The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-06-17
THE GIRL In THE PICTURE
BY Elsie Carmichael
Dcopyrlsnt, ~ Joscph II. uowicsl

II stood over the mantel in the oak
raneled dining-room, portrait by
Gainsborough of a slender dark-eyed
girl in a white satin gown, with q
necklace Of milk.white pearls about
her softly rounded throat She was
pulling the petals from red rose and
smiling roguishly out OF the frame.
| had always been in love with her
from the time ] used TO spend my
schoolboy holidays az the manor until
as a young man | ran down TO kcr-
scy for week-ends, ostensihly TO see
my Aunt Elizabeth. i'm reality TO spend
most of the time before the great fire
place in the dining-room, blowing rings
toward the ceiling and dreaming as !
watched Marianne dropping the petals
Of her crimson rose.
Il am going TO have a house party
on the 25th of June wrote my aunt
"and you must not fail mo, my dear
Reginald. ! shall refuse to take no
for an answer
This was of the nature of a sum
mons to Windsor castle. and / dared
not disobey. Besides ] did not alto
gethcr object TO a house party az
Kersey manor I'm rose time However,
at the last minute 1 was delayed, and
II was not until the evening of the
26th that / drove up the oak-lined ave
nue. I'm the soft moonlight. My aunt
met me in the great hall.
They are having tableauX in the
music-room," she said. "Will You come
there as soon as you have changed?'
The light was turned low as
softly entered and stood unobserved
In the back of the music-room. There
was a hush over the audience as the
curtain was drawn to reveal a lovely
picture My cousin Jeanne, smiled
winsomely out of the frame as the
Countess Potocka in the famous por-
trait that is familiar to every one.
The clapping of hands drowned the
little murmur of admiration as the
curtain was drawn over il. My cousin.
Jeanne, evidently could not endure the
ordeal of keeping still TO be looked at
again, so the encoring died away and
the low murmur of conversation was
resumed.
Suddenly the conversation ceased;
the curtain was about to be drawn for
the next picture, and | tTned per-
functorily toward the little stage.
gave a great start and clasped
the back of the chair in front of me.
could see the sheen Of her white
satin gown, the long necklace of
pearls about her snowy throat. It was
Marianne, but a living, breathing Mar
ianne.
Suddenly the lights 1ared up, the
buzz of conversation grew louder,
everyone was talking at once about
the tableaux. One or two old friends
saw me and came to welcome me, so
II was several minutes before | could
make my way TO my aunt.
Aunt Elizabeth" | demanded pre-
sent me, | beg, to the lady Of Kersey
manor. Where did you find her? Did
she step down from the frame to-day?
How did It all happen?'
Even as I spoke Marianne came by,
Marianne in her white satin gown,
her shimmering pearls and the red
rose still in her hand.
Marian" cried my aunt. stop a
moment while l present your cousin,
Reginald"
] bowed low. l felt that l ought
to have a plumed hat TO sweep the
floor before this lady of an olden
| time.
why did you not come down from
your frame before?" / asked. 81 have
waited for you for years, centuries
aeons, and l have been so lonely
though l knew you would come al
last, Marianne, lady Of Kersey ma
nor"
She smiled ravishingly and looked
at my aunt questioningly.
"He is our court jester" the lat
ter replied with a smile.
But l am not jesting," I cried
with mock solemnity. "She is Mart
anne, Marianne of the portrait" in
sisted. Deny it If you dare"
Yes, she is Marian my aunt ac
knowledged. But. Marian, the great
great-grandniece of the lady Of Ker
sey manor and your distant cousin
Not at ALL" l begged to differ
"She is Marianne herself, Marianne
who sat TO Gainsborough, Mariann,
who pulled a red rose and flung tn,
petals at her feet-you are, aren't you
Marianne?'
Aunt Elizabeth smiled indulgently
Then some young upstart bore OF
my Marianne for the cotillon II
could not dance it with her / show
cred her with favors and danced wit
no one else. When she mischievous
ly brought me a testers cap an
bells In one figure, l put it on rC
luctantly.
The next morning we walked 4
the garden together just as we use
to do in the old days, and / gait
cred her roses. We flung brea
crumbs TO the trout that rose greedil
to snatch them, and we pelted tn
cross old peacock with flowers, an
then we leaned on the sun-dial, an