St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-22
CHASING AN ANCESTOR.
Why Mrs. Jones Abandoned Max
.u TOIIonf:0y, Of G

! Why Mrs. Jones Abandoned Max.
ing Pictorial Collection OF De-
ceased Relatives.
| Flavel Scott Mines in Harper's Bazaar.
Mrs. Brown-Jones-Tho Ter
think we ought to have a few family
portraits.
Mr.. Jones-Good idea, my love. I'll
stop in tomorrow and have my photo
Mrs. Brown-JoneS-Mr. Jones, you
know regard the question of family as
sacred. and to jest
Mr.. JOneS-JeSt, my dear? If paying
81 dozen for photographs is jesting, l
do not wonder at the poverty of profess
sional humorists.
Mrs. Brown-Jones Gin placid tones)-I
think that few ancestral portraits
would be delightful.
Mr.. Jones-But our families are not
limited; your mother was Smith, and
mine rejoiced in the name of Robinson.
Now the late census shows
Mrs. n-JOneS-ThomaS, this is
actually sacrilegious. Our ancestry is a
noble, a proud one; and thus to laugh
at it and provoke the spirits of those
beings
Mr.. Jones (humbly)-Pardon me, my
dear; L forgot wha legiOns | invoked.
Well, We'll get some portraits. think
there Is one of my great-grandmother at
the old house.
Mrs. Brown-Jones (delighted) - SO?
Who painted it?
Mr.. JOnes-l am no connoisseur, my
love, but, judging from appearances, 1
should say that my grandfather must
have had hand i'll it at the age of four.
Time has been merciful, hoWeVer-the
frame is
Mrs. BrOwn-Jones Suddenly grown
sad)-Then it isn't worth much as a por-
trait?
Mr.. Jones-Can't say; never saw the
old lady.
Mrs. Brown-Jones-Wasn't her father
Sir Thomas
Mr.. Jones-Give it up, sweetheart;
never dabbled with family skeletons.
Mrs. BroWn-JoneS = Skeletons! You
might think
Mr.. Jones-I might, my love, but
rarely do.
Mrs. Brown-Jones Severely You
might think there was some hidden
mystery.
Mr.. Jones-None apparent. SO it must
be hidden if there is any. But what
good are ancestor?
Mrs. Brown-Jones-What good? Why,
Thomas Jones, what would we be with
out ancestors?
Mr.. Jones (thoughtfully)-Tr true.
| never considered the question in that
light. Why, we wouldn't be.
Mrs. oWn-JoneS-And so | want a
few portraits TO prove that our family is
q notable one.
Mr. Jones-A directory would prove
that.
Mrs. wn-Jones-Now, be serious.
Can we get that picture to hang In the
library?
Mr.. Jones-We can get the picture,
but as to hanging it in the library, l say
no.
Mrs. Brown-Jones-I-I think you're
horried. IL
MI. Jones-Calm yourself. You can
have the portrait, but l would warn you
not to speak her name.
Mrs. Brown-Jones (excitedly)-W
Thomas, why?
Mr.. Jones Gn whisper er)-Because her
name was Bridget Maloney, and my
great grandfather eloped with her from
Dublin in 1897.
Mrs. Brown-Jones oh, why did [
ever marry you? You never told me
you never told me-you neVer-(riSing
SODblng).
Mr.. Jones You never asked me. Do
you want the picture?
Mrs. Brown-Jones stopping in door
way(-Do want it? No, sir. The idea
the Irish ancestry and the Batchby-
Pokedyes are English back OF the Con-
quest. No, sir; it is absolutely vile in
you. tEXit.)
Mrs. Jones musingly)-I wonder if /
could have palmed off that thing of
midnight on Lake Como" for the old
lady? Well, it's all right? l can't af-
ford to have any modern painter go
back 100 years and pay him an annual
interest