The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-25
THE EVENING STORY
The Lady In the Picture.

1
1t is the portrait Of my ancestress,
Mistress Elizabeth Mowbray,' re-
marked Dickson to his assembled
guests With one accord the four per-
sons seated at the table in the great
dining room turned and looked at the
| picture.
Framed in gold, 1t hung over the
chimney piece, reaching almost to the
lofty ceiling. It depicted the life-size
figure of beautiful young woman in
4 pale gray gown in the fashion of q
century past.
A large gray-plumed hat rested on
her dark hair. and about her shoulders
was loose rose-pfnk cloak, caught to-
gether by one slender hand, while the
other held plumy spray of white
! lilac.
| Dickson arose. glass in hand. ITO
Mistress Mowbray; always young, al
added with a mischievous glance at
his wife, ever silent!''
There was laughter from the men and
| a merry protest from Mrs. Dickson as
they drank the toast and resumed their
| seats.
Rather an unfair advantage to take
Of Mistress Mowbray," objected Mark
Randolph, with a glance toward the
| portrait.
| IT am sure that Harry's insinuation
is quite unjust said Mrs. Dickson.
with spirit; family history relates that
Elizabeth MoWbray possessed very
pretty WITH
II suppose there is a story connect
ed with the fair lady?" insinuated
| Searles, with smile at his host.
There is" admitted Dickson, cheer
fully. There is some tale about the
ghost Of Mistress Mowbray, who is said
| to step down from her portrait and
walk about this room, leaving a frag-
rance of white lilac in her wake"
'Have you witnessed this appari-
tion?" asked Randolph. with interest.
1 - ii,
himself to walnuts; but will admit"
he continued, with a quizzica1 glance
| at his pretty wife, that have detected
the odor of white lilac in this room!"
| when does the ghost waIk?" asked
| Randolph.
| Invariably on the 18th Of March"
replied Dickson, leaning back in his
chair and looking fxedly at the por-
trait. I'VE have never seen the ap-
| partition, but some of the servants claim
| to have seen it. It has SO happened
| that we have never been at the hall
| on the 18th of March since our honey
moon. I recollect that we came down.
| stairs one morning on the 18th of
white lilac. AS the conservatory was
empty of plants, and as there were no
flowers of any sort in the house, it
| "a shock!' interpolated Mrs. Dick
son with decision. ut was a positive
shock to smell the odor Of white lilac
that morning-especially as old Han
nah had RECALLED us with the story the
| night before"
And so you have never waited up
to see the ghost waikiki" queried Ran
dolph as he opened the door for his
hostess.
mo. to tell the truth we always run
| away!" she laughed. Suppose you
come down on the 18th of next month
! and watch for Mistress Mowbray.
Hannah will take care Of you, and then
you can report to us the result of your
| Investigations"
agreed" he said. readily: and as
she left the room he returned to the
table and remarked to the others,
"Any volunteers to keep me company?''
Not T." returned searles. quickly.
II shall be south about that time"
"And We" said Dickson. lightly.
will be in Egypt"
ct had forgotten that" said Ran
dolph. Nevertheless. I shall accept
here and make the acquaintance of
fair Mistress Mowbray."
He was looking at the picture with
dreamy abstraction in his eyes.
| you admire my beautiful ances-
tress, then Mark" Dickson shot a
keen glance at his friend.
YES" was the low response. "She
reminds me of-another whom I once
knew"
On the 18th Of March Randolph jour-
neyed down to the sleepy old New
England village where the Dickson
homestead spread it's comfortable
wings behind sheltering elms, now
the east wind. Within doors all was
cheeriness and comfort, with soft
lamplight and blazing fires.
When Hannah had cleared the din
ner table and departed. Randolph
threw himself into a huge easy chair
before the fire in the dining room and
looked up at the pictured face OF
Mistress Mowbray. He compared her
face with that of another Elizabeth
Mowbray-a cousin of Harry Dick
son, and also descendant of the lady
in the picture. 1t was an old story
lnow-ten years old. He and Beth
i had quarreled and she had returned
| his ring and gone back to her home
in the south. They mad never met
afterward, but he had never forgot
randolph placed not the slightest
lcredence on the story OF the appar1-
4 ton of Mistress Mowbray, but the
Idea of spending an uninterrupted
evening before the portrait appealed
to him. Unable to longer Withstand
the glance of the tender eyes, he
buried his face in the upturned palms
OF his hands and gave himself up to
unhappy musings.
tall clock in the hall. and when the
bell chimed IL, Randolph reused
himself with slight start from the
half doze in which he had INDUCED.
Involuntarily he gazed at the por-
trait and a great wonder came into
his ewes He wheeled his chair away
! from the fireplace and stared. He
rubbed his his eyes, looked about the
softly lighted room and stared again.
There was the same youthful figure,
) with its gray-plumed hat, gray gown
and rose-pink cloak caught together
|. by one slender white hand 1t was all
! as. it had been before save that now
there was life in it; life in the soft,
brown eyes and in certain tremuious
Inns