The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-09-13

own mind in that instant the denoue-
ment of North's story would have been
materially hastened. But they both
held their peace and waited for him to
unfold the mystery In his own way.
Beyond this point" he went on,
catching up the narrative again after
meditative little pause, II cannot In this
necessarily brief outline follow her his
tory step by step for the next fifteen or
twenty years. II is essential, however,
10 note that the lady soon after en-
barked for Europe, where her husband
held some official position under our
government--consul In some remote
foreign part / may as well add In
this connection that he died year
later, and his widow, now more than
ever devoted TO her adopted daughter
and dreading separation from her
more than anything In the world, re-
manned abroad for several years, drift
ing from one point of interest to an
other; thus Annie was nearly grown
TO womanhood before she revisited her
native land. Owing TO this fact, as
we'll as to the entire lack of any definite
information to work on, and the multi
plicity of false clews that were given
from time to time, the detectives whom
Mrs. Dunkirk at different periods en-
gagged In her search for her niece were
bafiled In oil their attempts to find her.
Swallowed up in another name and
identity, Annie Dupont had practically
ceased TO exist.
"And now must digress just for a
moment in order to bring to your
notice yet another person who plays
an important part in the sequel.
This person is at present living in
Evansburg, small place about
ten miles from x, and 1t was
from her that succeeded in OBJ
tanning my chief evidence In this
case. Her name Is of no consequence:
or rather, il is Of so much consequence
that shall withhold II for the present.
Taken at an early age from wretched
tenement house in New York, and
transferred TO the different atmosphere
of a wealthy lady's home, where for the
first time in her life she was treated as
human being, where her hands were
trained to deftness in all household
duties, where she was given sound
rudimentary education and was fitted
by kind and painstalsing instruction for
the humble walk in life for which
nature and circumstances had evidently
designed her, this girl knew no better
than TO misinterpret the intentions OF
her kind benefactress (who was, as you
may have already sbrewdly surmised,
none other than Annie Dupont's
adaptive mother), and upon this nlisin-
terpretation TO build the most absurd
and extravagant expectations. II may
have been the girls own prepoaterons
vanity that conceived the notion, or II
Is possible that the thought was sug-
gested 70 her by some older person. Be
this as II may, she began TO cherish the
hope that she would some day receive q
liberal share Of the lady's small fortune,
TO which, rs she knew, there were nc
immediate heirs. II was only when
Annie Dupont was legally adopted that
| Lnlb hDouTu UuUpio puibe 6Ooh LII u
accidentally at this time Of the foolish
expectation that the girl had been In
dulging, the lady told her to dismiss the
idea at once. Il should never have
dreamed OF making you heir, In any
event. she said, and now everything
that possess will go to Annie, my
adopted daughter
'Instead OF acquiescing In this deci
sion without murmur-which calm
philosophy, by the way. would hay'
prevented this story Of mine from being
stold TO my present select audience--th'
girl was angry, and she visited all hel
resentment upon the child who had In
nocentfy overthrown her ambitious Dir
|, occupy. Anxious, however that hel
!, laughter's education should 9ybe "a
broad and dosp rs possible,ithe lady de
cided to give her the advantage Of !
J thorough collegiate training; and q few