Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-09
A.
TRANSITION
BY Arthur W. PATTERSON
"Good morning, sir.'

~ once replying TO the last question
the latter produced n card bearing the
name "Alonzo Ericsson" then, after
being offered chair, said:
any visit will doubtless seem strange
to you at first, but ! trust that shall
be able In time to secure your concur
renee with its object. You have "A
daughter whose life has recently been
blighted by the loss Of her liancer"
~ have" replied Mr.. Margrave some
what coldly.
'"There are remedies for such blights,
and come to propose one for this
case"
Mr.. Margrnve looked mt the stranger
wondering at his impudencc.
Marriage Is the remedy | refer TO,
but you are well aware that marriage
In simply the final net, II being neces-
sary to withdraw the concentration Of
the feelings from the one who IL lost
and unite them on living object"
'"That In my daughters case would
be impossible"
"But deslrable?"
"Certainly! do not wish her to pass
q lifetime In mourning"
81 am an artist by profession. though,
being cursed with n fortune In my own
right of 100000. | do not expect to
make any great success"
"Well, sir, will you kindly inform
me what your profession or your for
tune tx to me?"
81 will MS | proceed. One evening
several years ago saw your daughter
ut ball. The moment I looked Mt her
] knew that | saw the woman want
ed for life partner. | made inquiries
about her and was told that she was
the bnll. The troubles that invariably
accompany love were upon me. My
FIRST act was to seek the man who had
been so fortunate and was surprised
30 see n slight resemblance to myself"
"You are something like him, now
you speak OF It,"
ut Is this slight resemblance which
II the key-provided | win your con-
currence-to the situation"
Mr. Margrave had by this time be-
come interested.
Il will give you references ms to my
social position and Ms man among
men. Az to my fortune, refer you to
my lawyers. Peters II Waters. If aft
or examination you are satisfied to
give me an opportunity to win your
daughter that IL all ask"
by what process do you propose to
make the attack upon her heart? But.
NO: will make the inquiries. Then
Il will be time to explain your plan.
or, rather, to crafty my curiosity
which admit has been excited"
Mr. Ericsson bowed himself out and
in fortnight received n note from
Mr.. Margrave stating that the reports
he had received had been eminently
satisfactory and II he could resurrect
q buried heart he was at liberty-in-
deed, welcome--to do SO. In reply the
applicant merely asked for II photo.
hoped to take.
One afternoon when Mr.. Margrave
went home from business he carried
with him Il present for his daughter.
1t was portrait In oils OF her lost
lover. She was delighted with 1t and
pronounced 1t speaking likeness, A
month from that day while looking at
II she discovered something about 1t
that was slightly unlike the original,
or, rather. It was like another picture
OF the original. Another month went
by, and still another difference was
noticeable. These changes kept oc-
curing from time to time. She began
to wonder if her memory of her lover
was slipping away from her. IL the
picture was really defective. though
she had not ut first recognized Its dc.
fects. She mentioned the matter to
her father. who looked at her curious.
ly, thoughtfully. and suggested that IL
the portrait was destroying her remcm-
brance OF the dead and substituting
painted image perhaps she would bet
ter Danish 1t. But to this she returned
q decided negative. declaring that she
was growing to love the portrait more
and more every day.
A year after young Ericsson had call
ed on Mr. Margrave he dropped into
kut OHNt ult Win
an oil painting.
''The successive portraits forming II
slow transition between another and
myself is ended In this picture. which
! painted from my reelection in mir
ror. You have been very fortunate in
removing the pictures and substituting
others without your daughters discov
ering what you have done. Hang this
portrait in the place of the last; then
introduce me-"
When one evening MIR Margrave
Drought home with him friend to din
ner Ethel Margrave on being intro
6uced to him. caught at the back of Il
chair for support 1t seemed to her
that her lover had arisen from the
dead and stood before her. Later,
when she mentioned the resemblance
OF Mr. Ericsson to the man she haS
lost, some admitted that there was Il
similarity, others could see none NJ
all Nevertheless her mourning WAS