St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-02-09
"A remarkable resemblance, he said,

AoOAe IeSemOl20ce,| he said.
speaking to himself.
what do you think Of it?" asked
neimer. Harrington stood motionless
oeiore the easel, only his lips twitch.
ing little. Presently he recovered
nimseh and turned to the artist.
Forgive my abstraction, Mr.. Lis
eomo' ne said. This picture has
Drought memories which are both
pleasant and painful to me. Tell me;
IS this likeness? 1t must be. Such
resemblance could not be accidental"
II is in some measure a likeness" !"
said Liscomb. I'VE idealize, Of course,
according to our subject"
May know the models name?"
She is not professional model.
am under pledge not to tell her
name % anyone"
"You will tell it to me-" said Har-
rngton. when you know that 1 have
spent hve years looking for the woman
whose portrait is there. I left home
poor and without prospects. I was to
return when I had made my fortune
lnmyhome lived Isabel Beecher, about
my own age. was to come back to her
and make her my wife. On my way to
my uncle's home in Connecticut met i
man who persuaded me to go with him
to Colorado. 1 had promised my ia.
ther and mother that would go to
Connecticut. I was afraid to tell them
where I was going; so wrote only a
line to say that I had changed my plans
and started for the west. The man
who took me to Colorado was a card
sharper and = thief. He wanted to
use me. I broke away from him as
soon as learned his character. Then
came years of privation. I sang in
disreputable dance halls in the mining
camps to earn my bread. sold drinks
Tor miners over . bar and waited on
table in primitive restaurants. It was
a dirty, mean life. and was ashamed
to write to my people about it. So
five years went by and I never heard
from home. Then had saved enough
to grubstake a miner. For q year /
kept him going. through one failure
after another. He was one of the
first in the Oroide camp. You re-
member the big strike there? 1t made
me rich man. 1 took the first Of
fer that came for my property and
started for the east. When 1 reached
my old home found that my people
had gone. My father died within q
year of my disappearance and my
mother and Isabel had started for
Connecticut to join my uncle. I went
east. There I learned that my uncle
had died while my mother was trav-
cling to join him and that after set
tling his little estate my mother and
Isabel had gone, no one knew where.
1 searched for q clew, and then, put
ting the case in the hands of de-
tective, / went back to Colorado.
Since that time I have become rich.
The newspapers have published hun
dreds of columns, 1 suppose, about
me and my wealth. But my people
would never. recognize, under the
name Of John Harrington, the wealthy
mine owner, the boy who left his
home with only a few dollars IL years
ago.
Il am sorry to have had to take up
your time with this long story, Mr..
Liscomb, but I wanted you to know
just why you must tell me where Isabel
Beccher is if you know"
Liscomb exchanged glances with
Helmer. 1--WE seldom remember the
full names Of our models. Mr.. Harring-
ton," he said. ''I'll have to 60 into the
other room and look over my address
book. If her name is Beecher, will
bring you the address"
When Liscomb entered the studio
the model was sitting by the window
reading magazine she had picked up
from the artists table. She arose as
he entered.
pardon me, Miss Belle, is ] ask you
q personal question:" said Liscomb.
do you know a Mrs. Harrington?'
''She is my guardian" said Isabel
Beecher.
"And her son
"John! Do You know anything
about John?"
She came toward him, the melan-
choly OF her face dispelled by the look
of eager interest that came over it.
Il think do" said Liscomb.
'Is he alive?"
every much alive"
Thank God! How did you know"
"Helmer found him. I'll send Heimer
to you and he can tell you all about it.
viii you wait here?"
Liscomb passed into the next room,
closing the door behind him. "Step
into my studio. Mr.. Harrington" he
said. As John Harrington passed
through the door, pushing aside the
oriental drapery that hung before it,
Liscomb softly closed it.
"Shake, o.d man." he said to Helmer.