The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-06-03
The Lady In
The Picture.
BY cLARTSsA MACKIE.


| WIN oue uCCOru tue lOur peTSOuS seat
ed at the table in the great dining room
turned and looked at the picture.
Framed in gold, it hung over the
chimney piece, reaching almost to the
lofty ceiling. 1t depicted the life size
figure of a beautiful young woman in
a 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-
| 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
ways beautiful and'-he paused and
added. with a mischievous glance at
his wife-"ever silent!''
There was laughter from the men
and a 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
| AtohoOiPhs WIN eidhNC tOWoio thC
portrait.
81 am sure that Harry's insinuation
is quite unjust" said Mrs. Dickson,
with spirit. Family history relates
that Elizabeth Mowbray possessed
very pretty witv'
81 suppose there is a story connected
with the fair lady?" ipsinuated Searles,
| with smile at his host ss
There is" admitted Dickson
fully. There is some tale< a.
ghost of Mistress MoYro 'v ,uho &c e
said to step down 80 hor nortro,t
and walk about rnom leaving n
fragrance ..s1aIs OF. OF 6te lilac in her wake"
"Nevssed Randolph, with interest.
b,,,ser." replied Dickson, helping
elf to waInuts. "but will admit"
aXcontinued. with quzzical glance
1T his pretty wife. that ! have de-
tected the cdor of white lilac in this
roomv'
"when does the ghost walk?" asked
Randolph.
Invariably on the 18th Of tlarch,"
replied Dickson, leaning back In his
chair and looking fixedly at the por-
trait I'VE have never seen the APP
| 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.
I recollect that we came downstairs
one morning on the 14th of March and
detected strong odor of white lilac
AS the conservatory was empty OF
plants and as there were no flowers of
any sort In the house. it was rather
a.
"a shockr' interpolated Mrs. Dick
son, with decision. 1T was positive
shock to smell the odor Of white lilac
that morning. especially as old Hannah
had RECALLED us with the story the night
before"
"And so you have never waited up
to see the ghost walk?" 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 vol
unteers to keep me company?
Not l." returned Searles quickly. 81
shall be south about that time"
: And we," said Dickson lightly, twill
y be in Egypt"
d Il had forgotten that" said Ran
. dolph. Nevertheless shall accept
Mrs. Dlckson's invitation to run down
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 ancestress
then, Mark? 2" Dickson Slot a keer
glance at his friend.
d Yes" was the low response. Ssh,
reminds me of another whom | one,
e knew"
k On the 18th of March Randolph jour
n neyed down to the sleepy old New
d England village where the Dickson
a. homestead spread its comfortable wing
behind sheltering elms,, now leafies
,r and soughing mournfully in the cas-
10 wind. Within doors all was cheerines
n and comfort, with soft lamplight an,
al blazing fires.
When Hannah had cleared the din
ner table and departed. Randolph
threw himself into huge easy chat
G before the fire In the dining room an,
l. looked up at the pictured face of Mis-
e tress Mowbray. He compared her fac
r with that of another Elizabeth Now
bray. cousin of Harry Dickson an,
also descendant of the lady in tn
picture. 1t was an old story now, TEL
!. years old He and Beth had quarrele6
/ and she had returned his ring and gon
back to her home in the south. The
had never met afterward. but he ha
I never forgotten