Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05


4 ss IT, Paris TINS often happens IN
In sunshine and limpid air he
strolled along the quays. quick, light step
after him. a bulky walked up to
him. He found himself looking up at the large
face OF Monsieur Dubois of the Surete face
of renown in the world of crime
my dear friend sure Of it. I knew
that backl What a pleasure to see it. You
some TO Paris for business"
'Oh. hush. That's horrible idea. I came
to feel alive"
Dubois chuckled. "Aha-Paris in April
it is delicious. You are alone? That was
wicked not to bring madame. But you must
lunch with me-,
Rather. Yes. My wifes in Italy Just
1 was feslin' strong enough to look at
the pictures. What's the Salon like this year?'
Mot bad" Dubois shrugged. Come
then-I give myself the morning"
They turned into the Grand Palais The
earnest crowd of the first days working its
way round the walls, taking the duty of criti-
cism seriously.
Dubois also began at the beginning But
MIR. Fortune does not look at pictures like that
and these pictures did not compel his attention
He drifted on. 1t wGs in one of the less
fashionable corners that Dubois found him
again.
Pardon my friend, desert you"
MY fault" Reggie looked dreamily at a
queer picture Il just wondering You
take your pleasures SERIOUSLY in France.
I've heard more principles of art than
thought there were" He drew closer to the
queer picture. Whats the rule for that?"
Dubois stared at it, shrugged. made
grimace. None 1t has broken them all"
The picture was the first glance stiff
pattern in dark gray and pale yellow, rays of
yellow straight up and down in front of sharp
angular masses of gray. "A problem of
geometry illustrated in color" said Dubois with
contempt.
Il wouldn't say that" Reggie murmured
mo. / wouldn't say that" His eyes saw the
two colors take many shades in such conflict
Of light and dark comes when the is
fighting through storm clouds, and the sharp
pattern passed into a darkness which had
fern. and the light came from far, and in the
heart of light was a face. very queer
picture.
Reggie sighed. Look at the face" he said
Il do not know him. He is perhaps the god
in the sun"
1t would be-" Reggie murmured. Built up
OF light, the face was a part OF the pattern
yet a face distinct, of Greek beauty, but
pitiful with knowledge Of sorrow. Yes.
wonder. Do you know the fellow who did it?"
DUBOIS looked at his catalog. zone named
Artus. Maurice Artus. He is of the young
ones. But not quite SO young he used to
be- He begins to arrive they say. did not
know he did horrors like this"
He turned the pages of the catalog. aha.
Here is another picture by Monsieur Artus
Harvest Shall we try?"
"One moment. What DOES he call this?"
Reggie fingered.
This nightmare geometry? He calls it
Diversions in He'll" Dubois shrugged. He
is not even serious with his horrors Come
let us see If he has painted anything in his
other picture"
He had. There nothing obscure about
that 1t showed that Monsieur Artus could
paint with an easy command of his craft. The
picture was in gray tones. but sharp and
clear; farmstead in a barren country. a
peasant and his wife harnessed to a cart of
sodden sheaves-old folk bent and straining
Out of the craftsmanship came vision of the
ug'iness Of age and the misery Of its futile
suffering.
YES Reggie murmured. "a picture painted
to say how clever it is and make you wish
you'd never been born"
Dubois looked at him with tolerant affection
Dear friend, you want art TO make you feel
comfortable. But come. You shall have your
comfortable art. Lunch, my friend"
The Carbonieux had fresh vivacity and
Reggie drank and drank again. yet you are
pensive. my friend" Dubois protested He
haunts you with his affected nightmare, that
advertiser"
oh no. I rather liked his nightmare. It's
the other thing bothered me. l wondering
about him." woman was coming into the
restaurant. slim and graceful in the blue of
forget-me-nots II think you're wrong about
that queer picture 1 think he'd felt it ALL
did"
Dubois put up his eyebrows What then?