The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1893-06-17
ALITTLE
Go IA g q y
e r r O r 8.

c1ded to give her the advantage OF {
thorough collegiate training; and few
weeks after their return to Americs
found Annie Dupont at Vassar."
Mrs, Maynard's attention now ap
peared to be wholly withdrawn from
Miss Hilary and concentrated upor
North's story. Her hands, clasped to
gether closely, lay motionless in hel
lap; her eyes were fixed upon North's
face; she listened with almost breath
less attention to every word that he
spoke.
AS if influenced by this change in her,
North's manner altered; its lightness
vanished and his tones grew earnest
and sympathetic as he proceeded.
'For few months all went well.
Annie was happy in her college life,
winning friends and popularity, and
little dreaming of the blow that was
soon to fall suddenly upon her. When
at last, summoned by the telegram
which, like thunderbolt from clear
sky, had startled her out of the routine
of her busy school life, she reached her
home on the Hudson, she was too late
to receive the loving farewell of the
one who had been her dearest earthly
friend.
''The end had come almost without
warning, but it seems that the lady had
felt presentiment of her impending
fate, and had sent for her lawyer in
order to make every provision for
Annie's future. Unfortunately he was
absent from home and could not re-
spond to the summons in time to re-
ceive from her lips her last instructions.
The only person who was with the lady
at her death was the girl whom have
already mentioned. This girl, who had
been with Annie and her mother during
all tt oir long wanderings in Europe,
was the only one of the present house
hold who knew the history of the
adopted child; it was she who received
the final directions of her mistress con-
eerning Annies welfare. How these
instructions were treated, the sequel
will show.
with the full knowledge that it was
the last message she should ever send
her darling, the lady wrote long let
ter to Annie, giving her full history
of her past, her parents death, her
brief sojourn in the orphan asylum,
her subsequent adoption and every lit
tie incident relating thereto. Then,
having told where all the papers con-
tanning the proofs of her identity
were to be found, the writer closed
with most touching and afectionate
farewell. Before the ink was dry on
the paper the hand that had penned
these loving lines was cold in death.
''Had Annie Dupont received this let
ter it would have changed the whole |
current Of her life; but she was not des-
tined thus to learn her romantic his |
tory. 1t CHANGED that the first person
who approached the desk where the let
Ter lay was this servant, now the
and woman of thirty
years. She read the letter and it in
creased her animosity toward Annie.
She determined that her rival, as she
still absurdly considered the girl,
should never be known as Annie Du-
Don't, never inherit her aunt's wealth;
ind she also determined, if possible,
o prevent her from inheriting the
mailer estate of her adaptive mother.
n that desk, jealousy guarded for
ears, We're all the documents on
Which Annie Dupont's fortunes de-
'ended; the papers that declared her
IDENTIFY as Hamilton Dupont's daughter
nd Mrs. Dun1irk's niece; the adop-
ion papers that made her the legal
cir of her kind benefactress; the will
+ that lady in which everything of
yhich she died possessed was be-
ueathed to her adopted daughter-all
hese precious papers lay within reach,
nd only one living person knew of
aeir existence. And that one person,
ecause She hated Annie Dupont and
egarded her good fortune with a ieal-
nsy as inplacable as it was unreasona-
le-that one person, unawed by the
resence OF deeth, and too ignorant to
ar the legal consequences should her
eed be discovered, took possession of
lose papers, and also the letter to An
10, and hid them'away exulting in the
elief that she was thus avenging her
yn wrong and disappointment.
I'm her haste to secure these impor-
ut documents the woman had over
olsed another letter which, lying on
le desk scaled and directed, was found
z the lawyer when he called few ;
'urs later. This letter was addressed
a lady in New York with whom An ,,
e's adaptive mother had long been
en acquainted, asking her to assume ;
e guardianship of the young girl. ,
&c lawyer posted the letter inmedi-
ely. and in answer to it an elderly !
ly came down to the villa on the day :
the funeral, to signify her willing
IS to grant her late friends dying re- :
est With this new guardian Annie :
lpont went to New York, where she /
NAMED until her marriage FIVE years I
err
Inquiry naturally arose IS to the dis n
s'tion which the lady had made of
: property AS there was no will to