, 1883-11-24

bhN oNSNN u - otilhlhSlS INV tii'b VI
a young Boston beauty who is max
ing her debW in New York"
So poor Eaton was dead, and his
piCture-my picture-was a succe' s,
and-Anita hadlived in Boston when
she was twelve!
l hurried to the black and white
that very afternoon, and found quite
IA group collected about my picture
-EatOn's picture. l laughed some
what nervOusly as | stood before it.
Some one behind me spoke. 1t was
Gleason. "You needn't laugh, man!
l am glad to see you back, blythe
way. There is some force in that,
and am glad for poor Toms sake
that he has left this sketch behind
him. give you MY word. ] had no
| idea he could do as well. He couldn't
have while he was sane. Every one
is surprised. How are yOu?- You
look pale. Have you come back to
stay?" etc, etc. l fingered around
for awhile, and found myself back
again, and again, before my picture
-Eaton's picture-the picture never
to be claimed as mine now. Itchanced
l had told the story to no one. There
had been no opportunity. Now, Of
course, / never must. AS | stood
looking at it, and somewhat moved,
perhaps, more by the remembrance
Of that night than by anything actu-
ally before my eyes, two girls and an
elderly woman approached and
Stopped.
ait certainly is like her, mamma;
l wonder il she will set it herself?
1t is quite time she were here, by-the-
by. She promised to meet us at 3,
you know.DN
81 dOn'tthink it does her JUSTICE"
replied the elder lady, after looking
through her glasses, critically. "She
is a very beautiful creature, and this
face is less So" she ended rather
indefinitely, and with some hesita-
tion in her voice, 50 that l fancied
the picture grew on as she looked,
and that she might yet reverse her
decision.
The other girl spoke now. She had
a discerning face, as could see, and
that long upper lip that goes with
speech faculty. at is like" she said,
''more like her soul than her body.
1t is like the way she will look to her
guardian angel, or her lover" Size
turned abruptly to greet some people
who were walking toward us. e.
Iwassingularly excited. The man
lac in the boat had no such paralyzing
power over me as this potcntiality in
a soft gray gown with long, gray
glove outstretched. My heart beat
and the picture swan before my
eyes, for this might be, might it not,
Anita herself? | heard voice ex-
/ claim; "This is the picture !" a lady
in black with the gray girl began an
apology: awe are late. As usual,
SignOr Boldini and some new music.
Ahw interrupting herself ait is like
why, yes, very. "DOn't you think
so yourself ?"-the name at last,
surely-but nO-"don't you think 81
yRIrself, dear?'
"Yes, do tell us what you think.
Isn't she wierd ? and can you look
like that ?" cried the girls.
"Ah! the other me!" said a new
voice, softly-a voice with a low
thrill in it. at is like what / might
have been, Pm sure. Some one told
me once when was a child, l re-
member, that was like the moon,
but having lived eight years since
then in a food of sunshine'-and
the gray hand touched the black
glove near hers, a grateful touch,
felt sure-''why, am not so much
like it now as l was"
"In spite of the smile that YOU
always will and always won't smile,
outright That is the face in the,
moon, too, you see. Did you ever,
meet Mr.. Eaton ?''
"And do you think the girl very
beautiful, and very much like a man
iac's dream9" broke in the shorter
girl. "Do tell US, Anita"
SO then it was Anita. l Iturned, and
as ! walked away faced the bIue-gray
eyes, like violets, and the hair like
shaded moon-beams, and the smile
| Not the little twelve-year old Anita
this, but beautiful, sunny creature,
with the other Anita somehow sug-
gested, and yet not there. This one
more Of the world, with a sdroire--
tdire lying over the moonsbMe..
had meant, if it were sbe,. to speak
to herat once and boldly. As it was,
| simply gazed, and. when her eyes
met mine fear it was l, not she,
who blushed. But she recognized
me. My identity was all in my face,
l am sure, Isaw a puzzled look in
her eyes, and L seized MY chance.
l bowed; spoke:
"Hears ago you knew me, Miss.
Grayson, When l was boy in Boston,
and when yOuuwere like the moon"
l was presented to the aunt in
black. My father had been one O
the old family friends. So in few
moments l was talking like an old
friend myself. Mrs. Grayson tou he'd
on my recent loss, and then, as /
turned to leave, said:
81 should be glad to know your.
fathers son. Cau you dine with US
on Sunday next ?"
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So the golden gates we're opened
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