The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-11-14
AN AWKWARD SITUATION.

Ambition to get leading parts induced
me to throw up good position in the
north of England TO join a manager
starting at Salisbury. The business
turned out disastrous, the theater clos
ing in fortnight. 1, an utter stran-
ger to the place, with wife and babe,
was taken i'll and could hardly stir for
days But for good-hearted landlady
do not know what would have become
of us.
One morning, however, over a melan-
choly pipe in the grassy hollow below
Old Sarum, a ray of hope dawned upon
me. In my anxiety and depression one
old acquaintance had altogether slipped
nv memory. This was a Mr.. Ather-
stone. an art dealer of Bond street. He
first knew me when 1 had become as
sistant TO well-known engraver and
watched my progress with great inter
est. | wrote, telling him the whole
story of my misfortune. A prompt re-
ply followed.
Apart from proof of Mr.. Ath@stone's
good feeling toward me his letter con
and pleasure-not without reason, as
the following extract will show:
Il want YOU to undertake a commits
sion that requires tact and discrimina-
ton. 1t is a private inquiry, and has
10 be carried through at Shrewton
Court, Merivalc, the seat of Lord Mount
falcon, within few miles of Salisbury.
see his art treasures. shall forward to
you jeweled miniature of Lord Mount
falcon. and want you to ascertain If il
is facsimile of one in the collection.
That is the least important part of the
inquiry with which trust you. Find
out, at any trouble and with all the
skill YOU can command, the circum-
stances under which the fac-simile came
TO I've painted There is a keeper of the
galleries; try and make friends with
him. Keep the object of your visit rs
dark as possible"
On again hearing from the art dealer
i wrote to Lord Mountfalcon, asking
permission to visit his picture galleries.
BY next post I had the most courteous
Of replies, acceding to my request. One
thing puzzled me-the handwriting Of
the note signed by the nobleman was ia
miliar. Where l had before seen it /
could not recollect Next morning |
went over to Merivale. Shrewton Court.
situated in spacious park, commands
many picturesque objects. One is a
graceful Ionic temple, half hidden in
mass of frs and white elms. So much
did it strike my fancy that left the
pathway to obtain close view. 1t was
prevented, however, by a singular Incl
dent. AS l approached, a young girl in
white bounded down the marble steps.
Her melancholy yet beautiful face, and
sunny tresses, decked with pansies and
lilies, might have been Ophelia's. To
my perplexity she advanced and cour
tested three times. Directly afterward
matronly woman ran out Of the build
ing. She quietly took the girl by the
hand and led her away.
The Shrenvton collection would be
famous, If only for its Florentine and
Venetian masterpieces. While absorbed
before them light football aroused me.
i turned and saw Lord Mountfalcon.
His open, handsome face would have
anywhere. He said:
Il have seen you before; was it not
as Charles Surface Mt Exeter?"
From theatricals Lord Mountfalcon's
talk glided into matters of pictorial art, |
in which he was evidently an enthusi
asst. Half an hour passed, and his lord
ship remarked:
u must now leave you. On no ac-
count miss the small blue galleries.
There is n portfolio of Rembrandt etch-
ings that must have special value in the
eyes of practiced draughtsman. Per-
haps you might also like to look at my |
bronzes, canoes and miniatures?"
"hshould, my lord" answered, very |
'nuch~ Are there many?"
Yes, q large number" replied his
iordship, Every representative, from
billiard and Cooper to Ross and Moulc.
My portrait by Moule regard as fine
as anything painted by Cosway. The
Keeper shall now attend you. He will |
have orders to let you see anything in
which you may have an interest"
When the keeper entered the mystery |
vanished about the handwriting sent to |
me the day before.
had known Mr.. Samuel Cracken-
thorpe, and we were no longer on speak
ing terms. We had been intimate at |
Exeter, where he was then a lawyers
clerk and small money lender. 1t
was not long before found out he was
mean, willy, intriguing, treacherous
Yellow, and on discovering him guilty |
VI gross dishonesty angrily cut his ac-
quaintance. We met, of course, like |
perfect strangers, but Crackenthorpe's
manner was polite, even to obsequious-
ness.
had looked at the water colors,