“Friends, we have spent a very pleasant evening at the house of our neighbor—we all cherish Joe Leslie and his charming wife as among those whose names will never leave the tablets of our memory—a devoted couple, loving, kind and gentle, whom it is an honor to know.
“Before we part to-night, it is my pleasure to officiate at a little surprise—I am going to let our friend Leslie see himself as others see him—in brief, I shall introduce him to himself.
“My grandchild Barbara and Mrs. Leslie have always possessed an artistic temperament. They consulted with me about it, and I took some of their amateur work to a friend who is a well-known artist.
“The upshot of it all is that for a month past Barbara has been flitting over here at ten o’clock every morning through the gate we have in our back fence, and the two have been taking lessons in painting with astonishing success.
“This evening I was astonished to find a fine oil painting of myself, true to nature, on my drawing-room wall—I had not dreamed my grandchild was so gifted.
“And now for our fair Lillian’s birthday gift to her husband—bring them forth, friends.”
Out from the mysterious closet came two gold-framed paintings—they were placed on easels prepared for them, in front of the astonished Joe.
The faces were those of himself and his wife, astonishingly well done.
He hardly glanced at his own, but his eyes were glued upon the counterfeit resemblance of his dear wife—done by her hand too.
Eric was amazed.