The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-23


yesterday, when she was married to my
brother. She is the only child of Judge
Noble of this city. By the way" con-
tinued he, Frightening up, as a new
thought struck him, II have heard
that Eva had twin sister who was lost
in the woods here when a mere. babe,
lust able to run about. That was long
before l came here. The site of this
city was then wilderness for the most
part. The story goes that the little one
strayed off into the forest, that search
was made for her many days in vain.
until her discovery, alive or dead was
despaired of, and that no. vestige or
trace of her was ever found"
"Did you ever hear the first name of
this lost child mentionedp" said the
old gentleman.
"fmay have heard it, but 1 have for
gotten it if ever did.
Here lady boarder at the same table,
who had been an attentive listener to the
whole conversation, cleared her throat
and interposed.
"The name of the lost child" said
she, was Ella, l have heard Mrs.
Noble and the judge speak of her many
times"
INV dear, " said the old gentleman to
the young lady, "I'm afraid shall have
to give you up at last" Then turning
to Mr.. Rankin, he said:
"When this young lady was apparent
ly about three years of age, she was
found with family of Indians in Cen
tral New York, where l then resided.
The Indians claimed to have found her
in the woods, lost and nearly famished,
many days journey, as they said. to the
westward. They professed to be will
30 -, hn,, f<
who would take iler and take care of
her. They had plenty of children of
their own, so they said, and no oc-
casion to steal other peoples. Hav-
ing no children of our own, my wife
and were glad to adopt the little stran
ger. When she was about twelve years
old my wife died, and since then she
and have got along together as well
as we could. Her clothing when
she came to us was marked Ella N. in
several places. 1t was badly worn and
soiled, but my wife carefully preserved
it, thinking it might lead to her identi-
fication. You have it with you. have
you not, Ellap"
eyes, sir" said the young lady, re-
treating to her room with evident emo
ton.
There were about a dozen people at
the table, most of them regular board
ers and residents of the city. When the
strange young lady made her appear
ance among them, they had all sup
bride, and were on the qui vive to ac-
with strange old gentleman. Of
course they were eager listeners to the
above conversation, and of course the
news of the probable discovery of Judge
| Mobiles long-lost daughter, and her
marvellous likeness to her supposed sis.
ter. travelled fast. The lady who had
volunteered to give the first name of the
lost child was at Judge Mobiles house at
the earliest possible moment, and the
| Judge and his lady were at the hotel in
less than half an hour from the time
when Mr.. Rankin sat down to break
fast. The young lady's history, and her
marvellous likeness to their remaing
daughter, would have satisfied them
that she was their child if the little
garments in which she had been found
Noble instantly II cognized as her own
handiwork; and her husband and the
old strange gentleman smiled and ex-
changed glances when they heard the
mother apologizing to the daughter for
the coarseness other infant wardrobe.
You see, my daughter" said the
food lady, " the country was new then,
and the ways of the people very plain
and primitive. There was but one store
here, and that very small affair-no
dressmakers, no milliners, no nothing.
| Your father was not rich. We kept no
servants. was young mother with
no experience, and with a double por-
ton of work and care-that is, you un-
derstand, you and your sister were
twins. You and she could spoil more
good clothes than any one woman could
make and keep in order. That's why
you happened to have on such coarse
little things when you were lost"
"This Western world has changed a
good deal since that time" said the old
gentleman. "Such loss and finding
would be simply impossible now.
The newspapers would herald the child's
disappearance, in all its known particu-
lars, from one end of the land to the
other. Now about these little clothes
Ny wife was greatly impressed with
their original elegance, though they
came to her hands badly soiled and tat
tered. She was especially struck with
the fact that each article was marked a.
it was"
"The little ones clothing was marked
with her first name in full at my sugges
tion," explained the Judge. you see
sir, the two children were so exactly
alike that nobody but their mother
could distinguish them-and it is my
belief that she was sometimes mistaken
So we had everything belonging to then
marked with their first names in full
to avoid confusion"
"May / inquire, continued thejudge
"the name of the gentleman to whom
we are so deeply indebtedP"
Il am Jonas Cummings, the origin
ator of the railroad which first brough
your city into notice, as / am vail
enough to believe. You and l hav,
been occasional correspondents thes,
many years, though we now meet fol
the first time"
"And father" said the young lady
now for the first time taking an animated
part in the conversation, and blushin.
, and stammering over her difficulty il
calling a strange gentleman father,
, eff you only knew how kind he has beer
to me, you wouldn't blame me, eyel
now that have found my true fathel
and mother. He has spoiled me will
I his Indulgence, as you will find, / an
J afraid. Twill try to be good daughte
7 to you, and always call you father i
you please, sir. But won't you let m
I continue to call him papa as g.! hav
done so many yearsp"
3 "My daughter" said the Judge, will
emotion, 81 shall value YOU il
7 proportion to your gratitude and affec
: ton for your benefactor. If he ha
spoiled you with indulgence, as you sa,
, In hnS II a,s1 LII.