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


ent young. ladies in as many months, iclt
that he had at last met his fate. "'a j>93f q
& Delighted at the idea Of being loved
for himself alone, he had n;otstold her Of
his real position, and it was not stillathe
marriage ceremony was over that Helen
discovered that she had married the eldest
son Of 2 bar0net, and the heir to an estate
producing, e15, 900 a 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 we
have seen by the letter from Sir Philip
Marston, which awaited him; at his club
on his return to England with his bride.
But, full OF confidence in his ability to
maintain himself and wife by his own
oxertions, ana thinking that surely his
father would relent and be reconciled to
him after a time, Harry troubled himself
very little about his lost inheritance and
though their; new home!'- consisting of
three small, poorly furnished rooms in q
back street-was very different from the
grand old mansion to which he had hoped
to take his bride, he set to work cheerful
~ at his favorite art. and tried hard to
earn a living by painting pictures and
portraits. But he soon fonad that it was
not SO easy as he thought. .,aI
1t was all very we'll When he was heir
to Marston Hall, and, studied painting
mere ~ from love Of art ;but picture-deal
ers, who in those days had been all flat
terry and obsequiousness 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. 49,. 49,. ....',...
At last, one .dreary afternoon, when
Harry was sitting in the little room he
called his studio, trying to devise some
b bGTz, scheme to replenish his slender
ushered white-haired old gentleman in
to the room. y.; >.
Placing his chair by the fire for his Wis
itor,. Harry inquired his business.
"You are portrait-painter, believe,
sir?" said the old gentleman, looking at
him through his gold spectaclcs. e.
"That is my profession, SIR replied
Harry, delighted at the thought: of having
found /, commission at last.
well, sir, 1,want you to paint the por-
trait Of my daughter
] with plcasiirc, SIR said Harry ca
gcrly. "When can the lady give me the
first sitting?:'
"Alas sir, she is dead--dead to Inc
these twenty years, and I killed her,
broke her heart with my harshness and
cruelty!" exclaimed the old man, in an
excited trembling voice.
A strange chill, came over Harry rs the
idea that his mysterious visitor must be
an escaped lunatic crossed his mind; but
mastering, with an effort, his emotion, the
stranger continued. il.
interest to YOU. My daughter is dead,
and I want you to paint her portrait from
my description; as perfectly we'll re-
member her twenty years ago" :;:... -;
II will do my best, sir, but it will be
no easy task, and you must be prepared
for many disappointment" said Hairy,
when, having given long description of
the form and features of his long lost
daughter, the old man rose to depart,
and for weeks be worked necessarily
upon the mysterious 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 strange kind Of fascination over
him, and he sketched face after face, as il
under the influence of spell.
AT last, one evening, wearied with a
day of fruitless exertion, he was sitting
over the. fire watching his wife, who sat
opposite, busy with some needlcwork,
when an idea suddenly flashed upon him.
''Tall, fair, with golden hair and dark
blue eyes? Why Helen, it is the very
picture of yturself!' he exclaimed, start
ing from his seat, taking his wife's fair
face between his two hands, and gazing
intently into her eyes.
Without losing a moment he sat down
and commenced to sketch Helcn's face
and when his strange patron called the
next day, Harry was so busily engaged
putting the finishing touches to his por-
trait that be did not hear him enter the
room, and worked for some moments I'M
conscious Of his presence, until, with the
cry Of "Helen, my daughter!'' the old
man hurried him aside, and stood en-
tranced before the portrait.
After gazing for some minutes IN
silence, broken only by his own half
suppressed sobs of remorse, the old man
turned slowly around to Harry, and
asked him in an eager voice where lie
had obtained the original of the picture.
1T is the portrait OF my wife," replied
he. -" =, -. =.
:""Your wife, sir! Who was she? Par
don me for asking the question: he
added; "but / have heard lately that my
poor Helen left an orphan daug hter, ana
for the last six months have been vain
ly trying to find the child of my lost
daughter, so that by kindness and devo-
ton to my grandchild I might, in part at
least, atone for harshness toward her
mother" -.-
Harry Vas beginning to tell him the
story Of his meeting with Helen at Rome,
and their subsequent marriage, when the
door opened, and his wife entered the
room.| IL 80. 80; :-l;. 1~'''
sjzPerceiving that her husband was en-
gagged, she was about to retreat, when
the old gentleman stopped her, and after
looking earnestlyin her face for a few
moments, exclaimed, Pardon NEE mad
| anne, can :, you tell me your mother 5
maiden name?"' ''.~
Helen Trdhernc,"j replied Helen;
wonderingly. ,r~-.:~.''>
II knew it, I knew it!'' exclaimed the
old man, in an excited voice. ''At last /
have found the child of my poor lost
daughterW .E4... .,.,.. :: I'D: = ,,.,A
In few words Mr.. Treherne explained
how he had cast of his only child on ac-
count Of her marriage with poor officer,
and refused even TO-: open her letters
when she wrote asking; for: forgiveness.
"But, thank Heaven!' said he, when
he had finished his sad story, II can
atone in some measure for my harshness
toward my Helen by taking her Helen to
my heart and making her my daughter"