Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-16
AN AWKWARD SITUATION
From Lloyd's London weekly)

me TO throw up a good position in the
north of England TO join a manager
starting at Salisbury. The business turn
ga out disastrous. the theatre closing in
a fortnight. 1, an utter stranger in the
place. with a wife and babe. was taken
i'm. and could hardly stir for days But
for a good-hearted landlady I do not
know what would have become Of us.
one morning. however. over melan-
choly pipe in the grassy hollow below Old
Sarum. ray of hope dawned upon me-
I'm my anxiety and depression one old ac-
ouaintance had altogether slipped my
memory. This was a Mr. Atherstone, an
art dealer of Bond street. He first knew
me- when had become assistant to well
known engraver and watched my pro
gross with great interest. wrote tell
ine him the whole story of my mlslor-
time. A prompt reply followed.
Anart from proof of Mr.. Atherstone' $
GOOD feeling toward me his letter contain
ad news that I read with surprise ana
pleasure-not without reason. as the 1ol-
lowing extract will show
"I want YOU to undertake a commission
that requires tact and discrimination. II
is "a private inquiry. and has 10 be carried
through q Shrewton court. Merivale, the
scat of Lord Mountfalcon. within few
miles of Salisbury. Obtain permission
from the owner to see his art treasures.
shall forward to you jeweled minia-
urg OF Lord Mountfalcon. aud want YOU
-o ascertain If it is a facsimile of one in
the collection. That is the least import
anpoint of the inquiry with which / in
trust YOU. Find out at any trouble AMI
with all the skill YOU can command, TIE
circumstances under which the fac-simile
came Ia be painted There is a keeper q
t,e ga cries. try and make friends with
him. Keep the object of your visit as
dark as possible"
ON again hearing from the art dealer 1
wrote TO Lord Mountfalcon, asking per-
mission TO visit his art galleries. BY the
next post I had the most courteous of re-
plies. acceeding TO my request. one thing
puzzled me. the handwriting of the note
signed By the nobleman was familiar.
Where / had before seen ii / could not re-
collect Next morning / went over to
spacious park. commands many picture
sQue objects one is graceful Ionic
temple. half hidden in a mass Of frs and
white elms. So much did it strike my
fancy that I left the pathway to obtain a
close vie. II was prevented. however,
by "a singular incident. As 1 approached
q young girl I'm white bounded down the
marble steps. Her melancholy, yet beau
uul face, and sunny tresses decked with
pausies and lilies. might have been Ophe-
las. To my perpleXity. she advanced
and courtesied three times Directly af-
terward a matronly woman ran out of
the building. She quickly took the girl by
the hand and led her away.
The Shrewton collection would be fam
GUS if only for its Florentne and Vene-
uln masterpieces While absorbed be-
fore them. a light football behind aroused
me-. / turned and saw Lord Mountfalcon
Ills open. handsome face would have been
am excellent Letter of introduction any
where. He said:
ct have seen you before: was it not as
Charles Surface at Exeter
From theatricals Lord Mountfalcon' S
talk glided into matters of pictorial art,
in which he was evidently an enthusiast.
Half am hour passed. and his lordship re-
marked:
'I must now leave YOU. on no account
miss the small blue galleries. There is a
portfolio of Rembrandt etchings that
must have special value I'm the eyes of a
practical draughtsman. Perhaps YOU
might also like TO look at my bronzes,
canoes and miniatures
eel should. my lord 1 answered, very
much. Are there many?''
Yes. d large number" replied his
lOrdship; very representative, from
Hfliard and Cooper 10 Ross and MOule.
NV portrait by MOule | regard as fine as
anything painted by Cosway The
keeper shall now attend to you. He
viii have orders TO let you see anything
i'm which YOU may have an interest
When the keeper entered the mystery
vanished about the handwriting sent TO
me the day before.
/ had known Samuel CrackenthOrpe,
and we were no longer on speaking
terms. We had become intimate at
Exeter where he was then lawyers
clerk and a small money lender. Ii
was not long before I found out he was
mean. willy. intriguing, treaCherous
fellow. and on discovering him guilty
of gross dishonesty l angrily cut his ac-
ouaintance. We met. of course, like
perfect strangers, but CrackenthOrpe' S
manner was polite, even to Obsequious-
ness.
/ had looked at water cOlors, bronzes
oel- "a fnr 70 mi n
iatures They were contained in three
large cases, placed upon the table in
the smaller chamber of the blue gal
lery. and unlocked at my request.
Just as l was preparingto examine the
works of art a foOtman entered and in
formed me it was his masters wish l
should take luncheon. l could either
sit down with Mr. CrackenthOrpe or be
attended separately. But l excused
myself on the score of wanting to leave
almost Immediately, intending to re-
sumo my visit next day Left alone, l
examined several of the miniatures.
AL last | unlocked the MOuntfalcOn
picture. Ii represented the nObleman
i'm court dress; 1 satisfied myself on
every point. After the closest scrutiny
I wa $ convinced the miniature | car
ried in my breast pocket differed in
nothing from the original 1t was per-
feet in similarity Of jewels, arms and
setting. 1t struck me that could COM
pare the pictures.
The light being less strong in the
northern than southern division of the
gallery, I entered the brighter cham
Der. There 1 locked at the miniatures
side by side. l was aghast for mo-