Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-25

mat ~ secret. blr, she sald.
60 and won't you discover it. my
pretty maid p"
81 wish you goodmorning, sir, "
che Eaid, AID she tripped away between
tao trocs psitiug me with soft laughter
as she went.
And ] stood looking after her till she
disappeared, and l wondered If | had
been dreaming
what viii Miss Heath appear like
after ths?" / meditated. "Sne must
ice beauty indeed not TO appear plain
riter nay Dres len shepberdess %
And plain (ouough and TO spare) Miss
Heath turned ont 10 be when / met her
at dinner that evening.
III.
Thornton Lodge ] discovered to be
sort OF hospital for old and in6rm pic
lures The walls OF the spacious en-
trance hall and noble staircase we're lite
rally crammed with framed objects But
] looked in vain for one picture upon
which 10 rest my eyes for an instant with
pleasure. The zane iAte-Or rather, 10
DO moro correct. worse one-awaited
me in the drawing room, into which a
f0otnan introduced me msjestically as
{" Mr. Compton, the Hsrtist
The happypossessor Of this art treasury
came forward at once and welcomed me
cor1islly. lie was tall and groy-headed
aud Ind n particularly pleasant smile.
Indeed. apart from his art mania, |
found him a most agreeable companion.
liis Kindness WAS genuine and inynriable
during the whole period Of my stay in
ms house, and I acquired q real liking
for him. <But this is anticipating
Tho remains Of afternoon tea stood
upon n little table. This vas 10 my
mind tue one Tedeeming feature OF the
room, for the silver WAS Of excellent
form and pattern. The china | recog-
nized at a glance TO be Sevres. My bost
iussted on more tea being brought for
mo- though / assured him I needed no.
thing til dinner. He also told the
servant 30 inform Miss Heath of my ar
rival. expressing his regret that / bad
not written to let him know st what
tune J should come, that he might have
sent the carriage to meet me. In reply
J told him how much / had enjoyed the
wall
"What said Mr.. Heath, incredu-
lousy. d" Enjoy a walk in peltinR rain "
/ murmured something Inaruculate
obout the beauty Of pine woods in rain,
and then the footmsn reappeared with
tea and en- excuse from Miss Heath,
adding that "she would have the plea
rure Of meeting me OF dinner"
Never mind, said my host joyially,
" we can look 81 the pictures.
so presently, cup in hand, had 20
make the tour OF the room under pui-
dance of my host, who was a walking
catalogue, and In this capacity reminded
me Of nothing go much as the guide IN
The cooked hat 1T q certain panorama IN
Paris.
Such hipcledy-pigQledy collection it
has mover been my lot to witness any
where else.
From dodo to ceiling, prints, water
color, oils. and etchings display ell
themselves m bcwldering chaos Inc
quaint aud the sober, the sedate and
gay, hung side by side watercoiors Of
fpsrkling cascades and dreamy land
6cape stood sentinel on either aide OF
sombro etching of q Dutch interior.
The smiling " Portrait OF & Lady " N
theatrical costume paired of with an
engraving Of 8 wos-bogone dog keeping
watch over coffin covered by pail
EycrywLcre sentiments wore hoPelessly
mixed on al sides the homogeneous.
began 30 10 desperately bored 10y the
time dinner was announced. for my host
had & story TO tell Of every picture, bear
ing on It's purchase.
81 make the businessOf my life to I'M
Garth art treasures, - he said to me on the
way 20 the dinlng-ro9m.
/ should have liked TO have made Tiny
business TO inter his whole collection, j
thought, but said
"Wbat DO You parpose to do with
your art treasures
lie turned his benevolent gaze upon
me.
In case of my death" he made an
swer, &c have willed my collection to
the National Gallery"
could scarcely avoid a smile as | re-
phed hypocutically, Don't you think
that rather too royal Riit ? %
he looked at me critically for no
ment and then said : "One can never
DO too much for ones country"
We had now entered the dininRroom
and / VAS presented 10 Miss heath,
whom We found there. She was faded
blonde, with weak eyes end faint voice.
he looked. as to age, anything between
thirty and sixty. IL was impossible to
make even remote guess at il unless
one considered it in relation TO that of
her father; then one gave her, say,
thirty years 'Unco9monly pretty
daughter" indeed kurnleigh had had
Il coed Joke at my expense. But Oh, If
be could see my Dresden shepherdess !
On the whole j WAS rather glad he could
not II is not pleasant to quarrel with
an ola friend.
Miss 3ealh spoke seldom, and when
she 0id she chose the monosylhbic form
of speech as far as might be. She was
one of those uncomfortable people who
never use your name IN addressing YOU
She addressed Mr.. Hesth anu me alike
with an indefinite "you.
- At Oinler NIt WAS tcINcN Will
every course. II was quite impossible
to lead the conversation into any other
channel even by the utmost cunning.
gave up in despair alter dozen attempts
worse than futile and listened 70 my
hosts dissertations upon the preserya-
ton Of prints as patiently rs could.
In the dininR-room. which was also
used for breakfast, Mr.. Heath had
number Of those frames known as " case
frames" into which no could introduce
a new picture at will II followed that
on entering the room every morning l
looked foI some new horror in these case
frames. and / must say / was not often
only the phrase does not
express nay hesitation.
Wen, then, 70 return to the dinner.
Ny host told one amusing story-to me
Of least-waen lac had successfully dis
possdof vaInishes, tinfol, woods and
their absorption Of damp, &c, II APP /
peared that dealer had given him u