Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-01

his real position, and it was not till tn,
marriage ceremony was over that Heller
discovered that she had married the eldcs
son OF barOnet, and the heir to an estate
producing e15,0O0 year.
1t was not without some inward mis-
givings that Harry wrote to his father
telling him of his marriage, which were
more than realized by the result, as W,
have seen by the letter from Sir PhiiI
Marston. which AWAITED. him at his clui
on his return to England with Ills bride
But, full of confidence in his ability t,
maintain himself and wife by his owr
cxertions, ana thinking that surely his
father would relent and be rcconcilcd t,
him after time, Harry troubled himself
very little about his lost inheritance; ano
though their new home consisting OF
three small, poorly furnished rooms in {,
back strcct-was very different from the
grand old mansion to which he had hoped
to take his bride, he set to work cheerful
ly at his tavoritc art. and tried hard to
earn living by painting pictures and
portraits. But he soon tonnd that it was
not SO easy as he thought.
1 1t was all very we'll when he was heir
to Marston Hall, and studied painting
mere ly from love ofart but picturc-deal
crs, who in those days had been all flat
terry and obsequiOusncss to the young
heir, now that he finally wanted to sell
| his pictures. and sketches, shook their
heads, and politely but firmly declined
to purchase.
At last, one drcary afternoon, when
Harry was sitting in the little room he
called his studio, trying to devise some
nGW scheme to rcplcnish his slender
ushcred white haired old gentleman in
to the room.
Placing his chair by the fire for his Wis
itor. Harry inquired his business.
"lou arc ii painter, ! believe,
Sir::' said the old gentleman, looking at
him through his gold spcctaccs
That IS my profession, sir" replied
Harry, delighted at the thought OF having
| found a commission at last.
"Wc|l, sir, want you to paint the por-
trait of my danshtcr.'
"Wi!h E!casiirc, SIR said Harry ca
gerry. "Whrn can The lady give me tn,
first sitting?'
"Alas! sir, she is dcad--dead to lnt
these twenty years, and l killed her
broke her heart with my harshness and
cruelty!' exclaimed the old man, in AZ
excited trembling voice.
A strange chill, came over Harry as tn.
idea that his mysterious visitor must be
an escaped lunatc crossed his mind; but
mastering, with an effort, his emotion. the
stranger continued
"Pardon me, yvung sir. This is of nc
interest to you. My daughter is dead
and want you to paint her portrait from
my desert ption: as perfectly we'll re-
member her twenty years ago"
81 will Go my best, sir, but it will bt
no easy task, and you must be prepared
for many disappointnents,' said Harry
when, having given a long description o.
the form and features of his long los
daughter, the old man :osc to depart
and for weeks he worked incessantl,
upon the mysterious portrait Of the dcac
girl, making sketch after sketch, each o
which was rejected by the remorsc
stricken father, until the work began t.
exercise a strange kind of fascination Owe
him, and he sketched face after face, as j
under the influence Of spell.
At last, one evening, wcaricd with
day of fruitless excrtion, he. was sitting
over the fire watching his wife, who sa
opposite, busy with some necdlcworlS
when an idea suddenly hashce! upon him
Tall, fair, with golden hair and darl
blue eyes? Why Helen, it is the yer,
picture Of yourself" he exclaimed, start
ing from his seat, taking his wifes fa
face between his two hands, and gazing
intently into her eyes.
Without losing a moment he sat down
and commenced to sketch Helcns face
and when his strange patron called tn
next day, Harry was so busily engaged
putting the finishing touches to his por
trait that he did not hear him enter tn
room, and worked for some moments I'm
conscious Of his presence, until, with tn
cry of 'Helen, my daughter!' the ole
man hitrricd him aside, and stood Ell
tranced before the portrait.
After gazing for some minutes il
silence, broken only by his own half
suppressed sobs Of remorsc, the old ma,
turned slowly around to Harry, ant
asked him in an eager voice where IL
had obtained the original Of the picture
1T is the portrait OF my wife," rep:ie,
he.
'Your wife, sir! Who was she? Par
don me for asking the question" hi
added; "but have heard lately that III,
poor Helen left an orphan daughter, an<
for the last six months I have been vain
ly trying to find the child of my los
daughter, SO that by kindness and dcvo
ton to NV grandchild might, in part a
least, atone for harshness toward hc1
mother.'
Harry was beginning to tell him thu
story of his meeting with Helen at Rome
and their subsequent marriage, when tn,
door opened, and his wife entered tn,
room.
Perceiving that her husband was en-
gagged, she was about to retreat, whel
the old gentleman stopped her, and aftc
looking earnestly in her face for a few
moments, exclaimed, ''Pardon me, mad
anne, can you tell INC your mother
maiden namc?'
"Iclen Trehernc," replied Helen
wonderingly.
Il knew it, I knew it!' exclaimed thu
old man, in an excited voice. at last
have found the child of my poor los
daughter!!"
In a few words Mr.. Trehcrne explained
how he had cast off his only child on &C
count Of her marriage with a poor officer
and refused even to open her letter
when she wrote asking for forgiveness.
"But, thank Heavcn!' said he, whel
he had finished his sad story, II ca,
atone in some measure for nv harshnes
toward my Helen by taking her Helen t
my heart and making her my daughter.
1t is needless to add that when 81
Philip Marston heard that his son ha<
married the hcircss Of one of the fines
and Oldest estates in the country, he a
once wrote q letter of reconciliation t
Harry, and, after all, Helen eventuall.
became mistress of Marston Hall, in tn
picture gallery of which no painting i
more valued and treasured than 9TH
Mysterious Portrait.'
| Kinu and Snrvonf