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

Boyden stepped in. placed himself
knowingly In a good light, and stared
at his friends canyas. It bore AN IN
finished portrait, tho life-size head of
ayoung girl.
Pretty hair. he remarked senten-
tiously.
"Rut what in thunder is the matter
With it?" cried Hnyler petuiantly. SCI
can't make it look" and here he
paused consciously, with somewhat
heightened color.
Cant make IL look how p.
anyhow" answered Jack, shortly.
"Flatters the original, l wouldn't
wonder" said the willy Boyden.
"Ha perhaps it does" said Jack
with a hollow laugh. ''Here, my
friend" and he slid the photograph
out from beneath the canvas, 'slook at
this picture, then on that, and tell me
II mine begins to do the photograph
even half justice.
1T is fine face, remarkable
face" unused the diplo matic Boyden,
gazing at it.
81 would give" quoth Jack, ''half
my fortune to lind the original of that
face. She is n remarkable girl, Girl
IN thousand, you may depend :" and
he lovingly cleared the pictured face
of an infnitesimal speck of dust.
''rhen you don't know tho oriei-
nal2"
Huyler shook his head, but bent n
keen glance upon his friend. "Do
your" said he.
Never saw il before in my life,"
said Boyden imperturbably, "but I
think know who's the photogra-
pher."
"Well?" said Jack, in breathless
monosyllable.
"Reese, OF New York"
"Why do you think SOP"
"Know his STYLE" said Boyden with
a yawn, removing his hands from his
pockets and preparing TO depart.
cit is n peculiar STYLE" said Jack,
with fine show of Indifference as he
scrutinized it; "the features so clear
and the outlines SO shadowy. ell
rather like il"
Boyden made no reply rs he saun-
tered from the room, but his always
open countenance was adorned with a
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 he was al
ready getting into his coat, and fig
uring on the earliest returns from the
Sow York mail as he absently took hat
md umbrella from the wardrobe
There was no thpe 10 be lost. He had
long ago determined that the sweet,
girlish face, full of tender, womanIy
grace though il was, was not the face
of a wife; but even now sutton
might be kneeling at her feet. His
own entry upon the lists must not be
delayed at any hazard; he would seek
her out somehow, and it would be
veni vidi vici over again, but with q
new Joy TO the winner, for
'None knew me but TO love me.
None named me but 20 praise"
Jack with a sardonic grin. as
he fought his way through the storm,
while turbid streams in the gutter
gurgled and gasped along beside him,
to the nearest express office. His own
powers of fascination sometimes struck
him with a grim sense of humor, and
yet, the face of the girl in the rose
lighted room was not one TO be lightly
won. Well, time would tell. There
fore he set his dripping umbrella care
fully IN the rack at the express office,
and requested IA New York directory.
He would have walked seven times
around the city rather than ask Boy
den, the scoifer, for Rcese's address.
If his search failed no one would be
She wiser.
'Ra-Reb Rec" yes, this was
surely it. There could DO bat 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 n 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 a photograph supposed to
have been taking at your studio, and
numbered on the back 2017-9? A
copy OF it came into my hands under
rather peculiar circumstances, and
have been unable to obtain any clew
to it until this evening, when pho
tographer told me he thought he re-
cognlzed the style as your own. Will
you be 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 be vlolat-
ing professional secrecy"
Sounds as if 1 were addressing q
priest" muttered Huyler with criti-
cal frown. But there was no time 10
choose felicitious phrases. The mail
would be collected in fifteen minutes,
so after hesitating a moment longer
he added the conventional epistolary
amenities, and looking dubiously at
the little easel with its burden, iook
down the photograph and added
brief postscript: GAS better aid to
identity, l inclOse the photo. kindly