Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-01

lis it possible?" exclaimed. Then
I thought to myself: SIS 1t Dora's own
subtle, far off resemblance to her
father and mother to one or both
has been haunting me all this while?
But what L said aloud was:
"Then I understand that Mr., Gold
ing has simply blended together, by
the process you describe, the portraits
of himself and his wife, and that this
likeness of you Is the result?"
mo, nv poor Arthur, you are not
to understand even that; and do not
wonder you are mystlfied."
''W hat then can you mean?"
She was silent moment; gave me a
long, searching look, then, putting her
hand in her pocket, took out another
photograph of the same size as the one
1 held. She glancec at it for moment,
then extending it toward me. ex-
claimed:
'Lookl''
L looked and saw the portrait of a
young man-but a young man so pre-
cisely like Dora hat, but for the side
parting of the hair, the difference of
sex would not have been suggested,
the portrait revealed nothing distin-
guishable in the dress. l glanced from
the portrait to Dora and from Dora to
the portrait, and finally, lost In amaze
ment. calculated:
''What is the explanation?'
do you remember. Mr.. ant Mrs.
Glasgow Thirkle?" asked Dora. '.Do
you remember the woman who parted
her hair like boy'sp This" picking
up the portrait 1 had just examined,
''is the portrait of their son. And
this" resuming the photograph she had
first shown me, SIS the portrait of their
daughter"
need not dwell upon the scene that
ensued. L need not relate at length
how l took Dora in my arms, kissed
her over and over again with ELUSIVE
tenderness and assured her that il was
she whom L loved, not her parentage,
and that she was just as dear to me as
the daughter of the Thirkles as she had
ever been in the much higher social
position to which we had believed her
birth eentitled her. Tie behavior of
Mr.. and Mrs. Thirkle now became
comprehensIble-their periodical visits,
the kindness with which they were
treated, their furtive glances, in which
1 now remember affection mingled
with admiration, the jealous wIathful-
ness of Mr.. and Mrs. Golding-all was
Mrs. Thirkle's suggestion that she
should endeaver to part her hair in the
fashion ordinarily adopted by women.
Scrutlnizing Dora's photograph again,
L now obServed-what had escaped me
at first, that it betrayed a slight way
wardness of the tresses at the point
where the parting met the centre of
the arch of the forehead. Perhaps Mr..
Golding had had the capriciOus desire
to see whether a composite portrait of
the daughter could be made as perfect
as the composite portrait of the son.
Meanwhile Dora explained that she
had made the discovery while Mr..
Golding was recovering from his at
tack. The Photographic instrument
had been overturned in his fall. She
had discovered the photographs of Mr.
and Mrs. Thirkle, one of them pinned
in front of the other; and, hard by, the
photograph of the young man, with
these words, which l had not observed
before, written in Mr.. Golding's hand
across the back: "Composite photograph
of Mr.. and Mrs. Thirkle's son, result
ing from the blended photographs of
his parents" The photograph of Mrs.
Thirkle showed the hair parted at the
side. Dora's curiosity and amazement
thus excited, a brief search had enabled
her to discover another photograph of
Mrs. Thirkle, which showed the hair
normally parted, and from which
Dora's composite photograph, so
strangely revealing her parentage, must
have been educed. l say nothing of
the many emotions which 1utter in our
hearts and expressed themselves forci-
bly, in mutual caresses when we real
h,N a I.f- crs
had left us dearer than ever to each
other. 1 appreciated Dora's cruel
position-bound by infinite gratitude
to her reputed father and mother, who,
childless themselves, had adopted her
from the Thirkles probably because the
latter were too poor to bring up more
than one of the twin children born to
them; bound by the indlssoluable ties
of blood to parents humble and unedu-
Gated. and to a twin brother who,
handsome though his portait proved
him to be, was probably as uniformed
as they in manners and In mind.
While we were thus debating, a car
riage drove up, but ere We could see
who had alighted the parlor door was
violently opened and Mr.. Golding broke
in, followed by his wife.
Poor child what have you done?"
exclaimed Mr. Golding.
"DoraI D9ral we meant to keep it a
secret from you," exclaimed Mrs.
Golding.
why did you not tell us?" said Mr..
Golding. ''why did you leave 1t to us
TO discover, that you had found the
portrait which proved that Mr.. and
Mrs. Thirkle lad a son?"
Before the question could be an
swereI the arrivals in the carriage had
asserted themselves in the room, and
looking up saw Mr.. and Mrs. Thir-
kle, accompanied by a young man
whose full tawny beard and thick mus
tache did not altogether conceal a re-
mote likeness to Dora
As Mr.. and Mrs. Golding turned to
say word of welcome, they uttered
inarticulats expressions of surprise.
Mr.. Thirkle bracei himself as if to
make a speech. We all, as though by
common consent, took seats, and lis
tended to him. l afterward learned
that never before had he said SO many
words on one occasion. They were as
| follows:
"Mr. Golding. ladies and gentlemen.
all-here's our Frank come back to US.
He was stole from US when he was a
baby, and you know ito Mr.. and Mrs.
Goldingl why me and Mrs. Thirkle
used to like To come here now and then
to have a look at her Indicating Dora
by a turn of the thumb). Frank was
stole, but them as took him got fright
ened and left him at the door of a
founding hospital. All his little clothes
were on him and his little name was
on them. And he was adopted from
/ the asylum by kind-hearted, rich
lady, who brought him up as her son,
and never told him the truth till the
other day when she was dyin'. And
the baby clothes as was found on hin,
with his name on them, was KEEP.
They prove who he is. So wot does he
do but come straight home to his dot
ing father and mother. as was so glad
to see HIM that they brought him
straight here to see you, and to tell you
that now they've got him, they amt
/ hora naUQr no mora AGAIN -