Bridgeton pioneer., 1911-08-10
A DUPLEX
PICTURE
By JOHN D. BILLINGS
Copyright bY American Press Asso-
cistloa. 1911

Ny family, the 8ioffetts, during the
Revolutionary war were divided On the
issue, some Of them being Tories, some
ardent patriots. The first Mofett who
came to this country was British to
the core. He arrived when he was
thirty years old and was sixty when
Independence was declared. One
would think be had had ample time to
become Americanized, but nothing can
depatriate an Engizhman.
Not long ago, becoming interested In
the family genealogy, got into CORE
spondence with cousin Of mine who
lives In the identical house built and
occupied by Cuthbert Monett, the old
curmudgeon Tory. I was invited to
visit my cousin and inspect the home
stead and certain heirlooms # con-
tained. 1 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 80 wrought upon
by King Georges failure to establish
his authority that It killed him.
"There," said my cousin when he
showed me to my room, pointing to a
painting hanging on the wall, as a
portrait Of the second Moffett, James,
our grandfather. 1t was painted when
he was sixty-eight years old, or about
the age at which his father, Cuthbert
Moffett, died"
The face was a model Of kindliness,
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 to bed. He
had been telling me legends Of the
family, and my mind was quite full OF
them. However, had been travelling
all day and was tired. Getting out Of
my clothes as soon az possible, turn
ed Off the light and jumped into bed.
There are certain nights when there
Is a deadnesg In the air that prevents
persons from sleeping. l had struck
one Of these nights. An hour after GO
ing to bed / awoke, and after being
awake another hour concluded to light
the gas-it had been put in with much
difficulty some years beforehand read
novel / had brought with me. 1 read
for some time and. becoming a bit
sleepy or tired Of my book. laid 1t
down on the bed beside me. Then
found myself looking straight at the
picture Of James Moffett. The gas jet
shone full upon it.
Impressed as | had been with the
stories my cousin had told me about
the disagreeable makeup of Cuthbert
and the genial disposition of James
Moffeit. the moment my eyes fell on
the portrait It struck me that the ma
lures Of these two men we're strug-
Cling with each other in it. If ever
there was mingling Of diabolical
with a noble expression 1t was there.
There seemed to be two pictures in
one-two men of the same age, the
one devil, the other saint. Their
features were SO much alike that they
could scarcely be told apart.
/ moved aside. when, behold, / saw
only the benevolent features of James
Moffett. | moved as far to the oppo-
site side, and there on the same can
vas was the devilsh face of Cuthbert
resumed my original position and
there saw again the strange mingling
of the two.
Now, ! am not superstitious man,
but one must admit that after listen
ing to the stories 1 had heard of these
two men, my own progenitors, look
ing upon such a sight was not con-
ducive to quiet nerves. | don't say
that was impressed with the proba.
bility Of there being anything super.
natural about the portrait, but didn't
know. A man Is much more liable to
give way to superstition at o'clock In
the morning, alone, than In the light of
day with other persons about him. |
wondered If the father and son had
not quarreled In life and the son had
unwillingly been implicated In the
fathers death. And was not this
quarrel supernaturally perpetuated in
the picture2
Nonsense! would turn out the light
and go to sleep.
/ did the first at once; the second 1
could not do till daylight came and the
picture lost its duplex condition.
At breakfast l did not propose to
give away my midnight trepidation to
my cousin.
"Sleep we'll" he asked.
didn't like to lie about 1t. so ad-
mitted that / was wakeful.
"See anything unusual in the roomi"
II know what you're driving at.
There's something strange about that
portrait OF our grandfather"
He smiled. II wondered If you
would be looking at 1t when your gas
light struck 1t. / hope it didn't disturb
you"
"I'll forgive you IL you1l explain the
matter"
Done. Not long beforc James Mof-
fetts death-that was during the early
part of this century-a wandering
painter came to the house and asked
fn ha raruntftad 70 yofuk b{, ,No.ArosA