The Republican journal., 1913-10-09
EVIDENCE IN
A PICTURE
BY F. A. Mitchell

France between St Nazare and La
Rochelle, sketching by the way.
came to picturesque spot where
stood a cottage. boy often came and
looked on while worked. l was
tempted to cease my landscape draw
ing and sketch the boy instead, for l
never saw a finer model of Il child of
that age. chatted with him and
learned that he lived in the cottage
with his mother, a widow; that his IA
Their had been Il wealthy man, and un-
til his fathers death few years be-
fore the family had lived in Il chateau.
Curious to know something more of
the story. asked the boy if he would
present to his mother the compliments
of an American artist who was on a
sketching tour and beg shelter for the
night under her roof. He ran away
with my message and soon returned to
say that his mother would be happy
at least to receive visit from mon-
sieur | folded my stool. easel and
other equipment and, singing the
package on my shoulder. accompanied
the child to his home
l found Nine Clairmont, his mother.
as ariStocratic looking rs her son |
told her that my curiosity had been
excited by her boy as to her family
story, and if it would be no intrusion
upon her feelings | would like to know
more of it. She made me welcome
and gave me the facts.
She had married late in life a man
much older than herself who was both
rich, high born and in every way
prominent One child. my little friend
CASTOR, had been born to them at a
time when 1t was supposed that she
was too old to bear child Her hus-
bands brother. who had been looking
forward to inheriting the estate, had
shown from the birth of Castor that
he was bitterly disappointed at being
suppianted But he gave no sign of
any intention to dispute the success
sion till after the death of her hus-
band year agOne
NJ. Clairmont had scarcely been in
tered when his brother. Martin Clair
mont. claimed the property on the
ground that CASTOR was not his son
nor the son of his wife, but the child
Of one Annette Voudray, a laundress,
who had been brought into the cha
teau to be pa!med off as the child of
Nine. Clairlnont The claimant OBJ
tanned from this woman what purport-
ed to be confession to that effect
There was Il trial that was dragged
through the courts for two years; then
the highest court confirmed the deci-
Sions of the lower ones. deciding in
favor of Martin Clairmont. giving him
his deceased brothers estate and Gas
ton to Annette Noudray.
Nine. Ciairmont had possessed lit
tie money of her own, with which she
bought off the woman so far as Castor
was concerned. and he remained with
his mother They had cone to live at
the cottage. Nine. Clairmont having a
small allowance from her relatives
Such was the story | got from the
lady's lips. and could not doubt her
statement One thing surprised me
that Il court should be made to believe
that CASTOR was the son of laun-
dress. True. he did not especially re
semble his mother, but | have observ
ed that sons and daughters bear the
closest resemblance to their parents at
a corresponding age One can hardly
expect a child to resemble a parent Of
sixty.
Nine Clairmont kindly offered me
room for the night. which | gladly ac-
cepted. Her personal effects turni-
ture, heirlooms. pictures etc. had
been removed from the chateau to the
cottage The room | accepted showed
evidence of this Over the mantel was
a picture that interested me, 1t was
roses arranged in an oval shape to
make border for a portrait The
portrait was that of an old woman
Stopping in strange places as | did,
carried with me the most powerful
electric hand lamp could buy. In or
der to see the portrait more distinctly
| brought my lamp to bear on it. The
strong light revealed that the old wo
mans picture had been painted over
another picture The one first painted
was too indistinct for me to see any
more of it than to warrant my assun
ing that it was the head and shou!
derS of boy.
The next day l called Nine. Clair
mont's attention to my discovery and
was surprised to find that it was also
a discovery for her. Being an artist,
was familiar with processes for remov-
ing paint and offered to attempt to
take off enough of the first portrait to
reveal the second suggesting that
there was a remote possibility of some
family evidence behind it that would
bear on her fortunes. She assented
and / at once began my work.
But I was obliged to work in dark
room and with my electric light. for
the boy portrait was only visible I'M
der my electric lamp.
BY very careful work succeeded in
removing enough of one layer without
the others to show the boys head and
was surprised to reveal a portrait of
little Castor. But his mother said no.
it was the head of Gastons father at
Gaston's present age.
That picture brought about return
Of the Clairmont estate to its rightful
owners. AS to the picture. there was
but one explanation. The original
nuSt havo bnop pajpto6 in, collars RI