Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-29
MR., HEAPHEY'S GHOST

Heaphey was alone in his studio in Lon
don 1t was a large apartment with al
coves, in one of which a number of por-
traits and pictures were hung upon the
walls, with the usual bric-a-brac of an art
lists reception room. This room was en-
tered directly from a landing place at the
head of a broad flight of stairs leading
down into the street and past a small por-
ter's room, for the studio was in a public
building occupied by a number of persons.
Coming into his reception room from a
small cabinet, in which he was putting
away some papers, Mr.. Heaphey was star
tled to see a lady quite unknown to him,
young, of good figure and carriage, dressed
quietly, in perfect taste and in the fashion,
who was walking around the room and in
specting the pictures.
Mr.. Heaphey approached and saluted her,
observing as he did so that, while she was
unquestionably fine looking, her counter
aDce was unusually pale, and that her eyes,
which she fixed upon him as he spoke to
her, had a singular, and, as he afterward
described it, almost "uncanny'' expression.
She made no explanation whatever OF her
presence, but at once asked him whether
he could paint Immediately a portrait Of
her for a dear friend to whom she wished
20 send it as soon as possible.
Mr.. Heaphey replied that he would be
happy to do 50 if it were in his power. but
that he was on the point of leaving Lon
don for a round of visits in the country;
that he had many professional engage
ments which would probably occupy him
during the remainder of the year, and that
he could not at all see his way clear to do
what she was so good as to ask him to do.
The lady treated these objections with
polite Indifference and persisted, saying
that it would not oe necessary for Mr..
Heaphey that she should sit to him. you
will not forget my face" she said, with a
singular intonation, and if | am not mis-
Informed as to your talents, You can make
a sketch of me now, from which you could
paint such a portrait as / wish"
MIR. Heaphey thanked her for her good
opinion, but again excused himself.
Nothing would do, however, and the
lady finally carried her point so far that
Mr.. Heaphey-he could hardly say why,
sud certainly against his own will and
judgment-consented to undertake the
commission.
1T will be necessary for me-" he said,
ITO find some time during the autumn
when l can give you your sittings, and if
fou will oblige me with your name and
address ] will see what | can do and will
lt YOU know"
THAI is hardly necessary" said the
lady. II will be here at any time you may
appoint
Mr.. Heaphey looked at her with astonish-
ncnt.
But | don't see how YOU can be here
anless ! let you know when that time will
be-"
81 shall have no difficulty about that"
said the lady almost p%etulantly, "In the
meantime ! will see hat you have an en-
CRAVING of a face which | am told strongly
resembles my own-so strongly that it has
sometimes been mistaken for a portrait of
me. This will serve to keep me in your
mind" she said smiling. "And, by the
way, / wish you would try to make a
sketch of me now!"
: Puzzled by the lady's manner as much
as by her words he quietly said;
"Oh, excuse me-. must get my address
book, and we will arrange matters" And
with this he turned his back for "A moment
to the lady, and going to a desk opened it
20 take out the book of which he spoke.
When he turned again with the book in
his hand to his profound establishment the
lady had vanished!
The door of the studio was shut, as ii
had been during the whole interview. 1t
was "A heavy door, and closed with astyong
spring lock. 1t seemed to Mr.. Heaphey
hardly possible that it could have beer
opened and shut unheard by him: but he
instantly ran to it, opened it and looked
down the broad flight of stairs to the street
and this so rapidly that it seemed scarcely
imaginable u lady could have gotten out OF
the house before he was upon the stairway
No trace of her, however, could be seen
He ran hastily down and questioned tn,
out ,rla hnn Nanal 70 hn Atntlipn ~
his window, which commanded a complete
view of the stairway and of the entranc'
70 the building. His amazement wa
heightened when he found that the porte
not only protested that he had not seel
any lady 90 out, but declared that, so ia
as he knew, no lady had entered the build
ing for more than an hour before.
The man looked at Mr.. Heaphey as h
told him this with "A curious expression
which satisfied Mr.. Heaphey that he woul'
not improve his reputation as a sane an
sober person by pressing his questions an
further on the porter. He went up stair
again and set about the occupation i
which he had been interrupted by ais eA
traordinary visitor. 1t was impossible
however, for him to shake off an unusua
and uncomfortable feeling for which h
could not account but which finally b,
came so StfOH8 tidt lie ClOStu HIS ueSh du
left the building for the night.
His arrangements to leave town bein
completed, the next morning he went bac
10 the studio to see that everything Wa
put in proper order for the vacation, an
TO give some final directions. On his DIES
lay, with II number of letters from ii
mail. a small roll of paper addressed
him by name, but bearing no postmark {
any sign of having passed through Il
mails. He took this roll of paper up car
lessly, Oper"d it, and, to his unspeakab
astonishment, found himself confrontt
with an engraved portrait of IA lady bea
ing IA most marvellous resemblance in Il
form of the head, manner OF wearing Il
hair and the features to his mysteriol
visitor of the previous evening.
This engraving, on examination,
found had been taken out of one of d
handsome ANIMALS which had been
vogue many years before-I think from OF
of Heath's Books of Beauty" 1t was
portrait of "A young ladyof rank celebrate