Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-25

ligently under the peach-blossom chln' Inc
eyes were full of coy fascination and mis-
chief they seemed to feel mocking salts
faction in their power to entrance and elude.
It was the spirit of coquetry pcrpetuated,
beautiful face that could never cease to en-
chant and would never droop its golden
fringod lashes under the spell of enchant
ment.
As Mrs. Decker turned from the picture
she caught sight of the subject of the morn
ing's conversation passing abstractcdly be-
fore some portraits at the other end of the
hall. She crossed the apartment impulslvely
and greeted him with outstretched hand
The modest Englishman touched the widows
prettily gloved fingers with grateful rever-
ence Mt once odd and charming, and followed
her meolly Ms she told him enthusiastically
of the gem She had found and her own sym
pathetic admiration Of old portraits. His
eve kinded with admiration us it rested upon
Iletty, who was still standing before the paint
ing.
Il am glad you like it," hc said simply,
''but perhaps you did not notice the owners
name"
Mrs d, ck,r turned the leaves of her cata-
logue rapidly and read, John Featherston-
haugh'
"Why. it is yours :" she exclaimed with
surprise. while Hctty added Il should GER
tainly have thought it n portrait of some
Puritan maiden"
1T probably is, replied Featherstonhaugh.
II have placed the portrait here hoping that
some one might recognize it. am very anx-
ious to find her
But she must have been dend these fifty
years, replied Mrs. Decker.
'Of course Of course" assented the other;
but she may have descendants, and | would
Ike to find them
"Do YOU know her name?'
mo nor where she lived, only that she
was an American and that owe her a repair
alton. The portrait does not belong right
fully to me, and | owe it to my honor to find
the heirs and deliver il to them
'IIow interesting" murmurod Mrs. Deck
er She was consumed with curiosity to
hear the whole story, but the tacturn Eng
lishman did not seem inclined to go on.
There are some fabrics III one of these
rooms, believe lie suggested. That is
very rich brocade, and | have looked at the
wedding dresses Of many grandmother,
hoping to match its pattern; but have never
quite succeeded
Il have no heirooms in the way Of COS
tune, " replied Mrs. Decker, "but | have one
or two family portraits that would be hap
py TO show you. We have one by West of
my grandmother Neomans, who was Qua
kercss.'
'Yes, replied Featherstonhaugh, regard
ing Mrs Decker with the mild stare Of alb
straction, Eyes but you see am not hunt
ing for a portrait. have that; it's the frame
I'm after"
Hetty started, was it possible that he was
mildly insane? Featherstonhaugh noticed
her look and colortd Il see l must explain
myself" he said. There is no one in this
room; if you will step this way I will tell
you all about it,"
Mrs. Decker seated herself, gracously
looking Feathe full in the face, a
polite stare in which expectancy and a GER
tain afiable condescension were strangely
mingled. IIetty fingered her catalogue shy
", and feigned an interest which she did not
feel in the antique necklaces in the case on
which she leaned. There seemed to her an
indelicacy in listening to this bit of personal
history, as though in some way she were
forcing from him a confession of secret.
Il can not remember" began Featherston-
haugh, 1.-THE time when that portrait did not
fascinate me. Ii hung over the mantel of n
room in my fathers country house which We
! call my grandfathor's study. How it came
| by such a name | cannot say, for my grand
father was not in any sense student, and
| if there is book in the room IT was certain
| ly not there in my grandfather's time. His
sword lay on the mantel under the picture, a
lAth VI dnNltuA lllNh AAhAb b'nAsaN ~ hAA' A'Ao
drinking can stood on the chest of drawers
opposite. For long time | supposed the
| picture to be n portrait Of my grandmother,
! but my mother disabused me on this point.
1t seems that my grandfather served under
| Clinton and much to my regret assisted in
| the ATTEMPT to put down American indepeUd-
| tnce at the time OF your Revolution. | have
| another reason to blush for my grandfather ;
| he was. so far as | know, the only member
| Of our family who ever committed dishon- o
orable action. While III America he was
| quart,r,d at the house Of some patriot fam
! iiy who had vacated il for his occupation.
| This portrait hung in one of the rooms. l
| do not know that he ever saw the original
| but lie fell in love with this pictured face
| and when the British left the country he cut
the portrait from the frame and carried it
with him. When my mother told me this
| felt myself dsgracod, and determined if the
opportunity ever came l would restore the
| portrait to its rightful owners.
| Mrs. Decker seemed lost in thought. There
was a little pause before she spoke, but when
she did She extended her sympathetic little
| hand again and there were tears II her eyes
Mrs. Decker's lachrymal glands were of the
most obliging nature, sending down the glis-
tening saline drops at the slightest call of
sentiment
you are a man of honor, Mr.. Feather
stonhaugh," y" she said with a choked voice. and
the little man regarded her emotion with
mingled surprise and helplessness. He was
very near-sighted, and he took of his double
| concaye eye-g -glnsses busted them carefully
and replaced the gold bows on the bridge of
| his aristocratc nose before he could quite be
| leye his senses. Meantime Mrs. Decker had
recovered herself, and drawn from her ele-
CANT card.caso a card bearing her name and
address with Mondays" in the corner, Mrs.
| Decker had chosen Monday as her reception
day because, as she expressed it, it was day
| when mo kitchen scratchers' could make 1t
convenient to call. She presented the bit of
pasteboard with winning grace to the bewil-
dered gentleman.
DO come and see me, Mr., Featherston-
haugh," she pleaded; perhaps l can show
you the very frame you are i'll search of.
| Some one else entered the room as she
spoke; and Mrs. Decker, with the most po-
| lite bow in the world. glid,d past him and
was gone.
"What does she mean about the frame 7!
he turned to ask of Hetty. But that young
lady had all the sensitiyoness of barometer
| 10 sipns of moist weather, and at the first ap-
pearance of tear-drops had folded her water
| proof about her and hurried down stairs.
On arriving at her private boudOir Mrs.
Decker went through with very singular
| performance. btIOft uulglhB hei hHtin boH-
net-strngs she snatched damascened Span
ish dagger. that had hitherto served the inno-
cent purpose of paper-cutter, and rolling
the cenltr-,able directly in front of the man
tel. mounted it and stood with threatening
attitude before the 'old master, st. Fran
els, which beamcd upon her through its
'ocherous mist" like mellow lamp-lght, II
was an exceptionally good copy, and Mrs.
Decker had paid high price for 1t in Flor
ence. but she thrust the inlaid dagger through
the canvas with vicious stab and carried il
around the edge of the picture in long irregu-
lar zigzag lines, until the saint, now doubly
mutiated, fell from his frame.
''He will come" she said to herself as she
rolled mn the bit of canvas and regarded the
frame with satisfied air. Curiosity is the
ruling passion with men. He will come"
And Mrs. Decker was quite right; Feath-
erstonhaugh presented himself at precisely
half past three on the following Monday and
was shown by the maid, not to the reception
| room nroper but to the same little boudon