The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-23

but it was scantily furnished, with little
more than table and two or three chairs.
The lady who had invited him to paint
the portrait received him.
Il am glad" she said extending a frid-
i'd hand that you have found yourself
able to come"
She looked anything but glad. Her face
was set like marble, with an expression
which never varied; there was no sun
shine in it, no possibility of smile, 10
light in it; on the other hand, there were
none of the signs of discomfort or of Ie-
belhon. Life mad no joy for her; that
could be read in her face al first sight
and continued TO be read whenever she
considered that face again. A handsome
woman. about 40 years of age, dressed in
black silk with a suspicion of widows
weeds. What was the story of this NO
man? Why did she look so frigid? Why
had the sunshine gone out of her face?
The portrait painter was quite young
man with a distinguished appearance, for
which perhaps his ancestry were not re-
sponsible The finest ancestry do some
times produce the most undistlnguished APP
pearance. He, however looked as IL ne
were descended from the Towards. In ad-
dition to a distinguished appearance this
young man was acquiring a distinguished
manner, with some air of dignity and the
bearings of authority most enviaoe
possession. But the portrait painters APP
pearance and manner have nothing to do
with this story.
Il understand" he said, that 1t is your
daughter whose portrait you wish me TO
attempt"
MY daughter. She is engaged to be
married. Her fance is abroad at present,
but he comes home in May or June. when
the wedding will be celebrated" In her
voice there was perceptlble a slight hest
tation. as If she was afraid of something,
or uncertain about something, or anxious
about something. Il wish to have the por-
trait before the wedding takes place"
1t was then about in the afternoon of
January day. The place was a country
house. not very ancient or picturesque;
square hall built some time In the last
century adorned with a pediment and pill
asters, in front a terrace, at the back gar
dens. all around a park; the house which
IL
The young mans spirits fell as he stood
before his frgid hostess, and thought of
the bare hall in which he had been re-
ceived, and the echoing footsteps, and the
gaunt breakfast room where he was stand
ing However, he had come on business,
and there was nothing more to be said
Il will show you" said the lady, the
place which will be your study. We must
go at once If we wish to catch the day
light
She led him across great bare hall.
1t ought to have been laid with mats
and skins; the walls should have been
covered with spears, pixies, swords and
tapestry; there should have been armour
and coats of arms; the empty fireplace
should have been cleaning with androns
and piled up with blazing logs. There
was nothing; the hall was quite empty
of furniture or ornament. The broad
staircase should have had a broad thick
carpet; it had nothing but a narrow strip
of common star carpet, such as one finds
in a little villa. On the landing there
were marks as if pictures had been hang
ing in the panels, but there was nothing;
the stair-carpet came 10 an end, and one
walked on the echoing boards
The lady led her guest into a gallery,
running along the whole length of the
house; a narrow gallery, but cheerful with
the row OF lofty WINDOWS. On the lower
part of the walls were shelves for books
protected by brass wires so that no one
should read any of the books But they
We're gone; the shelves were empty. Above,
in the panels were portraits in Oil for
the most part of very inferior production.
Il am brought here" thought the artist,
40 add one more to this very second
rate collection. IL is not complimentary"
This was the library" said the lady,
until the books were taken away. /
think you viii lind a good light at the
north end for your studio. My daughter
will meet you tomorrow morning. Per-
haps you would like to make your ar
rangements at once, in readiness. Your
room is the door next to this, on the
right Your things have been taken up"
She left him in the library; the painter
easily found has own room, brought out
the easel and his tools arranged his can
vas and put out his palette and paints at
that end of the library which afforded
him the best light This little arrange
ment took him some time; before he had
finished, the early evening fell upon the
place.
When everything was ready. he sat
down in a window seat and looked about
him. There were about twenty portraits
on the walls, representing men and wo-
men chiefly of the last century. Being
himself q portrait painter this young man
was not in the least astonished to find the
faces in the picture frames beginning in
the twilight to assume queer shapes and
strange expressions. Some of them
threatened vindictvely-why? Some of
them scowled jealously-why2 Some look
ed Indignantly upon the young man
was it not jealousy of the artist?
One picture attracted his attention more
than all the others put together. il was
the portrait of a girl. In the declining
light he could see that the picture was
very poorly and mechanically painted, but
even a bad artist could not disprove the
fact that he was painting a very remarka-
be face-a face quite out of the COM
mon; not beautiful in the ordinary sense
of the word. but lovely; fun Of soft sweet
ness, with eyes such as might drive a
man to even madness with yearning for
them
He stood before this picture, trying TO
make out what it would be like if the
artist had been able to endow it with life.
1t grew almost dark suddenly the face
seemed to stand out of the canvas. the
eyes which were there would follow one
round room. fhqV herarna H1IaI tr;tT .,