Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1877-10-11

openeu the door and ushered white haired
old gentleman into the room.
Placing chair by the fire for his visitor
Harry inquired his business.
You are portrait painter. believe.
SIR Z! said the old gentleman, looking at
him through his old spectacles.
That is my profession, sir said Harry,
delighted at the thought of having found a
commission at last.
We'll, sir, I want you to paint the por-
trait Of my daughter" +"
with pleasure, sir" said Harry eager
sittine?' -
Aas, Sir! she is dead-dcad to me these
twenty years; and / killed hcr-I broke
her heart with my harshnoss and cruelty p
exclaimed the old man, in an excited,
tremlxng voice.
a.ss chill came oyer MarFg Fl s Sc aS
iue@ ailatic; but mastering, with an
efortE mis- emotions, the stranger continued !:
Pardon me, young Sir. This is of no
interest to you. Ny daughter is dead and
| want you to paint her portrait from my
description, as perfectly remember her
twenty years ago"
/ will do my best, Sir; but it will be no
easy task, and you must be prepared for
many disappointments," said Harry, whom
having given him long description of the
form and features of his long lost daughter,
the old man rose to depart, for weeks he
workH necessarily upon the portrait of the
dead girl; making sketch after sketch,
each Of which was rejected by the remorse
stricken father, until the work began to
exercise a strange kind of fascination over
him, and he sketched face after face, as if
under influence of spell
At last one-evening, worried with day
Of frustless exertion, the was sitting over
the ire watching his wife, who sat opposite,
busy upon some needlework, when am idea
suddenly flashed upon him.
"lad, fair, with golden hair, and dark
bluc.eyes! Why Helen, it is the very
picture Of yourselfp' he exclaimed. starting
from {fsseseat. taking his wifes fair face
10 - t~T@ h@nss aud gazing intently
Without losing n moment. II. so, do,,,
and commenced to sketch Helen's face? and
when his strange patron called the next
morning, Harry was so busily engaged
putting the finishing touches to his portrait
that he did not hear him enter the room,
and worked on for some moments uncon-
scious of his presence, until with the cry Of
''Helcn my daughter!" the old man hurri-
ed him aside, and stood cntranced before
the portrait.
After gazing for some minutes in silence,
broken only by his own half suppressed
sobs of remorsc, the old man turned slowly
round to Harry, and asked him in an eager
voice where he had obtained the original
of that picture.
1T is the portrait of my wife" said he.
"Your wife, Sir Who was she? ,
Pardon me for asking the question" he
added ''but have heard lately that my
poor Helen left an orphan daughter, and
for the last six months have been yainly
trying to find the child of my lost daughter,
so that by Kindness and devotion of my
grandehild | might, in part at least, atone
fet,,, ~ harshness towards her mother"
Harry was beginning to tell him the
| Stor} Of his meeting with Helen at Rome
and their subsequent marriage, when the
door opened, and his wife entered the
room.
Pcrcciying that her husband was cngag-
ed, she was about to retreat, when the old
gentleman stopped her and after looking
earnestly in her face for few moments,
exelamed Pardon me, madam can
you tell me your mothers maiden name y
''Helcn Trchernc," replied Helen, won
deringly.
Il knew it-I knew itr' exclaimed the
old man, in an excited voice. At last, | have
found the child of my poor lost daughter =
In few words MIR. Trohcrne explained
how he had cast off his only child on ac-
count of her marriage with poor officer
and refused even to open her letter when
she wrote asking forgiveness.
But, thank heaven y said he, when he
had finished his sad story, II can atone il
some measure for my harshness toward my
Helen by taking her Helen to my heart
and making her my daughter"
1t is needless to add that when Sir PhiliI
f Marston heard that his son had marrlee
the heiress of one of the finest and eldest
estates in the country, he at once wrote !
, IN Helen eventually 'eeane mistress o
al Hall, in the picture ts~'iv.y :
Slsiai SGio6 no painting is more valued and
,, Treasured than The Mysterious Portrait.