The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1877-09-15
SELECTED NATTER.
THE MYSTERIOUS PORTRAIT.

In small but handsomely furnished
sitting-room in a London hotel, young
lady was sitting in an easy chair before
blazing fire on a dreary November
afternoon. Her hat and cloak lay upon
the table beside her, and from the eager,
impatient glances she turned toward the
door at every sound of footstep on the
staircase outside, it was evident that she
expected a visitor.
At last the door opened, and tall,
aristocratic-looking young man entered
the room.
"Harry, what long time you have
been, she exclaimed, springing up from
| her sedt "What news have you brought?
What does your father say about our
our marriage p hesitating with the
shyness of bride at the last word.
"Read for yourself, Helen" replied
the husband, handing her an open letter
and standing opposite her, leaning
against the marble mantclpiece, watch
ing intently the expression of her fair
young face as she read:
Gin marring as you have done, you
have acted in direct, deliberate opposi-
ton to my wishes. From this day you
are no longer my son, and l wash my
hands of you forever. :"
"Harry, why did you not tell me of
this before - exclaimed Helen, as she
read the hard, cruel words, looking up
through her tears into her husband S
face.
"My darling, what was there to tell?
How could l tell that my father would
act in this hard d-hearted manner? | knew
that he wished me to marry the daugh-
ter of a nobleman living near Marston
Hall, and SO unite the two estates but
l had no idea that he would cast me off
for disobeying his wishes. And even if
l had known it, he added, fondly
clasping his young bride to his heart
and kissing away the tears from her eyes,
81 should not have acted differently
My Helen is worth fifty estates, and as
long as she loves me shall never regret
the loss of Marston Hall and its fair
acres. But, my love-" he continued
more seriously, "there is an end of your
promised shopping expedition into Bond
street. You will have to do without
diamonds now that your husband is a
penniless outcast, instead of the heir of
the fifteen thousand year"
"Hush, Harry Please don't talk like
that" she said in bitter tone. "You
know it was not of diamonds and dresses
| was thinking. But what are you 60
ing to do, Harry? ?" she continued, lay
ing her hand upon his arm, and looking
up sadly into his pale, set face. "You
cannot work for living"
"And why not work for living ?"
he exclaimed in determined voice
Because happen to be the son of a baro-
net, brought up and educated without
any idea or knowledge of business? p? But
l will work for living, and show my
little wife that am not quite unworthy
of the trust and confidence she reposed
in me when she placed this little hand
in mine" he added, STOPPING to kiss
the small white hand that rested confd-
ingly upon his arm.
1t was while pursuing his favorite
study of ofoil-paintings, among the famous
galleries of Rome, that Harry Marston
wooed and won Helen Tracey, gov
erness in an English family residing in
Italy, and an orphan daughter of an Of
ficer in the army. Beforehe had known
her month, Harry, who had been in
love-or fancied himself in love-with
at least half dozen different young
ladies in as many months, felt that he at
last met his fate.
Delighted at the idea of being loved
for himself alone, he had not told her
of his real position and it was not till
after the marriage ceremony was over
that Helen discovered she had married
the eldest son of a baronet, and the
heir to an estate producing fifteen thous-
and year.
1t was not without some inward mis-
givings that Harry wrote to his father
telling him of his marriage, which were