The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-01-24
5Ssss ALlTTLE
Comedy 6 J. n ) Of !. Errors Err

Ter 10 Annie, giving ncf AuA uAStoEy
of her past, her parents death, her
brief soiourn 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 affectionate
farewell Before the ink was dry on
the paper the hand that had penned
these loving lines was cold in death.
s'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
houselccper and a 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-
pont, never inherit her aunt's wealth;
and she also determined, if possible.
to prevent her from inheriting the
smaller estate of her adaptive mother.
In that desk, jealousy guarded for
years, were all the documents on
which Annie Dupont's fortunes de-
pended; the papers that declared her
identity as Hamilton Dupont's daughter
ND Mrs. Dunkirk's niece; the adop-
ton papers that made her the legal
heir Of her kind benefactress; the will
of that lady in which everything OF
which she died possessed was be-
oueathed to her adopted daughter-alI
these precious papers lay within reach.
and only one living person knew of
their existence And that one person,
because she hated Annie Dupont and
regarded her good fortune with a jeal-
ousy as ilnplacable as it was unreasona-
ble-that one person. unawed by the
presence of death, and too ignorant to
fear the legal consequences should her
deed be discovered, took possession of
those papers, and also the letter to An
ME. and hid them'away. exultlng IN the
belief that she was thus avenging her
own wrong and disappointment
In her haste to secure these lmpor-
tatt documents the woman had over
looked another letter which, lying on
the desk sealed and directed, was found
by tue lawyer when he called a few
hours later. This letter WAS addressed
to lady in New York with whom An
MES adaptive mother had long been
been acquainted. asking her to assume
the guardianship of the young girl.
The lawyer posted the letter immedi-
ately. and in answer to it an elderly
lady came down to the villa on the day
of the funeral, to signify her willing
ness to grant her late friends dying re-
quest. With this new guardian Annie
Dupont went to New York, where she
remained until her marriage five years
later.
Inquiry naturally arose as to the dis
position which the lady had made of
her property. As there was no will to
be found. the estate passed through the
hands of administrators appointed by
the court and went to Annie. + sup
posed daughter.
The household was quickly broken
mp: the villa was closed and subse-
1uently sold: the houselzecper married
Patrick Ot;orman tthe cousin of her
late mistress coachman. Dennis O'Reil-
ly}. and went to Ev;tnsburg to live.
taking with her the stolen papers,
which she has preserved all these years,
never quite daring to destroy them, and
no doubt having an eye to possible
speculation if any demand for them
should ever be made. Thus it comes
that was able at last to secure them,
and that they are now in the hands of
Hunter and ketchum.
And now, Mrs. Maynard" continued
North, speaking slowly and looking
earnestly at Mrs. Maynard, who, with
her hands still held in that tense clasp
and her eyes fixed upon his face, was
listening to him with rapt attention.
1.-The strongest part of nv story is vet
to come. For five long years Mrs. Dun
kirk was searching far and wide in the
hope OF discovering some trace of her
niece, never dreaming that the young
girl whom she had taken into her heart
and home was the very one whom she
so vainly sought: for Nina kingsbury
and Annie Dupont arc indeed one and
the same, and the lady whose name :.
have withheld from you until now
was Mrs Kingsbury-your adaptive
mother!''
The thought, the suspicion. wildly
improbable though it seemed, had oc-
cured to Mrs. Maynard's mind even
while North was speaking: she had in
one flash of divination perceived the
truth as he led her on step by step over
a pathway as familiar to her as the one
that her own feet now daily trod; yet
when the actual statement fell upon
her ear she seemed to be incapable OF
grasping it's meaning. Looking at
North in dazed way she said, slowly:
81, Mr.. NORTH am Annie Dupont?
It cannot be! I thought it was Miss
Hilary! Have you made no mistaken
.s"There is no mistake" returned
North, firmly but quietly, for he per-
ceived that she was in danger of break
ing down under the conflicting emo
tions and the nervous excitement OF
this scene. ''You will find everything
to be exactly as have told you. That
letter of Mrs Kingsbury to yourself
was among the papers that forwarded
to Hunter and Ketchum; but particu-
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