Evening journal., 1911-04-13
A DUPLEX
PICTURE
BY JOHN D. BILLINGS
Copyright by American Press Assc-
ciation. 1911.

ardent patriots. The first Moffett who
came to this country wns British to
the core he arrived when he was
thirty years old and was sixty when
independence was declared. One
would think he had had ample ~me to
become Amerlcanized. but nothing can
depatriate an Engishman.
Not long ago. becoming interested Ia
the family geuealogy. l got into corre-
spondence with a cousin of mine who
lives in the identical house built and
occupied by Cuthbert Moifett. the old
curmudgeon Tory. l was invited TO
visit my cousin and inspect the home
stead aud certain heirlooms It con-
tained. accepted the invitation and
found him quite ready TO give me all
the Information he possessed about
the family history. He said that our
progenitor had been so wrought upon
by King Georges failure to establish
his authority that It killed him.
There" said my cousin when he
showed me 10 my room. pointing to a
painting hanging on the wall, SIS a
portrait of the second Moffett. James.
our grandfather. Il was painted when
he was slxty-eght years old. or about
the age at which his father, Cuthbert
Moffett. died"
The face was a model Of kindness.
the reverse of what his fathers must
have been.
After dining and passing an agree
able evening with my cousin and his
family / went upstairs 20 bed. He
had been telling me legends OF the
family. aud my mind was quite full OF
them. However. had been travelling
nll day and was tired. Getting out OF
my clothes as soon as possible. turn
ed OF the light and jumped into bed.
There are certain nights when there
is a deadness IN the air that prevents
persons from sleeping. had strucl
one OF these nights. An hour after go
ing TO bed l awoke, and after beinl
awake another hour concluded TO ligh
the gas-it had been put in with mucl
difficulty some years beforehand rea'
n novel Fhad brought with me. rea'
for some time and. becoming a bi
sleepy or tired Of my book. I laid !
down on the bed beside me. Then
p found myself looking straight at th
Z picture OF James Moffett The gas 1e
! shone full upon II.
Impressed as I had been with th
e stories my cousin had told me abou
r the dlsagreeable makeup OF Cuthber
! and the genial disposition OF Jane
4 Moffett, the moment my eyes fell o
n the portrait It struck me that the nj
lures Of these two men were strul
Cling with each other IN t. II ev'
there was mingling OF dlabohc
with a noble expression It was theE
There seemed TO be two pictures
" one-two men Of the same age. Z
Al one a devil. the other a saint. Thl
- features were so much alike that tn
could scarcely be told apart.
it moved aside. when. behold. I "a
lt only the benevolent features of Jam
k Moffett / moved as far to the OPT
site side. and there on the same ca
q vas was the devillsh face Of Cuthbel
= 1 resumed my original position an
there saw again the strange minglir
OF the two.
Now. I am not a superstitious ma
b. but one must admit that after listei
= ing to the stories / had heard Of thei
two men. my own progenitors, lool
ing upon such a sight was not col
ducive to quiet nerves. l don't sa
that | was impressed with the prob
hility Of there being anything supe
r natural about the portrait. but ! didn
know. A man is much more liable
give way TO superstition at o'clock
the morning, alone than in the light
he day with other persons about him.
a. wondered IL the father and son h;
?, not quarreled 10 life aud the son h'
~ unwillingly been implicated in d
y fathers death. And was not th
i quarrel supernaturally perpetuated
of the picture?
of Nonsensel would turn ont the lig
al and go to sleep.
H. did the first at once; the second
ig could not do till daylight came and Il
lg picture lost its duplex condition.
At breakfast / did not propose
s. give away my midnight trepidation
10 my cousin.
"sleep wellY' he asked
/ didn't Ike TO lie about It. so a
mitted that / was wakeful.
r. "See anything unusual in the room
y II know what you're driving q
There's something strange about th
r. portrait of our grandfather"
5 He smiled. Il wondered II "
is would be looking at It when your "a
Il light struck it. hope it didn't distu
it you"
"a I'm forgive you If you'l explain q
=, matter"
"a "a Done. Not long before James Nj
n fett's death-that was during the eal
ls part Of this century-a wanderi
painter came to the house and ask
to be permitted to paint bis portra
Is. There was no canvas available. but
n the garret was an old picture of Gu
on bert Moffett. so disagreeable lookl
he that the family would not have IL
III the wall A daughter of James. W
"a. detected the old portrait. gave II to
Iel painter. asking him to use it II
could and in any event paint out
horrid old man.. The artist used
canvas for the new picture. Whett
IN il is in some transparent paint be =
on or whatever It is. In certain ligi
one sees CuthbeTt in other ligh
an James. and In certain other lights Sc