Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-18
PHANTOM PORTRAIT.

Ing TO cine with me ut the club. can
stand an evening Of him alone. but il yo
and Teddy O'Brien will support me. wit
pipes and potations l think we shall be
match for him Come early. and I'm YOU
your friend for life. DICK GRAVES
had nothing particular to do, 81
l sent word round to Dick that
should turn up. having first mad,
sure that Teddy UBrien, who's,
studio was in the same block, woulC
60 also Quillcr we knew of old, a.
all the world knew him---a man who
had seen everything, done everything,
been evcrywhere-and these occa.
sional visits Of his where a perpetual
terror to Graves Why he paid them
we never knew. There was kind OF
traditional friendship between the
families, certainly, but CUTLER was a
man who scOled at tradition. lie
was in every way out Of sympathy
with set of ardent and impecunious
painters. AS journalist, as traveller,
as man OF the world, he had out
lived his enthusiasms. Life con-
tanned no new experiences, no sur
prises for MIN. 1t was only monot-
onOus round OF the known and ex-
pected.
Dick Graves, who usually shone az
host, was not at his best that even
ing. lie was. nervous at first, and
rather silent, leaving the burden of
talk to Teddy and myself; and we had
the lll-luck as the punch circulated
TO light on vein of humorous stories,
at which we laughed consumedly our
selves without evoking even a smile
from the guest of the evening.
Twill you fellows look over nv
Cornish Sketches" said Graves, sud
denly jumping up in desperation II
think there are some you have not
seen"-and he began to rumage
about among pile OF old canvases.
Qulller resumed his seat, and sat
half absently half contcmptuously,
watching us as we turned over the
paintings; possibly he was amused by
our jargon of "tone" and equality"
ard the rest. At length, l 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 looking at it for moment, not
quite knowing why did so. 1t was
the mead OF young woman, pale and
slightly worn. She was leaning
little forward, looking out of the
picture, her mouth parted by a
slight, tremulous smile, and in her
eyes look that was a strange min
Cling of emotions, as if new hope
ana happiness had come into life of
sorrow "a look half wishful, half ex-
ultant l turned to speak to Graves.
and saw that CUTLER had got up, and I
was standing gazing at the picture
with look OF fascination, or OF fear. |
Here at last was something that in
terested him.
"Where did you get that" he
asked abruptly.
what do you think of it?" asked
Graves, slowly.
Its good head" said Teddy
O'BrIen.
Its a wonderful model" said L.
IA face to haunt one," SAID
Qulller, in tone quite unlike his
ordinary cynical one.
"Ah. that's it," said Graves. cts
more than human.
:'Who is it," said CUTLER, in his
abrupt way, again.
"Pon my soul | can't tell you, for
l don't know. It's a queer story.
and one Pm almost ashamed to ask
you to believe. l shan't blame YOU
II you think Pm humbugging. II
went into Cornwall at the end of the
summer. and after loafng round
Newlyn for while. l went to the
south coast, to try and find some
place that had been less painted. III
stayed a few days at POlperro, but it
was all so much like the smaller ex-
nloltions In town that 1 could not .
stand 1t, and finally landed at
naming small seaport where
there were no painters and not many
visitors. l stayed at the Ship Inn ,
ana looked round for some place to ,
nang up my palette. After some in
4ulrles found a small cottage VIII CHI ,
mad been empty for some time, but .
which had evidently been used as a !
studio, for there was a wall knocked .
put at one side and good sized room
adued, with high north light. The ,
place was just what l wanted, and r
Inc rent was absurd-only GiO a
year-so took it for six months, on
Inc understanding was to keep it
On II chose. bought few things
10 make the place comfortable, and
got an old woman to look after it for r
me; but lived most OF the time at ,
The Ship Inn, and just at first l spent s
very little time at the studio, onIy
taxing In my canyases at night. .
When October set in cold and wet I |
had to do some work indoors, and
Then it was began to think there
vas something queer about the place. !
One day l had been painting a young
girl from the village, the grand
laughter OF my ancient dame, and 1 ;
vas putting on q few touches to the ,
background. when heard q sound ,