Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-02-21

OF humanity to me-"
Boyden stepped in, placed himself
knowingly in good light, and stared
at his friends canyas. It bore an nm
finished portrait, tho life-size head OF
a young girl.
Pretty hair" he remarked senten-
tiously.
"Rut what in thunder is the matter
with itP" cried Huyler petulantly. 81
can't make it look" and here he
paused consciously, with somewhat
heightened color.
Cant make it look howg"
anyhow" answered Jack, shortly.
"Flatters the original, ! wouldn't
wonder" said the willy Boyden.
"Ha! perhaps it does" said Jack
with hollow laugh. "Here, my
friend" and no slid the photograph
out from beneath the canvas, "look at
this picture, then on thst, and tell mo
If mine begins to do the photograph
even half Justice"
ut is fine face, remarkable
snoe," unused the diplo matio Boyden,
gazing at it. t
81 would give" quoth Jack, shalf
my fortune to iiud the original of that
face. She is remarkable girl, IL girl
in thousand, you may depend" and
he lovingly cleared the pictured face
of an infinitesimal speck of dust.
.sIhen You don't know tho origi.
nalP"
Huyler shook his head, but bent n
keen glance upon his friend. "Do
| youP" said he.
"Never saw il before in my life, F"
said Boyden imperturbably, "but 1
think I know who's the photogra-
pher."
"wella" said Jack, in brcathloss
monosyllable.
"Reese, of Now York"
why do you think sop
"Know his STYLE" said Boyden with
n yawn, removing his hands from his
pockets and preparing to depart.
at is peculiar stylo," said Jack,
with fine show of Indifference rs he
scrutinized it; "the features so clear
and the outlines so shadowy. ell
rather like it. :"
Boydon made no reply no no saun.
tered from tho room, but his always
open countenance was adorned with q
broad smile.
In the hush that followed his de-
parture, the shrek of the wind rose
loud ut the window castings, and with
its wild gust came the tapping of
myriad rain fingers at the pare. jack
hated rain like cat, but ho was al
ready getting into his cont, and fig .
uring on the earliest returns from the
Now York mail as he absently took hat
md umbrella from tho wardrobe.
There was no thpc to be lost. He had
long ago determined that the sweet,
girlish face, full of tender. womanly
grace though it was, was not tho face
of a wife; but even now q sutton
might be kneeling at her feet. His
own entry upon the lists must not be
delayed Mt any hazard; he would seek
her out somehow, and it would be
veni vidi vici over again, but with
new joy to the winner, for
"None knew me but to love me,
None named mo but to praise,''
muttered Jack with sardonic grin, as
he fought his way through the storm,
while turbil streams in the gutter
gurgled and gasped along beside him,
to the nearest express Office. His own
powers of fascination sometimes struck
him with grim sense of humor, and
yet, tho face of the girl in tho rose
lighted room was not one to be lightly
won. Well, timo would tell. There.
fore he set his dripping umbrella care.
fully i'll the rack ut the express office.
and requested New York directory.
He would have walked seven times
around the city rather than ask Boy
den, the scoifer, for Rceso's address.
If his search failed no one would be
the wiser.
"Ra-Reb REQ" yes, this was
surely it. There could be but one
Reese who pursued the calling of mr.
tistic photography, and here he was.
glanced down the remaining names to
make douDly sure, snapped the big book
loudly together with a nod of thanks,
and retraced his way homeward, the
wind bowling unheard A half hour
later the clemency of Mr.. Reese was
thus invoked:
Can you give me any information
concerning photograph supposed to
| uh'o ueen tuhinB III your BtuulO, ana
numbered on the buck 2017-9? Al
copy of it came into my hands under
rather peculiar circumstances, aud
have been unable to obtain any clew
to it until this evening, when pho
tographer told me bo thought ho re-
cognized tho style MS your own. Will
you BIO kind enough to notify me if
such is the case, and also give me any
information concerning the young lady
whose portrait it is. jack had hest.
tated here-"her name or address and
probable age, if it would not DO vlolat-
ina professional secrecy"
Sounds as if 1 were addressing
priest" muttered Huyler with crit
cal frown. But there was no time TO
choose felicitious phrases. The mail
would be collected in fifteen minutes,
SO after hesitating moment longer
he added the conventional epistolary
amenities, and looking obviously at
the little easel with its burden, took
\ n. 4.