Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-29
which I 4 am now speaking had been mar

wealth and of a historic name. IL was
quite impossible to suppose any connection
between the original of this portrait and
Mr.. Heaphey's strange visitor, beyond the
fortuitous resemblance which impressed
him so strongly. Calling up the porter,
Mr.. Heaphey asked him by whom this roll
of paper had been left. The porter replied:
81 have no idea. l never saw it before"
"Did you not bring it with the last mailS"
mo, sir, it didn't &C ne with the last
mail"
Now, there was no letter slit in the door
of the studio. The studio itself had been
locked and the key in the p%orter's possession
during the whole time.
The man protested solemnly that he had
only come into the room to bring up the
mail, that the roll of paper was not carried
up by him, and that to the best of his recol-
lection, though upon this point he could
not be positive, no such roll of paper had
been on the desk when he left the letters
there.
Mr.. Heaphey finally took the paper and
put it into his dispatch box, marveling not
a little in his mind as to the meaning of
these inexplicable performances.
Gradually, however, the whole matter
passed out of his mind, until some weeks
afterward, while staying with a friend in
one of the midland counties, he took the
engraving up and-he could not exactly
say why-felt suddenly moved to make a
sketch from memory of the lady whose
face it recalled to him so wildly. He pre-
pared his materials, went to work, found
the picture growing rapidly and satisfac-
torily under his hand, and grew so inter-
ested in the occupation that before he laid
his brushes down he had made what
seemed to himself a very good and striking
sketch, which might well serve as a basis
for a finished portrait. He put this sketch,
with the engraving, back into his dispatch
book, and again the subject passed out of
his mind.
Two or three weeks passed by. Visiting
another friend-in Yorkshire, near the
Derbyshire line-Mr. Heaphey found him
self seated at Inner next to a gentleman
of an old family and of a good estate in
Derbyshire, who had entered into corre-
spondence with him some years before
with an eye to inducing him to come down
into Derbyshire and paint a portrait there
of an invalid child of his to whom he was
very much attached, and who could not
conveniently be carried up to London.
Finding Mr.. Heaphey near his residence
this gentleman entreated him to come over
at the end of his Yorkshire visit, pass two
or three days with him and paint this por-
trait. 1t was not very convenient for Mr..
Heaphey to do this, but such was the ur-
gency of the Derbyshire man that he final
ly gave way.
81 shall be going home myself in a day
or two," said the Derbyshire man, who
was visiting a neighbor of Mr.. H~eaphey's
host in Yorkshire, land l will lave every
thing ready for you. You will take the
train at such a station" (naming it).
change carriages at such a junction and
in twenty minutes after that you will find
yourself at a little way station, where my
carriage will be in waiting for you and
bring you to my house."
1t was a gray, rainy morning when Mr..
Heaphey took the train to make his TRIP
into Derbyshire. A ready guard ounda an
empty first class carriage for him, put his
shawls and bags into it and closed the
door. Putting IN his travelling cap and
taking out a novel Mr.. Heaphey settled
himself back into a corner of the carriage
for a comfortable quiet hour in the train.
Long before the mishaps of Col. Valen-
tine Baker startled and ~scandalized the
world the unprotected female had made
herself a terror to scdGte and solitary male
lIdNtleIo VI liz IiSliSu l. dlS. pIId'
therefore was the disgust of Mr.. Heaphey
when, just before the train was to start
another guard came up, opened the car
riage door and handed in a lady, with the
usual paraphernalia of umbrellas, bag:
and shawls.
The train moved off, and Mr.. Heaphey
after a while, CHANGING around from his
corner, became aware that this lady was
looking at him fXedly through a brown
veil which obscured and blurred the out
lines of her countenance. 1t is unpleasant
to be fixed in this way from behind a veil
and Mr.. Heaphey felt unusually and un
accountably restless under the infliction.
His uneasiness was soon removed, how
ever, for the lady, throwing her veil aside
revealed to him the face of his mysteriou,
visitant of the summer. She seemed no
in the least surprised at finding him in thu
carriage, but very quietly asked hin
whether he was going to such a plac'
(naming the residence of the gentleman
whom he was about to visit, and expressed
her satisfaction at meeting him as com
posedly As if they were ordinary acquaint
ances Who had parted in ordinary circum
stances a week or so before.
This cool demeanor aided Mr.. Heaphe,
in regaining his composure, and he me
her in the same spirit.
you have made the sketch of me, hav
you not, Mr.. Heaphey?" she said suddenly
Good heavens, yes! but how did yoI
know that?'
Deigning no reply. she went on:
why did you not finish it? You ha
nothing to do the next day at such
place" naming the country seat at whic
he had really made the sketch.
Mr.. Heaphey stammered III some eN
cuse, which was cut short by her askin
him whether the engraving had not helpe
him as she had told him it would.
Very much," he said; "but-but / neve
quite knew how you sent that to me-"
mo, | suppose not, " she said, and chanl
ing the subject began to speak of som
book which she held in her hand.
The conversation went on until the trai
reached the point at which Mr.. Heaphe
was to leave it. The lady apparently il
tended to continue her journey in the d
rection of London, for she made no offer
get out, babe Mr.. Heaphey good mornin
very composedly and as he got out of ii
carriage said to him:
"Now you will go on with the sketC
aud | will inv anI lnf Won caa ~ amin