Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-27

his head.
81 cannot guess who it was" said
he. Some kind body, I suppose,
who was interested in the orphan"
Then he took bunch of keys from a
! nail, put on his hat, and went with US
to the house.
We .were delighted with it, and
! bought it as soon as the necessary pro-
ceedings could be gone through. We
saw the little owner, a slim boy of
eleven, and knew of his being put to
school, and we proceeded to arrange
and furnish our new possession with
all the ardor usual on such occas-
ions.
Meanwhile, as opportunity offered, [
looked about me for the lady who had
so briefly directed us to our new home.
I felt that [ should like to thank her,
and to know more of her. Had not
/ Mr. Mumford told me that the child
1 had no living relations, that would
have been my solution of the mystery.
Imean that we would have thought the
lady some relative of the boy; for the
big blue eyes and small, pointed chin
| of the little fellow, his pale blonde
hair and pencilled eyebrows, reminded
me of my visitor.
However, saw nothing of her and
heard nothing of her. and finally
| gave up my efforts to discover her
| identity.
We had furnished all the upper
| rooms but one, that needed some al
! terations. We intended to make a
! spare bedroom of that, and we were
going to have it papered and painted.
| The hearth, too, wanted re-setting,
and the mantelpiece was a little
| sunken.
A carpenter was called in, who, in a
day or two, made great improvements,
put shelves into closet, and made a
new door into the hall. It was as he
finally took his departure that he turn
ed, with his box of tools upon his
shoulder, and said to me:
''Oh, found a photograph behind
your mantelpiece. / forgot to tell
| you. I left it on the closet shelf. "
| And then he took his departure.
The next time went into the room
took the photograph from the spot
where he had placed it. 1t was the
! portrait of lady in mourning.
!
little cry. 1t was the lady who had
called upon me to tell me about the
house. She looked graYely into my
eyes as she had that day. / saw the
pointed chin, the delicate light eye
brows, the short straight nose. Now
/ should know who she was, and GER
! tainly she was very like the little or
phan boy.
| saw Mr.. Mumford that day. ]
| made it my business to see him, osten-
sibly about buying a COW of another
neighbOr, who had referred us to him
as knowing the animals good quail
ties; and while sat in his office l took
the photograph from my pocket, and
mentioned where it had been found.
whoever it is, it is the lady who
told me of this house," said /.
Mr.. Mumford took it from me, and
looked at it with a snake of the head.
There you are mistaken, ma'am,' u
he said, ''That is utterly impossible.
This is a photograph of Mrs. Muller.
Her little fellow will be glad to have
it, for it's the only portrait of his
mother l ever heard of. She had it
taken for him when she was quite
poorly. She died of consumption, you
know, and he looked for it, and almost
cried his eyes out about it. You see
] it slipped behind the mantelpiece;
that's how it was he couldn't find it. -
liam glad it is found,n / said. ''But
had Mrs. Muller no sister, no cousin?
! Is there no one resembling her who
mourning for her?'
II, i.
''not soul. Mrs. Muller was an or
phan. Her father and mother both
| died of consumption. There never
was another child The mother only
lived a week, the father a year after
| she was born. Mr.. Muller came from
Germany. All his people live there.
| She hasn't a relative on earth"
May | see the photograph again?"
/ said.
He handed it to me. l looked at the
neck. l could see what would be the
right side of the sitter. The veil fell
on the left
Had Mrs. Muller any mark on her
neck?" | asked.
''Well, yes. She had big brown
MOLE" said Mr.. Mumford; 'sbut you
must have sharp eyes. | can't see a
sign of it in the photograph"
/ said no more. A little cold SILVER
that began at my head seemed to run
all down my spine. For moment /
was actually frightened. Then I hand
ed back the photograph and said good
day.
have now lived in that house of
ours every summer for five years, but
| have never discovered who the lady
was who called on me to tell me
where to find it, unless-I would not
have MIR. Madden, who is so shocked
at any little bit of superstition, hear
me for anything [ could mention-un-
| less ] found out then.