Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-22

| Doubtless 1t required electric or SINH
! lar rays.
But the figure In the window
beautiful boy of twelve. with thick
! locks tumbIed over his head. a ehild's
honest eyes, a mouth pursed up as
children often do when interested
looked me straight in the face My
first thought was that he was the
dispossessed lad But, no. Little
Franz was now twelve years old, and
this boy could not be more than ten.
In corner my light revealed not the
artists name, but Herbert David Paul
Czshardi-1S32"
1t occurred TO me at once that this
was Count Herbert. the father Of the
dispossessed boy.
It was near dawn before I fell
asleep, and 1 did not awaken till
the next morning. The picture of the
window was directly opposite me.
Though the sunlight was shining upon
ii, it was truly a window. Had been
dreaming? / thought not Neverthe-
less during the morning l shut out
what light 1 was able from the room
and examined the picture again with
my lamp. The boy was there, but not
so distinct.
Before left the castle had figured
out a possible solution to the case
that had been. believed, wrongly de-
cided by the courts. In returning to
Vienna 1 learned the whereabouts OF
both the countess and little Franz.
The boy was living with his peasant
mother, and the countess was living
In humble cottage near by. 1 went
FIRST to see the boy.
Scarcely a feature was different from
those belonging to the portrait
Though L had nothing to gain or
lose by this discovery, uttered an ex-
clamation Of delight. 1 had positive
proof that little Franz was the son OF
Count Herbert CzshardI.
From the boy l went to call upon
the countess. explained to her that
had passed a night at the castle in
which she had lived and asked her If
she remembered the picture OF the
vacant window. She replied that she
did. It was there when she went
there bride. / asked IL there was
picture extant of her husband when
ten or eleven years old. Tears came
into her eyes as she said:
mo. and there being none lost US our
case and turned my poor boy out"
She listened with eagerness to my
adventure in my bedchamber at the
castle and fairly gasped for joy when
I had finished. She told me that her
husband had had faint remembrance
Of a Japanese artist coming to the
castle when be was a little boy and
painting his portrait, but the count
was then too young TO recall anything
but the fact.
The countess sent Immediately for
her attorney and told him my story.
He disbelieved so rema rkable a tale.
but admitted that children are liable
to show a likeness to either of their
parents when the parent was at the
same age as the child. The lawyer
was obliged to resort to chicanery lest
August CZshardi might destroy the
picture. He obtained an order of the
court for it and succeeded in getting it
before Czshardf was aware that it was
of any Importance.
l was present in the courtroom
when, the case having been reopened.
the picture was shown to the jury by
daylight, then by electric rays. little
Franz being present that they might
see the likeness.
The case was won.
1 was invited to escort the countess
and her son to the castle the day they
returned to it and to be their guest as
long as l would remain. Never shall
forget the delight. especially OF the
boy, at getting back to that with
which he had been familiar since
babyhood. The most touching scene
Of all was when he and his dog met In
an embrace. The dog whined, and both
cried for Joy.
was much interested to know how
the picture could have been painted.
Different chemists tried to find out
the constituent that made it visible
under certain light rays, but failed. In
Japan there is a famous painting a
portion of which is only seen in the
dark, but IT is known that phosphorus
in the paint will produce this result.
Why the picture that won the suit
will appear only under electric rays is
a question that has not yet been solv-
ed. When IT is we shall have a new
discovery perhaps equal to the Y ray.