Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-02-18
gu Original Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
AN UNQUlET LIFE.
CHAPTER VIII.
BY STANLEY STCLAIR.

CHAPTER VIII.
When Dolly had left Mrs. Fairlax's cham
Der on the day of her first visit, that lady
rose from her chair, (though but i'll able to
walk), feebly crossed the room, and having
first locked the door to guard against in
trnsion. opened her desk, which stood on a
little table near window, and drew there
from a velvet case containing two minia-
tures. One of these was likeness OF her
husband, painted in his early youth. The
other that of sister whom he had lost in
childhood, and to whom he had borne at
that time striking resemblance.
Sinking into a chair, Mrs. Fairfax gazed
long and earnestly at these pictures:
'Strange, strange" she murmured, as she
pressed her hand to her throbbing fore
head "The likeness is almost marvellous.
1t surely cannot exist in my imagination
alone! And yet-and yet-could it be pos
sible-?" ,o,
Her face sank upon her hands. "Oh, she
cried aloud fervently, "oh, that twere so =
But not is a wild dream of mine. 1t
must be only fancy. After all these years,
how can dare nOO to hope?"
Again she scanned the pictures, until the
tears filled her eyes and obscured the eX-
uuisitely portrayed features from her view.
She closed the case, and pondered long and
intensely. At last she sought her sofa and
composed herself to rest, for this new agi-
tation that had seized her was eliminating
into feverish headache, and she was anx,
ious to retain her strength, already reduced
by recent illness. She did not, however,
restore the miniatures to her desk, but slip
ped them under her pillow, and from that
time forth she kept them constantly in her
reach, often examining them anew when
no one was present. An inexplicable re-
luctance to show them to Magdalen made
heyiayariably put them out of sight when
she heard the latter approach, or was ex-
pecting visit from her.
One day, as it chanced, Mrs. Burton en-
tered her room while she was asleep, and
the velvet case had slipped from its usual
place under her pillow and fallen to the
ground Magdalen picked it up, and a nat
ural motive of curiosity prompted her to
open it. AS she did so, a look OF astonlsh-
ment came upon her face; and with hasty
glance at the sleeper, she moved away to
the window where she could obtain bet
ter light. =,
"Where and when could she have had
this taken ?" she said to herself; then a
date and some letters in the lower corner of
the frame met her eye.
"E. G.. F." were the initials; the date
was twenty years back. Her astonishment
increased.
Whose likeness was it? She could have
vowed that it was Dolly's but she saw now
that her first impression must have been an
erroneous one. 1t must be some former
member of the family of whom she knew
nothing. But the resemblance! it was
wonderful. a suspicion shot like light
ming through her brain-a most unwelcone
suspicion so unwelcome that she Instant
ly tried to Danish it, but could not succeed
in the attempt. Should she impart it to
her husband? Nowhere was the use? 1t
might only set him off on a false track, re-
sulting in disappointment, and opening
afresh the old wound in Mrs. FairfaX's
heart. Such, at least, she fiattered herself
was her motive, in keeping her ideas on
the subject secret in her own mind.
She quietly restored the case to the spot
from whence she had taken it, and left the
room without disturbing the unconscious
sleeper.
Day and night the thought of that singu-
lar resemblance continued to haunt her !;
she became SO occupied and diStrdite that
her husband more than once startled her by
asking her what she was in a brown study
about.
She resolved to find out, at any rate, who
was the original of the picture; but she was
obliged to await suitable opportunity to
do so, as she perceived that for some reason
or other Mrs. Fairfax was evidently unwii-
ling to show it to her. At last this oppor-
tunity arrived, and finding the invalid
studying the miniature when one day she
entered her room at an unsual hour, she was
able without any special manoevre to put
the desired question.
"What lovely face that isl" she re-
marked in and easy tone, looking over the
lady's shoulder. "Is it a youthful likeness
of yourself?"
"Oh MOI" replied Mrs. Fairfax, not be-
t-aying the fact that she felt disconnected.
"The likeness is that of little sister of Mr..
Fairfax-Elizabeth, who died when only
seven years old. This on the opposite side
is my husband; have l never shown it to
YOU before?"
"Never; was not aware that you had it.,
until now" unblushingly answered her
companion. GLOW very handsome he must
have been."
"He was, and his sister was like him
remarkably so, in their childhood. There
was very little difference in their ages."'
Eyes, 1 see the resemblance" said Mag
dalen.
"Magadalen," earnestly said Mrs. Fair
fax, hesitatiug little, while the color came
and went on her delicate face, "dO you OBJ
serve any other resemblance-I mean, to
any person living now"
Magdalen bent down, feigning to scruti-
"Why no, 1 can't say that do," she
presently replied. "Do you?"
II thought, 1 fancied that 1 did, said Mrs.
Fairfax, with a look of deep disappoint-
ment. "But since you do not remark it, l
was no doubt mistaken"
"Would you mind telling me to whom
you allude:' ,..., 49,,
II allude to Dolly-to your little girl.
1t seemed to me"
"To Dollyw interrupted Magdalen, with
well assumed surprise. Why no, dear mrs. ,I
Fairfax, not at all-not in the least! The
eyes and complexion are darker, and the
shape of the face is quite different-l don't
see any likeness at ALL"
Mrs. Fairfax, with a suppressed sigh clos
ed the case and put it aside, and Magdalen
began to talk of something else, though
she was in reality far from dismissing the
subject from her thoughts. What she now
feared was that Mrs. Fairfax might commu-
%hnf