indeed come to stay with me in
Campitello-life was so uncertain
that only a fool would prophesy OF
bind himself by oaths-but that he
would both prophesy and swear that
he would go sooner to the neither
most pit of hell than return to the
shadows and memories of my studio
1 never saw Blanca again. Before
long, as Antonio discontinued hi.
calls, ceased even to hear of her
and, if Gaunt at his death had lef
her anything, I should have beer
puzzled to trace her. He himsel
and all that chapter Of my life were
fading out OF mind when / received
a letter in which Sidney Macebridge
an English collector whom I hat
known by name for many years
asked whether he might come ant
see my pictures.
1--WE have a bond" he added, sir
our poor friend Marshall Gaunt. He
gave me a letter of introduction tt
you, but have had no opportunity
OF using it before. and hope that yor
will not feel that his death invali
dates it."
I replied that I should alway.
welcome any friend of Gaunts; and
when Macebridge arrived, was suf
| ficiently charmed by his address t.
invite him to stay with me. HI
seemed a widely read, we'll found
and much Travelled man, little of g
| bohemian, very much of bachelor
catholic connoisseur, and a fastidi
Gus critic. 1t was inevitable thai
our conversation should begin with
a discussion of Gaunt, but / soor
found that Macebridge could tell me
little that I did not already know;
they had met at the dinner table oi
a friend, Macebridge had followed
up the encouter by calling at the
Mazda Vale studio, and when Gaunt
heard of projected tour in Italy he
had volunteered an introduction.
"He used to stay with you ever,
year. 1 gather" Macebridge added.
+ "As rule" l answered. 'Last
year he broke his rule. . &. I think
he was a little tired of the place
miss him.
| Now that for the first time I had
some one else staying with me
realized the greatness of my loss and