The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-13

part; anda for weeks heVworked iEces-
1santly upon the portraitsot the headagirl,
tmaking sketch after< sketch, each OF
(which was rejected by the rem0rse-
lstricken father, untii'the work, began 70
teXercise a strange kind oi fascination
| over him, and he sketched face after
| face, as if under the influence of spell.
At last, one evening, wearied with a
| day OF fluitless eXertion, he was sitting
| over the fire watching his wife, who sat
opposite, busy upon some needlework,
when an idea suddenly flashed upon
him.
"Tall, fair, with golden hair, and dark
| blue e. es! Why, Helen, it is the very
picture OF yourseiIw he exclaimed,
starting from his seat, taking his Wlle's
fair face between his two hands, ana
gazing intentIy into her eyes.
Without losing moment, he sat down
and commenced 10 sketch Helen's lace !;
and when his strange patron called the
next morning, Harry was SO busily en-
gagged putting the finishing touches to
mis- portrait, that he did not hear him
enter the room, and worked on for some
moments unconscious of his presence,
unbil, with tue cry OF "Heenl my
daugnterW the old man hurried him
aside, and stood entIanced before the
portrait.
After gazing for some minutes in ST.
lence, broken only by his own hall-sup-
messed sobs of remOrse, the old man
turned slowly round TO Harry, and
! asked him, in an eager voice, Wnere he
had obtained the original OF the picture.
sit is the portrait OF my wife, replied
he. ~
"Y our wife, sir! Who was she? par
don me for asking the question:" ne
added; "but have heard lately that M
! poor Helen lett an Orphan daugh! er, al u
for the last SIX months l have been vainly
irving to fad the Child ot my lost daugn-
ter. SO that by Kindness and devotion to
nv grandcniId | might, in part at least.
atone for my Aarsnness toward her
mother"
Harry was beginning to tell him the
story of his meeting with Helen at Rome,
and their subsequent marriage, WheU
the door opened, and his vile entered
| The room.
PerceIying that her husband was en-
gagged, she was about TO retreat, when
the old gentleman stopped her, and az
ter looking earnestly in her lace for a
few moments. exclaimed. pardon me
madam-cau you Tell me your mothers
maiden name"
"Helen Treherne," replied Helen
wonderingly.
IL knew it--1 knew it' exclaimed
the old man, in an excited voice.. "At
last, have founu the CHILD OF my poor,
lost daus shterW
In a iew words Mr.. Treherne eX-
planned how he mad cast off his only
child on account OF her marriage with a
poor Off aer, and refused even to open
her letters when she wrote asking for
| forgiveness.
'But, thank Heavenw said he, when
he had flashed his sad story, 81 can
atone i'll some measure 1or my harsh
ness toward my Helen, by taking her
Helen to my heart and making her my
daughter"
Ii is needless to add that when Sir
Philip Mars on heard that his son had
married the heiress of one OF the finest
and Oldest estates in the country, he at
once wrote a letter of reconciliation to
Harry; and, alter all Helen eventually
became mistress of Marston Hail, i'll the
picture gallery Of which no painting is
more valued and treasu ed IMAM "Ihe
Mysterious Portrait"