The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-04-30


| A PHANTOM PORTRAIT.
! DEAR MIKE; VIII you look in at my shop
/ this evening: Quil'cr is in town ami is going
/ evening with him alone, but if you and Teddy
4 O.Brien will support me, with pipes aud poti-
tiOus. think we shall B9 q match for him.
/ Come early and m your friend for life.
DICK GRAVES"
| had nothing particular to do. so /
! sent word round to Dick that should
/ turn up. having first made sure that
| Teddy O'Bricn, whose studio was in
! the same block, would 20 also. Quiller
/ we knew of old, rs all the world knew
| him-a man who had seen everything,
| done everything, been everywhere
and these occasional visits of his were
/ Il perpetual terror to Graves. Why he
| paid them we never knew. There was
a kind Of traditional friendship be-
tween the families certainly, but
Quller was n man who scotled ut ira
dilion. He was in every way out of
sympathy with Il set of ardent and i'm
pecunicu5 painters. As journalist, as
traveller, as man of the world he had
oullived his enthusiasmS. Life con-
taiucd no new experiences, no sur
prises for him. 1t was only monot-
onous round of the known and the ex-
Dectcd.
Dick Graves who usually shone as
a host. was not at his best that evening.
He was nervous ut first, and rather
silent. leaving the burden of the talk
to Teddy and myself; and we had the
i'll luck rs the punch circulated to light
on a vein Of humorous stories, at
which we laughed consumedly our
selves without evohiug even smile
from the guest of the evening.
"Will YOU fellows look over my
Cornish sketches?' said Graves, sud
denly jumping up in desperation.
There are some yoH have not seen;"
and he began to rummagc about among
pile of old canyasses.
Quiller resumed his seat and sat
hait-abscntly, half contemptuously,
watching us as we turned over the
paintings; possibly he was amused by
our iargon of tone" and "qualitv,"
and the rest. At length | picked up
from the heap a painting that caught
my eye and propped it on the easel
near the lamp. 1t was quite unlike
Graves usual work and | stood look
ING ut it for Il moment, not quite
knowing why | did so. 1t was the
head of young woman, pale and
slightly worn. She was leaning little
forward, looking out of the picture,
her mouth parted by a slight, tremu-
lous smile. and in her eyes look that
was strange miuwiiug of emotions.
rs if Il new nope and happiness had
come into life Of sorrow-l look half
eXultant. turned to speak to Graves
and saw hat QuiiIer had got up and
was standing gazing at the picture
with Il lock OF fascination or of fear.
Here at last was something that inter-
estCd him.
Where did you get that?' he asked
abruptly.
What do YOU think of it?n said
Graves. slowly.
It's good head" said Teddy
O'Bricu.
lis wonderful model, said |.
"A face to haunt one, said Qui,ler,
in Z tone qaite unlike his ordinary
cynical one.
An, that's it" said Graves. "It's
more than human.
Who Is i,?" said Quilicr, in his
abrupt way a@ain.
''Pon my soul can't tell YOU. for |
don't know. Is 4 queer story, and
one I'm almost ashamed to ask YOU to
believe. s3a'n't blame you if YOU
think I'm humbugginw.
We settled ourselves by the fire with
our pipes, and Dick began his story in
a manner, for him. SO unusually grave
and impressive that it seemed 10 leave
no room for doubt rs to his perfect
good faith in the matter.
i went into Cornwall, rs You know,
at the end Of summer, and after loaf
inc round Ncwlyn for Il while | went
to the south coast, to try aud find some
place that had been less painted. |
Staid Il few days ut Polperro, bat it was
all so much like the smaller eNhibi-
tiouS in town that could not stand it,
and finally landed mt = naming
small seaport towu-''where there
were no painters and not many visitors.
| STAYED ut the Ship inn and looked
round for some place to hang up my
pallet. After some inquiries | found
small cottage which had been empty
for some time, but which had evident
ly been used as a studio, for there was
Il wall knocked out at one side and a
good-sized room added. with high
north light. Oa the south side the
kitchen and parlor which opened one
into the other, had Il view of the love-
iieSt little harbor in the world. The
place was Just what wanted. and the
rent was absurd only go year; so |
took it for six months. on the UNDER
standing was to keep it on if | chose.
| bought 4 few things to make the
place comfortable. and got IN old
woman to look after it for me, but |
lived most of the time at the Ship inn,
and just at first | spent very little time
at the studio, only taking in my can
vases at night When October set in
cold and wet | had to do some work
indoors. and then it was | began to
think there was something queer about
the place. One dav | had been paint
ing Il young girl from the village. the
granddaughter of my ancient dame,
and | was putting on a few touches to
the background, when | heard Il sound
close behind me, like very gentle
sigh. | looked round quickly, but
there was no Que in sight-no one in
the room, in fact. went or painting,
with an uncomfortable feeling of some
thing uncanny, and in few minutes
the sound was repeated actually at my
ear. | dropped my brush with the
start | made, and then | went all
through the house to see if anyone was
in it. l knew that Annie and her