Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02

+ W. the answer to nv demand would
/ %H,an me- war, Just closed, had left the
lef. mana family OF Hillerton, a it had
A', .rh many Others, penniess.
inn "elcome l met with was touch
iMg n cordial; foran advance post had
d;sagras . note from me explaining the
:eeaoie nature Of my visit, and ex-
pressing the hope that. whatever its
bot.salaee' the friendship SO long existing
oof"een US might remain unchanged.
IcundC Colonel Hillerton, the head
ol an interesting little family, a devoted
.atner and husband. United in him
ne.e tnese sterling qualities of head and
heart which had made him beloved Of
us ciassmates and college associates;
hao him foremost in the field of
pa1tle n prominent in the councils of
nls state. He was a singularly hand
some man, of commanding mien, and
wonderfully magnetic. One of that
Iare type We meet once or twice in a
NE Time to remind us that God made
mar as the crown and glory of His Gre
atlve work.-not as an after-thought; q
man from whose presence one went
forth refreshed and made stronger; a
man with q warmth of affection for men
IN general to which before he might
have been q stranger.
The first evening spent at Hillerton
l count among the few happy n of
M, Life. 1t was tacitly agreed that moth
ing in the way OF business should mar
the first hours of our reunion; indeed,
they passed SO swiftly while we sat be-
fore he great Fireplace talking of early
days that we were startled by the VEN
cradle clock ina distant alcove announce
ing midnight with due de%liberation and
solemnity.
The Colonel and I we're alone before
the blazing tire-in fact, we had been
for some time-and this emphatic decla-
ration of the old time-piece that the last
hour of the twenty-four had passed
brought us back with something of a
jerk to our present whereabouts.
"Well," laughed Hillerton, as he
sprang up, poker in hand, and
assailed the drowsy FIRE, 'here
we've been sitting like two boys just
beginning the holidays and
enjoying the usual privilege Of keeping
late hours. But your coming. Ned, has
been like a shaft of sunlight, though a
dark cloud is following close upon it.
However, after your long ride over the
mountain roads you will not quarrel
with your bed, l reckon. Before we
retire let me give you a glimpse Ct the
picture-gallery-it's on our way up
stairs-as 1 want you to see the picture
OF Sir Guy l used to tell you of at col
lege. Don't mind the hour. Some of
tie portraits will appear all the better
by candle-light, especially Sir Guys.
Lighting a couple of large wax can
dies and placing one in my hand, Hill
lerton led the way through several
apartments to the one designated.
s.There!" exclaimed he, pausing be-
fore a full-length portrait, '.is the pic
ture of Sir Guy, and tradition SAYS q
very faithful one. Below, casven into
toldsyou Of"
l confess that l was startled, as, in
the wavering light of the tapers, 1
gazed upon the portrait about which so
recently 1 had been thinking and had
heard so much in my college days. At
the first glance itscemed as if the figure
was in the verNeact of stepping toward
me, though ina second more the il
fusion, if it were one, had vanished. l
saw before me, painted upon a broad
p panel Of highly polished 9akthe picture
dressed in the pi. turesque garb of the
old cavaliers. His head was barred.
the flowing locks were slightly flecked
with gray, the neatly trimmed beard
was snowy white, and the eyes large,
keen and stern in their expression. His
left hand rested upon the richly carved
bilt of a sword, while with the other
extended, as If in the act Of command,
he held the baton of a tield-marshal.
The right foot was advanced a tritle be-
yond the line of. the body, and this
slight distinction, together with the
brightly polished background of the
| picture, caused, l think, the fleeting M
preston made upon me when L first be-
held it.
"Come, you must not linger all night
| Ned, over that freak of my worthy an
c~estor," and Hillerton's CHEEKY voice
recalled me from my reverie. "Ihere
was a touch of martinet in the old gen.
tleman," he continued, as he slowly
conducted me to the guests chamber.
"Ihe picture was painted upon that
panel ny LIS cNpiesS ulfecllOuS some
three years before he died, and the
verse carved after that event by special
| directions iii his WILL"
"'Ihe art st, poor fellow, was one
whom he picked up in Basic, and
brought him cross the seas especially
to paint this picture. He almost
starved the man while he was slit NJ to
him, | have been told, because he held
that a man did bett rwork on an empty
stomach and o meal in prospect than
he could after disposing of the meal.
He pinned the thinner down to the mi
nutest details of his person and cos
tune, and required that the portrait be
rigidly correct. 1t has come down to
us that the poorartist, anxious to please,
attempted TO improve a little upon the
original by introducing a benevolent
smile into the severe features of Sir
Guy, and was obliged to paint the
whole head over again to appease his
b%enefactor. 1t is from these facts we
trust the picture as beinssssoneof extreme
fidelity"
But here we are," and my host
=. ho,.oI ana ;pfn a Sna . O,la nrartmnlfk.