Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-08-24

"A
Painted
Lady
b. Marion Gordon


old hall with satisfied eyes, his
dreams of home at last fulfilled.
From his orphaned boyhood he had
yearned for four walls Of his very
own to encompass him with friend
w warmth and affection, and now ne
found them here in this fine old
mansion purchased from the I'M
poyerished members Of an almost ex-
tinct family. Samuel Gladwin had
made himself rich and successful at
forty-two.
"Samuel, my boy" he said to him
self, "this is better than bachelor
apartments or splendid hotels-this
! is homel 1t only lacks one thing. l
must get me a wife"
He looked little wistfully
through the vista of untenanted
| rooms. His own money and cult
! waited taste had perfected the shabby
interior, which still retained its fine
old mahogany and china. In the
| library, which was his own especial
den, hung several family portraits
that had passed into his hands.
Over the fireplace hung the por-
trait of a lady-a sweet, fair, brown
i haired girl, with dreamy gray-blue
eyes and rose-tinted cheeks. Her
hair framed her face mistily, and
her white throat and arms were
yelled with some sheer black gauzy
stuff. At her bosom nestled a pale
pink rose.
Gladwin threw himself into low
chair and blew a cloud Of smoke up
ward. Through the blue haze the
painted lady smiled tenderly down
at him. So he would have his wife
look at him-so would he have her
gaze at their children.
Presently black Martha brought
some fresh logs for the fire, and hel
keen old eyes caught the expression
on his face as he stared up at thu
picture.
sKin 1 do anything more, Mars
Gladwin?" she asked, lingering nea
the door.
mo, thank you, Martha-that is
unless you can tell me something
more about the picture over the man
telpiece."
l' A film seemed to cover Martha
!. eves-she looked like a wise old tor
e toise as she drew her lean neck bacl
It into the folds of her kerchief.
VI Excuse me, Marse Gladwin," sh
y said drily, "seems like 1 done tol
YOU all about dat picture. It's q
= pictur of Miss Rosamond Oily
:, she's daid and buried this twent
year like all de Dillys 'cept old Mis-
and young Miss"
''Who is 'old MissY"
! "Missis Jedge Dilly-her as sol
= you de house, sah," returned Martf
crisply.
ooh, / never met her; | tran
3 acted all the business through h
at LAWYERS. And who is young Miss
a '|NLiss Rosamond Mallory-gran
daughter to Missis Jedge Dilly-
: that's Miss Rosamond's ma befC
she was married. Martha point
to the portrait above the mantel.
u "Tain't considered lucky to h
dat pictur around sah," she said
she opened the door.
"Why2" he asked quickly, scel
ing story.
"It's ha'nted."
'Nonsense," he laughed.
Martha tossed her white turh
scornfully. 81 guess ole Ma
knew! He was sot aginst her m
ryin' young Malloy-he was hal
sum but he was pore-and when
baby was born Miss Rosamond d
and her pa never forgive himi
and he useter say she cum down Q
er de pictur' and talk to him vi
he sat smokin' heah!
Martha swung out of the TO-
and the door closed behind her v
bang that Gladwin did not not
So his home was filed with M
cries of other people, II was
alive with old tragedies-old he
aches. All there were left Of the
old family we're the grandmot
and the young girl who tau
school in Fairlawn.
The clock, striking the half /