A "steal" of a painting

My girlhood memories involve Sunday afternoon rides with Mom - either to fabric stores or antiques shops. She would say to my Dad, "We're going off gallivanting" before grabbing me (and sometimes Peter, my younger brother) and hopping in the car.

 There were numerous places to "gallivant" to but on this particular day, we headed off to Colchester, with the Fabric Mill and an antique shop on the Colchester Green as our stops.  I don't remember much about the fabric shopping, but the antiques shop . . .

I don't think I ever knew the name of the place (or if it even had one) but my Mom referred to it as "stopping to see what the two sisters have." The wares were displayed in the living area of their house and it was always a puzzle to me as to what things were for sale and what was not. But that didn't seem to be an issue because as we browsed, one of the sisters would trail along behind us like a shadow, providing commentary on whatever we picked up or touched. (Note: I was not supposed to pick up or touch anything.)

The oil painting that Mom had been wanting to purchase for quite some time of an old man carrying a sack and walking towards the sunset was still hanging on the wall in the house. So she said to the shadowing sister,  "Are you interested in selling the painting?"  That particular afternoon, only one of the two sisters was home and after some dickering, she agreed upon a price of $13.00.  Well, the cash was quickly handed over and we headed home. Mom was delighted and the old man took up residence in our living room.

However, back on the Colchester Green, apparently all was not well with the two sisters. The next day, the sister who wasn't home phoned Mom and demanded that she bring the painting back, saying her sister was not supposed to have sold it.  You can guess what Annie told her  . . .

The old man carrying the sack and walking towards the sunset (or is it sunrise?)  hangs on the wall in my house some 55 years later . . .

When Mom purchased the painting, it was a painted stretched canvas and hung in her house that way for many years.  I added the frame when the old man came to my dining room wall in 2002.

Oh, by the way, we never again went back to "see what the two sisters have" on any of our Sunday afternoon "gallivantings."