The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-12-04
AN AWKWARD
SITUATION.

Ambition to get leading parts induced
me to throw up geod position in the
north of England to join a manager
starring at Salisbury. The busin ess
turned out disastrous, the .heater clos
ing in fortnight. l, an utter stranger
in the place, with wife and babe, was
taken i'll, and could hardly stir for days.
But for a good-hearted laldla ly I do
not know what would have become of
US.
One morning, however, over a melan-
choly pipe in the grassy hollow below
Old Sarum, ray of hope dawned upon
me. In my anxiety and depression one
oid acquaintance had altogether slipped
my memory. This was a Mr.. Ather-
stone, an art dealer of Bond street
He first knew me when had become
assistant to well-known engraver and
watched my progress with great inter-
est. l wrote, telling him the whole
story of my misfortune. A prompt re-
ply followed.
Apart from proof of Mr.. Atherstone's
good feeling toward me his letter con-
tanned news that l read with surprise
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 private inquiry, and has
to be carried through at Shrewton
court, Merivale, the seat of Lord Mount
falcon, within few miles Of Salisbury.
Obtain permission from the owner to
see his art treasures. / shall forward
to you a 5eweled miniature of Lord
Mountfalcon, and want you to ascer-
tain if it is fac simile of one in the
collection. That is the laast important
point of the inquiry with which 1 in
trust you. Find out, at anyzTouble and
with all the skill you can command, the
circumstances under which the fac SIM
lie came to be painted. There is keep
u of the galleries; try to make friends
him. h.eep the object of your visit
herk as possible"
6gain hearing from the art dealer
wrote to Lord Mountfalcon, asking
permission to visit his picture galleries
BY next post ! had the most courteous
of replies, acceding to my request One
thing puzzled me, the handwriting of
the note signed by the nobleman was
familiar. Where / had before seen it
! could not recollect. Next morning
went over to Merivale. Shrewton court,
situated in a spacious park, commands
many picturesque objects. One Is a
graceful Ionic temple, half hidden In a
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 in
cident. 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
CHhelia's. To my perplexity, she ad-
yanced and courtesied three times. Di-
rectly afterward 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 IA
nous if only for it's FIorentine and We
netian masterpieces. While absorbed
before them, a light foot fall behind
aroused me. I turned and saw Lord
Mountfalcon. His open, handsome face
would have been an excellent letter of
Introduction anywhere. He said:
Il have seen you before; was 1t not
as Charles Surface at Exeter?'
From theatricals Lord Mountfalcon's
talk glided into matters of pictorial art.
in which he was evidently an enthu-
siast. Half an hour passed, and his
Iordship remarked:
Il must now leave you. On no ac-
count miss the small blue galleries.
There is portfolio of Rembrandt etch-
ings that must have special value In the
eyes of practical draughtsman. Per.
haps you might also like to look at my
bronzes, canoes and miniatures?"
Il should, my lord" 1 answered,
very much. Are there many?"
"Yes, large NUMBER" replied his
1ordship, ''very representative, from
Hi,liard and Cooper to Ross and Moule.
My portrait by Moule regard as fine
as anything painted by Cosway. The
keeper shall now attend to 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 Samuel Crackenthorpe,
and we were no longer on speaking
terms. We had become intimate at
Exeter, where he was then a lawyers
clerk and a small money lender 1t was
not long before / found out he was a
mean. willy, intriguing, treacherous fel-
low. and on discovering him guilty of
gross dishonesty l angrily cut his ac-
quaintance. We met, of course. like
perfect strangers, but Crackenthorpe's
manner was polite, even to obsequi-
BUSINESS.
/ had looked at water colors, bronzes
and prints and now asked for the minia-
lures They were contained in three
large cases, placed upon the table in the
smaller. chamber Of the blue gallery,
and unlocked at my request. Just as I
was preparing to examine the works Of
art a footman entered and informed
me it was his masters wish l should
take luncheon. could either sit down
with Mr.. Crackenthorpe or be attend
ed separately But excused myself
on the score of wanting to leave almost
Immediately, intending to resume my
visit next day. Left alone, examined
several of the miniatures. At last
unlocked the Mountfalcon picture. 1t
represented the nobleman In court
dress. satisfied myself on every point.
After the closest scrutiny ! was con-