The Dickinson press., 1893-08-19

SrIllS1 ina | MAS To H. clflSIcn'l
William.
My motlcr-Shr told me the story
herself years aftrrwarG>->trnn=ly Obj
.iccted. She declared that She had
great faith i'll IN" from the first. The
doctor said | had Il good head. and
my dear mother. who WAS very no
mantle. maid" up her mind that | was
going I" II" Il great man. Now. William
Smith is not an easy name I" render
famous. There are 81 many William
Smiths ,'aI Tho celebrated IL would
want la =" ah"ui labelled i'll oricr Ia
Distinguish him from offices.
After Il deal of argumrnt aud not Il
few tears she succeeded i'll SO far turn
inS my father from his original pur-
pose as la allow me l" have Il second
namr and hat, S,N"na nam" 81" finally
decided should hr llcnsi>t.
William I~l"n"i>l Smith might he
somebody. and :" William ll'I.2i>t
Smith | WAS duly clui>trn"d.
My father died when | WIZ, seven
teen. Up Ia that age | had enjoyed
all the advantages of being !" >"n "f
Il prosperous MY merchant. l Was
about Ia % Ia oxford when the death
of my father altered all my mothers
plans for my future.
We had been living in Il fouls pala-
disc. My father had %Spcrula,rd rash
lN. and WIS OH The Verge of ruin. 1T
was Il knowledge of his terrible posi-
lion Which had caused his fatal illness.
After The estate had been wound up
ii was discovered that We We're almost
pcnnilrSS.
My mothers friends camc In her as
%si>tancr. hui they We're not rich. and ii
wHS necessary thai | should nj once
begin I" cam my w living,
| waS what is known as Il smart
fellow. and ! wr"," Il capital hand
in fact. my prnmanSllip WAS my strong
point. | could do almost anything with
Il pen in my %>choolboy days. ! used
Frequently 10 ANUS myself hy lml-
1a1ins the handwriting "f my "ho
fellows and of The masters. did his
difficult to detect The forgery.
The masters. who We're mad" aware
"f NY ACCOMPLISHMENT. and 10 whom
specimens of my skill We're OCCASION
ally shown. would shake their heads
and say i WAS Il dangerous gift.
of ourSr | laughed. AS if it WAS
likely that | should rvcr do anything
wrong.
Alas. those who called my gift a fatal
II We're right after all. w 10 i;
tho great misfortune of my life.
To pass from prosperity to compara-
tive poverty is 10 most of us Il great
trial. TIL" men and women VIII" can
slrug their shoulders and take Il re-
V, rSr of fortune With Il smile are very
few in mmEa~.
| accepted 1lr position my poverty
forced upon mr. hut loa1hrd it. |
longrd for the old days of comfort and
luxury. when almost everything ! fam
cird was within my reach. But ! did
very we'll as Il clerk, and being quick
nj figures. as we'll rs a splendid pen
man. | soon began to rise in the office.
When | WAS two and twenty | had
l2m II Year. But what was that to Il
young man of e%Xtravagant habits. who
had quite as much allowed him when
he WAS seventeen. and had ookcd for
ward to Il splendid income and Il life
of pleasure.
My mothers health about this time
began To decline. and she was ordered
to live in the country. | could not ac-
company her. as | should have had to
sacrifice my position in the city. so
had to look about for II new home.
and at last | decided To go To Il board
ing house. 1t void bc cheaper for me
as IL bachelor than lodgings. and I
should have some society and Il certain
amount of comfort.
/ selected IL boarding house in Blooms
bury. and | u began to be quite at
home in it. My fellow boardcrs were
two German clerks. Il French gentle
man who described himself as an
agent. Il middle-agcd scientific author
who spent most of his time at the
British museum. two old ladies-one
the widow of IL colonel $50 she Said
and the other an old maid who had
been govcrncs> To Il German princess
and was never tired of talking of the
distinguished society in which she
movpd-aml ~ young lady. very charm-
ing. very pretty and very sclf-pos-
~scssrll. who was supposed TO be stay
ing at the boarding house because all
her relatives lived abroad, and she had
law business in London.
This young lady was Il Miss Ellis,
and as We were the youngest members
of the happy family we soon became
friendly.
After dinner in the drawing room
we generally found ourselves together,
and when Miss Ellis obliged the com
rany with II little music ! usually Went
To the piano and turned over the leaves
of tho music for her.
From being friendly we became con
tiden1ial. | impaired To Miss Ellis tho
story of my reverse of fortune. and
. she conli,lrd in me The fact tla; hcl
! business in London WAS connected will
Il disputed will.
a relative of hers. an old ""ntle
man. had died and left he. the sun
t of llO.oun, The family disputed Tho
will on the ground that Wine nursin.
+, him during his last illness she had OK
crci>cd undue influence. They furthrl
commended that he was not of oun
mind III the time hH made the bcuuc>:
She told mo IL long story To- explain
how il was her relatives We're so bitt"
against her. and J.. believing her. CAV,
her my fullest sympathy.
The law is provcrbially slow. a
Miss Ellis. WI o had to collect evidence
fulnh il necessary To remain II lnn:
. time in town:
SO il came about that we were TO
nearly six months at the BloomSlur,
/, boarding house seeing each other daily
u If | We're To say that during this tim,
foil In love with Miss ELLIS | Slloul,
be saying that which is not %Strictl,
true.
But she had Il certain fascination TO
mo: and when | remembered that sh'
would probably be worth l5O,00o ] Il
last began to think that if ! ever III
tended to marry This would he by n
means Il bad Investment.
The young lady was not slow to Sc
that she had made an impression OF
: mo. She became more confidential tina
ever.
Ono Sunday afternoon. when w
We're alone in the drawing room sh
/. asked my advice.
1t seems that she had found a letto
among her papers from her dead rcl:
tive. 1t WAS strong evidence in he
case, n to her horror she discovcrc
that he had omitted to sign it,.
q aad been written to her by an aman
pnsls employed by her relative. M
- she supposed that ii had been rlac,
before him to sign and Academia
put in the envelope and posted wi
out the signature.
She showed me the letter. 1t {
tainly WAS important. but valued
~ ,,p,IDl - 49,.