Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-01-20


On first looking at the painting there
came from Mr.. Vanderwater and his fair
companions simultaneous cries, not of ad-
miration but of astonishment Miss Van
derwater dropped the arm of the artist, and
eonvulsively clasped that of her father,
pointed nervously to the picture and whis-
pered in his ear. His sister made similar
movements, and hurried exchange of whisp-
ers was had between the two ladies' Mr..
underwater passed his hands before his
eyes, re-adjusting his eye glasses, as if fear
full they had deceived him, and then, after
a few seconds of observation of the picture,
he turned full upon Mr.. Shannon, who stood
slightly in the back ground. A number of
The promeuaders. attracted by the strange
manner of Mr.. Fanderwater and the ladies,
had gathered near by. and now observed with
evident interest, the scene enacted before
the picture.
At length Mr. Vanderwater spoke, ad-
dressing himself to Mr.. Shannon in cu-t but
still impassioned phrases. in which the emo
ton he felt was smothered, but concealed.
THE face of your Venus is not concep
ton of your own p he asked.
Mr. Shannon did not answer.
''It is portrait ?'' continued Mr.. Van
derwater, still interrogative.
Still Mr.. Shannon did not answer. He
afterwards confessed to me that he was
somewhat surprised by the questions.
'tCome, sir, continued Mr. Vanderwa-
ter, ''you must answer. You had model
for that face-and figure ?''
- Yes," answered Shannon. "Yes 1
had a model"
Who?"
4 beg your pardon, Mr.. Vanderwater
you have no right to ask.
''But l do ask; will know-I have
right
''When you have proved the right will
answer the question -
This is too easily proved, fear Here?"
he exclaimed, seizing and opening locket
which hung around his daughters neck
do you see that? Is that not her por-
trait
Good heavens?" exclaimed Shannon,
looking at the face in the locket How
came you by this ?''
1t is the same then?'
The same? Yesl But how here-how came
you with it?"
Easily enough, sir The lady, your mod
el, sir, with a sneer and curl on his lip
is my wife. -
Before Shannon could speak, Mr. Van
derwater said:
You shall hear from me again" And full
of rage, the old man left the room, bearing
the ladies on his arms, and endeavoring as
as best he could, but with little success, to
conceal the emotion and excitement under
which he was laboring.
Shannon was utterly umbfounded by the
denouement, and I found him on entering
the Academy. ten minutes after this occa-
sion, endeavoring to reconcile the conflicting
facts. He at once informed me of the Incl
dent-the simultaneous recognition by Mr.
Nanderwater. his sister and daughter, of
the remarkable portrait, the statement of
Mr. Vanderwater that the model was his
wife, the possession by him of photograph
Of the lady, and yet the impossibillity of
her being his wife
He suddenly turned and said
Has Mr.. Vanderwater been twice mar
ried?''
No"
Then his wife, if the, mother of the
young lady l met last evening, is a woman
of forty or more"
About forty-two, l should say. She
married young"
Then itcannot be her But pshaw what
am thinking of? OF course she can't be
Lis wife, as
He hesitated, and l asked ''why?"
It's OF no consequence. She is not over
nineteen."
Did you explain this?''
Il had not time. He left me too alb
ruptly."
You can't, of course, satisfy him that
she was not his wife -
4 can at least assure him SO, for | never
saw Mrs. Van erwater.
Yet she has been for year past in Eu-
rope-last winter in Rome.
Singular, isn't it? Nevertheless my mod
cI was not Mrs Vanderwater.
who was she?'
"a young Italian girl whom met en-
route to Florence in 1865, when | was going
II Rome She was alone-in trouble-ev-
identity flying from some one, protected
her. and she accompa MED me to Rome. "
Nv here you set her up in business as a
model, and"
Stop, Harry no jokes on that subject,
# you please. -
Il beg pardon, my boy, but"
Il can tell you no more than this. )"
'Will that satisfy VanderwaIer
TO tell you the truth, my dear fellow, l
don't care whether 1t does or not will ex-
plain no further -
On the following day saw Mr.. Wander |
water. l was not authorized by Shannon to
do so, but | presumed on our friendship
though somewhat cooled since his return
from Rome, some other friend having won
some of his affection-to act IN his interest
Mr.. Nanderwater gave me a warmer well |