Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-05-05

L got up, LOOK my SicCtIlC idulp anu
walked about the room. There were
pictures on the wall, and | examined
them by the light of my lamp. One,
| a picture of an open window. Sid ar
! rested my attention before went to
| bed from the fact that the artist had
not put anything in the easement
| Why he should have painted Win
| dow without some flowers or bird
cage or some one looking ont Of 1t ex-
cited my curiosity. Flashing my light
upon this picture, started with as
tonishment. The window was occupied!
| I was at first too much absorbed in
the phenomenon to notice who was
the occupant. am not supersti:ious.
Indeed. / refer everything to natural
canee. 1t was no ghost looking at
me- 1t was one who had been put
there with some sort of paint that
would only appear when Illuminated
! by certain kind of artificial light.
Doubtless 1t required electric or simi-
lar rays.
But the figure in the window--a
beautiful boy of twelve, with thick
locks tumbled over his head, child's
honest eyes, Il 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"
:. eccorred 20 me at once that this
GSp0sSessed boy.
1t was near dawn before l fell
ssieep, and | did not awaken till 0
the next morning. The picture of the
window was directly opposite me.
Though the sunlight was shining upon
Il, 1t was truly a window. Had l been
dreaming? thought not. Neverthe-
less during the morning / shut out
what light ! was able from the room
and examined the picture again with
my lamp. The boy was there, but not
20 distinct.
Before l 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 | 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. l went
FIRST to see the boy.
Scarcely feature was different from
those belonging to the portrait.
Though ] had nothing to gain or
lose by this discovery. uttered an ex-
clamation of delight. l had positive
proof that little Franz was the son Of
Count Herbert Czshardi.
From the boy l went to call upon
the countess. l 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. 1t was there when she went
there a bride asked II there was a
picture extant of her husband when
ten or eleven years old. Tears came
into her eyes as she said:
"No, 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
! had finished. She told me that her
husband had had faint remembrance
of japanese artist coming to the
castle when he 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 remarkable tale,
! but admitted that children are liable
| TO show q 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 1t
before CZshardi was aware that it was
of any Importance.
| 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.
| 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 / would remain. Never shall I
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 1t 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
n the paint will produce this result
Why the picture that won the suit
will appear only under electric rays Is
question that has not yet been solv-
| ed. When 1t is we shall have a new
discovery perhaps equal to the Y ray.