Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-01-20

A strange Young Lady Makes Her.
self at Home

upout pcauttiui unu accomplished
girl who is picked up in the street. g
well dressed, and to all appearances of
good family. but will give no under
standable account of herself.
Such eases generally turn out TO be
victims of OPIUM. or temporary in
sanity. or possibly freaks. who. as soon
rs they get over the effects OF their
momentary crankism, arc taken away
by Their fr ends or go away b. them
selves, there being no law to hold
them, rs they DO not come under that
of misdemeanor nor yet the vagrant
nets.
But a singular case has occurred
lately which puzzles everybody coz
INFANT of i, in lordly Fifth Avenue
mansion. not far above Forty-second
Street.
About three months ago an exceed
ingly beautiful girl presented herself
at this house and asked to see its mis-
tress. She was about Is, very richly
dressed. had diamonds on her person
worth several thouaands of dollars.
and altogether evidenced high breed
ing and wealth. She sent up her name
as Howard and was shown into the
parlor. When the mistress of the
house, who is the wife of a wellknown
banker, came down, the young lady in
Il yety ghtforward way, told the
lady. whom we shall call Smith. that
her name was Mabel Howard; that her
mother had been schoolmate of Mrs.
SIN this, ment oning the school. and All
especial chum. and had told her
daughter before she died. which was
four years ago. that II ever she came
to New York she must seek out Mrs.
Smith and call upon her.
All this on tho part of Miss Howard
so far was perfectly probable and CO.
herent Tut now when questioned she
did not know what her mothers
maiden name had been. and, stranger
still. she could not tell the name of
the place she came from, though she
had only left it a few months before.
since then. though she knew shc had
only arrived IN New York that day,
and had ordered her trunk to some
well-known hotel, though whore or
of what name she could not remom-
Der.
Mrs. SIN th, seeing that the queS-
tioning turbed Mss Howard very
much, and being n kind-hearted woman
ceased it ia mixing It was only n lapse
OF memory, perhaps under the pres
sure Of some trouble. and aS lunch
was announced invited Mss Howard
to take off her bonnet and partake.
The invitation was accepted. and dur
ing lunch the young lady charmed the
elder one by hor conversational pow
ers
She had been to Europe, and resided
in Paris w tn her father after her
mothers death. She could read and
speak German. French and Italian.
but she could not tell her fathers name
bus ness or where he was then. in
fact. not certain whether he was alive
or not.
During this conversation Mrs. Smith
could not help noticing that her guest
would occasionally wander in her re.
cital. not as though she was invent
ing her story rs she proceeded, but "a
if trying to recall from a defect We
memory.
Somebody says that you can never
tell a gentleman until you see him at
table. Mrs. Smith found that apply
ing this rule to her guest she was GER
tainly high bred woman. even il she
had not been convinced before. After
lunch was over thew returned 10 the
parlor, and Miss Howard. at the re-
quest of tho hostess. sat down TO tho
piano and very soon showed that she
was an accomplished musician and had
lovely contralto voice.
Then they talked further about Mrs.
Smiths school days. and that lady was
thoroughly convinced that no matter
from whom she had received the infor-
mat on, Miss Howard was thoroughly
posted on Mrs. SIN tbs early life.
though she could not recall the name
of the school when it was mentioned,
nor vet the name Of any of those who
had been Mrs. Smiths early associates
there and who might have been her
mother. 7~.i. A2.;-'..'
As the afternoon wore on tho young
lady made movement to 60. but her
hostess insisted upon her staying until
her husband camo. which would DO
abou! 5 o'clock. The young lady cheer
fully assented. and when Mr.. Smith
came in was introduced with n short
explanation OF her presence. Smith
was charmed Mt glance and almost
forgot his dinner. When that was an
nounced whv of course Miss Howard