The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-05-13
The Lady In
The Picture.
BY CLARiSSA MAcklE.
BY CLARlSSA MAcklE.



Framed in gold, it hung over the
chimney piece, reaching almost to the
lofty ceiling. 1t depicted the life size
figure of beautiful young woman in
pale gray gown in the fashion Of
century past.
A large gray plumed hat rested on
her dark hair, and about her shoulders
was loose rose pink cloak caught to-
:ether by one slender hand, while the
other hold a plumy spray of white
lilac.
Dickson arose, glass in hand. ITO
Mistress Mowbray; always young. al
ways beautiful and'-he paused and
added, with misehievous glance at
his Whichever silent!'
There was laughter from the men
and merry protest from Mrs. Dick
son as they drank the toast and re-
sumed their seats.
Rather an unfair advantage to take
of Mistress Mowbray," objected Mark
Randolph, with glance toward the
portrait,
Il am sure that Harry's insinuatlon
is quite UNJUST" said Mrs. Dickson,
with spirit "Family history relates
that Elizabeth Mowbray possessed n
very pretty witg
with the fair lady?" inslnuated Searles,
with smile at his host
There Is" admitted Dickson cheer
fully. "There is some tale about the
ghost of Mistress Mowbray, who IL
said TO step down from her portrait
and walk about this room. leaving a
fragrance of white lilac In her wake"
"Have you witnessed this appari'
tion?' asked Randolph, with interest
Never" replied Dickson, helping
himself to walnuts, "but will admit"
he continued. with quizzical glance
nj his pretty wife, that l have de-
tected the odor of white lilac In this
roomn'
"When does the ghost walk?v asked
Randolph.
'1nvarlably on the 18th of March"
replied Dickson leaning back In his
chair and looking fixedly at the por-
trait. I'VE have never seen the ap-
partition, but some of the servants claim
to have seen 1t. 1t has so happened
that we have never been at the hall on
the 18th of March since our honeymoon.
| reeollect that we came downstalrs
one morning on the 14th of March and
detected n strong odor of white lilac
As the conservatory was empty o.
plnnts and as there We're no flowers o.
any sort In the house. 1t was rather
| a..
"a shock!' lnterpoated Mrs. Dick
son, with decision. ut was a positive
shock to smell the odor of white lila,
that morning. especially as old Hannal
had RECALLED us with the story the nigh
before"
"And so you have never waited III
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 VIII 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 vol
untecrs TO keep me companyT
Not l." returned Searles quickly. II
shall he south about that time"
"And We" said Dickson lightly, will
be in Egypt"
Il had forgotten that" said Ran.
dolph. Nevertheless | shall accept
Mrs. Dickson's invitation TO run down
here and make the acquaintance of fair
Mistress Mowbrny."
He was looking ut the picture with
dreamy abstraction In his eyes.
you admire my beautiful ancestress,
then, MarbY Dickson shot keen
glance at his friend.
yes" was the low response. "She
reminds rue of another whom / once
knew"
On the 18th OF March Randolph jour-
neyed down to the sleepy old New
England village where the Dickson
homestead spread Its comfortable wings
behind shelterng elms, now leafess
and soughlng mournfully In 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 III the dining room and
looked up at the pictured face of Mis-
trcss Mowbray. He compared her face
with that Of another Elizabeth Now
bray, a cousin Of Harry Dickson and
also d descendant OF the lady In the
picture. 1t was an old story now, ten
years old lie and Beth had quarreled,
and she had returned his ring and gone
back TO her home In the south. They
had never met afterward, but he had
never forgotten.
Randolph placed not the slightest Gre
dencc in the story Of the apparition OF
Mistress Mowbray, but the idea OF
spending an uninterrupted evening be
iore the portrait appealed to him. I'm
able 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.
Hour after hour was toiled by the
tall clock In the hall, and when the bell
fhimed 12 Randolph reused himself
with Il slight start from the half doze
in which he had INDUCED.
Involuntarily he gazed at the por-
trait. and great wonder came into his
eyes. He wheeled his chair away from
the fireplace and stared. He rubbed
his eyes, looked about the softly light
ed 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 az
1t had been before save that now
there was life in it--life In the soft
brown eyes and In certain tremulous