The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
HER SISTERS AVENCER
From the Boston Globe.

'Mr. Ferdinand Barley" 1 read out
from the visiting card in my hand.
"Show him in here, please"
A tall gentlemen, wearing a dark beard
and with gold spectacles resting on an
aquiline nose, was ushered into my studio.
He was dressed with scrupulous neatness
and carried cane in his gloved hand.
''Mr. Claude Somerville, believer
l bowed.
81 am aware of your skill as a portrait
painter, and shall be very glad if you can
execute little commission for me-"
He unbuttoned his frock coat and pro-
duced from the inside pocket photo
graph, which he handed to me.
Would you be so good as to paint me a
life sized portrait in oil of that lady? /
should say, a life sized head and bust
only"
Cannot the lady give me sitting2" l
asked
'Alas she is dead" he replied, land
this photo is all possess to help me to re-
call her features. She was my wife,
Mr. BARLEY was very pressing, and at
last consented AS he was going abroad
in about ten days l agreed to have the
picture completed in time for him to take
with him.
The picture was an experiment, and |
did not at all care for the work but / did
the best could with it, One morning ]
was putting the finishing touches to the
picture-Ferdinand BARLEY was to call
for it in the afternoon-when a model
whom had employed good deal in the
past came into my studio to ask for an en-
gagement. AS we were conversing she
came forward to look at the work | was
doing
"Myral Good gracious, it is Myra ~
she exclaimed. "What does this meanl
When did you paint that portrait, Mr..
Somervillel"
During the present month, . replied.
but when did she sit for you?"
II never saw her in my life''
took the photograph from the shelf Of
the easel and handed it to her. She
seized it and examined it carefully.
The edge round the photograph itself
had been cut away, and the back of the
card had also been torn off. There was
no clew to the photographer, if that was
what she wanted.
life?p
Never, to my knowledge"
Then how do you come to know the
color OF the hair and of the skim They
are perfection
''t'rom the person who gave the photo
graph, and who will call for the picture
this afternoon"
who is it," she asked eagerly.
II cannot tell you. 1t is impossible for
me to do so,'' / said. 1T would not only
be breach of etiquette, but / am in this
case pledged to secrecy"
This was the truth, for Mr.. hartley had
told me that he had reasons for prefer
ring that the transaction should be a
strictly private one, and l had promised to
respect his wishes.
Did you know the original of this1n l
asked when / saw that my model was
actually in tears. 1t was impossible to
tell whether grief or excitement were up-
permost. Suddenly she became calm.
"Listen" she said. my father was an
English merchant living at Palermo
where he married my mother, who was
Sicilian. For ten years they were child
less y
1T was a source of great grief to them,
and they adopted an orphan child 2 years
OF age. She was bright little girl, and
they grew 10 love her as il she had been
their own
Two years later, however, was born
and there were never any other children
of the marriage.
we too sisters, for such we always con-
sidered ourselves grew passionately at
tacheo TO one another. and when our par
ents both died in an epidemic that was