The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-11-16

toned up his coat. and looked about
him.
"Pansy," he said ~wUr dat you like
to be done, too? Don't you want your
picture"
The young lady, who had all this
time been standing quietly before the
sketch in the far corner of the studio,
turned at this and advanced tow.ird US,
saying, as she came:
''Oh. no. papa, not mine"
''Just as you like; if you don't want
it you needn't have it, though it would
look well over the etarge," said Mr..
| Cranch.
| 1t was precisely at this moment tina
very curious and unaccountable thing
/ happened TO me. l assure you that l
have always been a very temperate
man. but as, glad of an excuse to OBJ
serve that beautiful face, l turned to-
ward the young lady. saw double.
There were two young girls standing
before me. arm in arm. and they were
| precisely alike, though one looked like
the dim reflection of the other seen in
some blurred old mirror.
A shocking fancy that some sudden
affection of the brain. or at least OF the
eyes, had befallen me. made me for a
moment forget every thing else. l
pressed my palm over my lids. and my
heart beat furiously with apprehcn-
sion. A moment moro, and | WAS glad
to find that things had their usual APP
pearance. | smiled, and spoke of
| headache, and my patron answered:
"Ah, troublesome; those sudden
headac hesi'
Before he had finished speaking,
however, the young lady caught me by
the arm.
''Come here" she said. Tell me
something | want to know about this
picture"
And she hurried me to the corner
she had just left, her whole manner
quite altered.
evil you answer me an honest ques-
ton honestly?" she said, when we were
out of hearing. why did you cover
your eyes just now? Why did you look
as you did? Don't tell me of head
ache; that is not true"
my dear young lady," said l, 81
never experienced such thing before,
but, for a moment, | saw two of you.
You must acknowledge that"
l was about to pay her some silly,
stereotype compliment, but she turned
from me. and crossed the studio with a
hurried step, and put her hand upon
her fathers shoulder.
Papa" she said, 81 have changed
my mind. l shall be glad to have my
portrait painted if Mr.. Vincent will
paint it for me"
Good said Mr.. Cranch.
Another hour for the sitting was ap-
pointed, and the party took their leave.
In moment, however, the gentleman
returned alone. He closed the door,
and set his back against it.
"You mustn't think ill of my poor
girl if she does any thing odd" said he.
shes not quite right in her mind. l
am sorry to say. She was one of twins,
and my other girl-Rose, We called her
died three years ago. just fifteen the
twins were then. Pansy was not ill. but
she fell into sort of trance. For an
hour we thought we had lost her also
In sense we had. She has never been
quite herself since. She has the strang-
est decisions. It's great trial to U.s.
Well, such is life"
| assured Mr.. Crauch that | would
bear in mind what he had told me, and
bowed him down stairs.
My staircase was narrow, inclosed on
both sides by a wall. 1t was dark, but
the vestibule below was bathed in light.
In that vestibule | saw Mrs. Cranch
molding on her glove as she awaited her
husbands coming, and by her side was
her daughter.
How beautiful she is" | thought.
And then for moment | saw once
more what | had seen in my studio
two lovely girls instead of one. If this
happened again / resolved to consult an
ocy;list. But experienced no return
of the aifiiction. My sitters came on
the appointed days-Mr. Cranch in his
swallOw-tailed coat; Mrs. Cranch at
tended by prim maid called Mrs. Bob
bins. The matron had handsome arms,
and shoulders both plump and white.
In fact, to make a long story short. l
painted Mr. and Mrs. Cr;nch to their
satisfaction. pleasing the matron by
robbing her of a score of years. The
portrait painter who will not do this
may never hope to succeed with the la
dies.
For my part, painted for bread and
butter, and could not afford to be too
particular in such little matters.
Miss Pansy was not to sit until her
parents pictures were sent home and
hung in those fine recesses of the pala-
tial residence which they were destined
to adorn. But the time came at last,
and / looked forward to it with pleas
ure: for the girl was one to please the
eye of any man as well as of any artist.
had my canvas ready, and had set
my palette for the pearly tints of her
delicate complexion, when her light
knock was heard upon the door. /
opened it. She entered, and. though l
waited several seconds, no one else APP
peared. i had, of course, expected the
! maid who had attended Mrs. Cranch to
be with her daughter. but the girl
looked at me with her own peculiar,
dreamy smile.
Il simply would not let Bobbins come