The daily Alaskan., 1913-11-25
EVIDENCE IN
 A PICTURE
By F. A. MITCHEL

Rochelle, Skelching by the way, came to a picturesque spot where stood a cottage. A boy often came and looked on while 1 worked. I was tempted to cease my landscape draw ing and sketch the boy instead, for ] never saw a finer model of a child of that age. chatted with him and learned that he lived in the cottage with his mother. q widow; that his fa- thcr had been q wealthy man, and un- til his fathers death a few years be- fore the family had lived in chateau
 Curious to know something more or the story, asked the boy if he would present to his mother the compliments of an American artist who was on sketchiug 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. l folded my stool, easel and other equipment and, singing the package on my shoulder, accompanied the child to his home.
 l found Mime. Clairmont, his mother as 0ristocrgtic looking as her son. l 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 l 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 Ggston, had been born to them at a time when it was supposed that she was too old ta hear a child. Her hus- bands brother. who had been looking forward to iuhoriting the estate, had shown from the birth of Gaston that he was bitterly disappointed at being suppIantcd But he gave no sign of any intention to dispute the success sion till after the death of her hus- band a year ag0ue,
 NJ. Clairmont had scarcely been in- tered when his brother, Martin Clair mont claimed the property on the ground that Gaston was not his son nor the son of his w.lc, but the child of one Annette EOudray, a laUndress, who had been broug into the cha tcau to be Dalmod of as the child of Mime. Clairmont. The claimant Ob- tuined from this woman what purDort- ed to be a confession to that effect. There was trial that was dragged through the courts for two years; then tine highest court confirmed the deci- sions of the lower ones, deciding in favor of Martin CIairmont, giving him his drncasgd broIhpr'S estate and Gas ton to Annette Voudray.
 Mme. Clajrmout had possessed a lit tie money of her own, with which she bought off the woman so far as Gaston was concerned. and he remained with his mother. They had come to live at tlc cottage. Nine. Clairmont having a small allowance from her relatives.
 Such was the story l rot from the lady's lips. and I could nt doubt her statement. One thing $ priSed me tnlf a court slouId be m, le to believe that Gastou WIS the SO of a laun- dress. True. hc did not pcciaIly re scmblc his mother, but l we obserT- rI that sons and daught $ bear the closest resemblance to the parents at 1 corrpsOoudfng age One can hardly expect child to resemble o parent Of sixty.
 lrme. Clairmont kindly cred me room for tEe night, which gladly ac- ccrtcd. Her personal eG cts, furni- ture. heirIooms, pictures, etc. had been removed from the chateau to the cottage. The room | accepted showed evidence of this. Over the mantel was n picture that interested un. It was roses arranged in an ova. shape to make border for a portrait. The Dortraft was that of an od woman. StonDing in strange places as l did, l carried with me the most powerful electric hand lamp I could buy. In or der to see the portrait more distinctly brought my lamp to bear on it. The strong light revealed that q 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 assum- ing that 1t was the head and shoul- Fnrs of a boy.
 The next day l called Nine. Clair mouts attention to my discovery and was surprised to find that it vas also discovery for her Being ar artist l was familiar with processes f.r remov- ing paint and offered to attempt to take off enough of the first p.'trait to reveal the second, suggesting that there was a remote possibility of some family evidence behind it that would bear on her fortunes. She Trsented, and l at once began my work.
 But was obliged to work in dark room and with my electric Ii ht, for the boy portrait was only wis ole un- der my electric lamp.
 By very careful work | succ, ded in removing enough of one layer ithout the others to show the boys h, Id and