Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-08

| pawnshop for nothing at all. She
said she was tired of it; SO I asked
Tor 1t, and / got her to give me
slip in writing saying that 1T was
mine. She had been drinking cham
payne for dinner and was in q good
humor. But the next day she was
angry about it because NJ Achison
wanted to buy 1t, and she said that
she could get real money for It."
| What is that" cried Ramsey,
sharply. "Achison. did you say?
| What was he like?
"A tall man, monsieur, with gray
hair back off his brow and a grand
manner. I understand that he IL q
great lawyer in New York. But, OH
with a wail-"I saw him when he
examined the miniature. and he knew,
he knew. Why. though, do
you look so Strangely"
Ramsey ignored the question. "He
knew? Knew WHAT"
| about the miniature. Oh, mon
sieur, l am trusting you as I would
trust the priest. And now I must
give it back, and it meant SO much
|
future"
Marie! How could a mere old
| miniature mean all that to you?
What is behind this?
| That" she sighed, "is the greatest
secret of all. But I will tell you.
One day when was putting madame's
things away, I looked at that minia-
ture closely. 1 had suspected that
it was of more value than she
| thought, but l had never had the
chance really to examine it. But"
she broke off, ito tell you what 1
discovered and what that discovery
meant to me, 1 must go back a lit
| tle."
Yes: tell me the whole story" he
urged
| Before the war, then, my father
had assisted wealthy South Ameri-
| can-Senor Sevrilla--in adding to his
| already large collections, and, seeing
my enthusiasm, he had allowed me
| to work with him. Senior Sevrilla
was and is still, for l heard from
him not long ago. especially inter-
! ested in enamel miniature portraits
! of the seventeenth century, particu-
larly those painted by the great mas
/, ter of that art, Jean Petitot- He has
| secured a large number of genuine
Petitots, but there are few which
cannot be bought, and also others
which the artist is known to have
painted, but which have simply dis
| appeared. Among these latter is
miniature of Elizabeth Hamilton, a
famous beauty of the court Of Charles
II of England, who later married the
Due de Grammont, a French noble
! of the most adventurous and pic
turesque career
Surely" Ramsey interjected; DE
Grammont of the classic memoirs"
| "Perhaps!' She arched her brows.
Il know more of art than literature.
However, on the day that 1 had d
chance to study this miniature of
madame's. l discovered that l was
not mistaken in my conjecture. The
| Petitot signature was there, but, hid
den under the frame, which had been
clumsily repaired.
But, oh, monsieur Her eyes
widened and darkened with excite
I
ture was painted on gold, but it
seemed to me it's back was not mere
ly the reverse of the portrait. 1 pried
aside the frame a little and ran my
fingernail under it, and 50 / found
tiny spring. Pressing this, the case
opened, and inside was engraved in
old script the letters, Il. H. 40 =.
de c. OF course, that could only
mean, Elizabeth Hamilton to Phil
bert de Grammont."
Seems conclusive" Ramsey agreed.
But, even so"-with a puzzled ex
pression-"I don't quite see why you
wouldn't sell to Achison when you
had the chance. He offered to take
the thing at your own valuation, you
say"
1 "Ah! But that was when he thought
I knew nothing of its value" she re-
turned shrewdly. And even suppose
he would have paid as much as Senior
Sevrilla, monsieur, there is still the
matter of sentiment. My father and
had supplied the senior with other
Petitot portraits, and 1 wished to have
the pleasure of adding this great
prize to them. Besides" she added
naively, "Sevrilla would be so pleased
with me for finding it that he would
almost certainly commission me 10
buy for him.
"And the miniature was mine, mine
she cried despairingly.
at is still yours. with that paper you
hold"
| X * X r
NN1O." she returned hopelessly. "It
is this way: 1 have had to take
all Of those beautiful jewels out Of their
cheap settings again. Tonight. while
the room is dark at Prof. Hammersleys
seance. I am to give them to NJ. Achi-
son. For some service he is doing
madame, he has demanded the Petitot
miniature. Madame told me this morn
ing that would have to give it back,
and when I refused she became ter
ribly angry. She struck me, and.
worse still,"-her voice broke in sobs
|-"she got the paper from me and
tore it. UP. Then she threatened that
IL I ever told any, one about the
jewels had reset, she would have me
arrested as a thief. So there was
nothing else to do: gave her back
the miniature.
"Monsieur,"-she stretched out her
hands to him imploringly-"T have