The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-04-18

bruke Der heAn With my hsrthness and
eruslsy exclaimed the old mas ir an
excited, trembling voice.
A strange chill came ever Harry, ~ TIE
idea that bic mysterious visitor must be
80 escaped lunaiic crossed bic mind bat
mastering, with al effort, bis emotion,
The stranger continued
Pardon me, young sir. This u OF no
interest to you. Ny daughter q dead,
aud ! want you TO paint her portrait from
my description, IS perfectly well re-
member her twenty years ago.
| win DO my best, sir, bat II will be no
easy task, aud ySu muss be- PREPARED for
many disappointments, said Harry, when
having given long description the
form and features OF his loug.lost daugh'
ter, the old man roee TO depart aud for
weeks be worked incessantly upon The
mysterious portrait Of the dead girl, max
ing sketch amer sketch, each Of which
was rejected by the remorse stricken
father, until the work began TO exercise
strange fascination over him, and be
skeiched face after face, as If under the
influence OF aspen. Nsr
AT last, one evening, wesried with a
day of fruitless eKeFtion, he Was sitting
over tho FIRE watching his wife, who sat
opposite, busy upon some needlework,
when an idea suddenly flashed upon him.
Tall, fair, with golden bair, and dark
blue eyes? Why, Helen, II is the very
picture Of yourselil be exclaimed, start
ing from his seat, taking his wiie's fair
face between his two hands aud gazing
intentIy into her eyes.
| Without losing moment, be sat down
and commenced to sketch Helen's face !;
and when bis strange patron called the
next morning, Harry was SO busily en-
gagged putting the finishing touches to his
portrait, that be did not bear him enter
the room, and worked on for some mo-
ments unconscious of his presence, until
with the cry of Helen, my daughter the
old man hurried him aside, and stood en-
tranced before the portrait.
Alter gazing. for some minutes In 81.
lence, broken only by bis own hali-sup.
pressed sobs Of remorse, the old man
turned slowly around TO Harry, and ask
ed him in an eager voice, where be had
obtained the original OF the picture.
IL 10 the portrait of my wife, replied
be.
Your wife, sirl Who was she? Par
don me for asking the question, he adj
ded; but | have heard lately that my
poor Helen left an orphan daughter, and
for the last six months have been vainiy
trying TO find the child OF my lost dAugh-
ter, so that by kindness and devotion TO
my grandchild. | might, in part at least,
atone for my harshness toward her moth
err.
Harry was beginning TO tell him the
story Of his meeting with Helen at Rome
and their subsequent marriage, when tie
door opened, and his wife entered the
room. D188E
Perceiving that her husband was en-
gagged, she was about to retreat when the
old gentleman stopped her, and, after
looking earnestly In her face for few
moments exclaimed, Pardon me, madam
can you tell me your mothers maiden
name?
Helen Treherne, replied Helen, won
deringly.
knew it'll knew it'll exclaimed the
old man in an excited voice. Al last
have found the child of my poor lost
daughterl
In few words Mr.. Trehernc explained
how be had cast off his only child on ac-
count of her marriage with poor officer,
and refused even TO open ber letters
when she wrote asking for forgiveness .
But, thank Heaven said be, when be
bad fluished hisssd story, Team atone In
some measure for my harshuess toward
my Helen by taking her Helen to ms
heart, and making her my daughter.
II is needless to add that, when Sir
Philip Marston heard that bis son he'd
married the heiress of one OF the Oldest
and finest estates in the country, be at
once wrote letter OF reconciliation to
Harry, and, after all, Helen eventually
became mistress of Msrston Hall, inthe
picture gallery of which no painting Is
more valued and treasured than The
Mysterious Portrait. ,@a9s
1