THE MYSTERIOUS PORTRAIT

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 20 (Supplement)

THE MYSTERIOUS PORTRAIT

In the little Japanese village of Yowcuski a looking-glass was an unheard of thing, and the girls did not even know what their faces weru like except from the description theii' lovers gave them. Uow, it happened that a young Japanese one day picked up in the street a small folding hand-mirror. It wus, of course, the first time in his life that Kiki Tsuin had ever seen such a. thing. He looked ut it, and, to his intense astonishment, saw the image of a brown face, with dark eyes, and a look of awo struck wonderment on the features.

"It is my sainted father. How could his portrait have, come here. Is it, perhaps, n warning of some kind?"

He folded the, precious treasure up in his handkerchief, and put it ill a large pocket of his loose blouse. When he went home that night he hid it away carefully in a vase, as he did not know of any safer place. Ho mentioned nothing of his adventure to his young wife, for, ho said, "Women are curious, and then.- too, sometimes they are given to talking." For some days Kiki Tsura wae in a great state of excitement. He was thinking of the portrait all the time, and at intervals lie would leave liis work and go home to take a look at his treasure. .

Now, in Japan, as in other countries, mysterious actions and irregular prpceedings of all kinds have to be explained to a wife. Lili Tsee, his wife, did not understand why her. husbancl

kept appearing at all hours of tho day. And so Lili Tsee fell to watching,- and she noticed that he never went away until he had been alone in tho little room at the back of the house. She hunted to see if she could find .some trace of anything in that little room which -was at all unusual, but she found nothing. One day, however, she happened to come in suddenly, and saw her husband replacing a rose leaf vase. ' Tho moment lie kd gone she was upon a etool liko .lightning, and in a moment she had fished the looEing-glass out of the vase. Then the terrible trufch was clear. What was it she saw? . .

Why, ,the portrait of a woman! And she had believed that Kiki Tsttin was so good and so fond and so true! Suddenly a 'fit' of anger seized her, and she gazed at the glass again. The same face ■ looked, at her; but she wondered how her husband could "admire such a face. «

Slia had no heart for' anything, and did not even make any attempt to prepare a meal for her. husband. When, later on, Kiki Tsum arrived lie was surprised to find nothing ready for their evening meal. ■■ "So this is the way you treat me before we have been married even a year. What do you mean, Lili Tsee?" "What do I mean? What do you mean? Tho idea of- your keeping portraits in niy rose leaf vase! Here, take it and treasure it, for I do not want it. The wicked, wicked woman." "I cannot.Understand!" ho exclaimed. "Oil, you can't?" said she. "I can, though. Yoii like that villainous looking woman better than your own true wife!" .

' "Tjili Tsee, what do you mean? That portrait is the living image of my poor (load father. I found it in the. street, and put it in -your vase for safety." "Heai' him! ■Ho wants to tell we I do not know a woman's face from a man's," replied Lili Tsee, more angrily. ■ Things, really began to look serious. It seemed as if their married life, which had hitherto geeu passed in happiness, was to be completely spoiled and madoj miserable by this mysterious portrait. Kiki Tsutn was wild with indignation. The. accusation of his wife was perfectly ridiculous. Of course, the portrait was not that of a woman,, but of his father. It was impossible that he could bo mistaken. • ''■■-,', ' i

The loud, angry voices attracted the notice of- a Japanese priest who. was passing. Ho stopped and listened for .a moment. Such'a quarrcj, he thought, must not be allowed to continue. It ivas probably some slight misundertsanding, which he would soon be able to put right. ; - ■ "My children." he said, putting ■ Ilia head in at the door, "wiry this unseemly anger? Why this dispute?" . . "Father, my wife is mad!"

"AH ■women aro so, my son, moro or less. You were wrong to expect perfection. It is ho use getting angry."

"My husband has a portrait of a woman hidden in my rose-leaf vase!" "I swear that I have no portrait, but that of my poor, dead father." • "My children, show me the portrait." The priest took the jrlass and looked at. it earnestly. Hβ. then bowed low before it, and, in an altered tone, said: "My children, settle your quarrel and live . peaceably together. You are both in the wrong. /.This portrait is that of a, saintly; venerable priest. I know not how you could mistake so holy a face."

•Ho'blessed them, and then went 'away, carrying, with him the glass to place with other precious relics of the church.