Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-06-07
A HIDDEN LEGACY.

as near a relative as the GOrQOnS, yet they
have got everything, just because they
were there when your aunt died. and then
because they knew you were entitled to
something, in fact, just as much as they,
from her estate, have sent you this collec-
ton of odds and ends.
Hush, John! Never mind. It's not
worth talking about, and we might a.
we'll make the best of it. Beggars can't
be choosers, you know" sagely remarked
his wife
The cause of this outburst was an OBJ
long green pasteboard box which had just
arrived. and whose contents, so Eleanor
Stone said, were not worth the express
paid on it. An accompanying note ad-
dressed to Mrs. Stone, in explanation of
the box, was as follows:
DEAR ELEANoR-I send you herewith what
mother, May and l have picked out your
share of Aunt Marcia's belongings. They
weren't as much as anticipated, and we divid-
ed the rest among ourselves, as we had the
care of her in her last illness Your affection
ate cousin, EFFIE GORDON.
Eleanor Stone took the note and flung
| it in the stove. $50 much for my cousins
| affection. It's too bad know Aunt Mar
cia must have had some money, and, as for
the bother of her illness, itwas self sought,
which makes me doubly sure she left
| something, for the Gortlons are not the
| kind to put themselves out for nothing.
If we only had just a little of her money
to tide us over until you get well and put
US on our feet again!"
| Aunt Marcia was Miss Marcia Perkins,
a maiden great-aunt of Eleanor Stone,
who had lived somewhat as a recluse and
who had recently died.
Eleanor turned the box upside down,
gazing regretfully at the little heap on
the table. There were an old fashioned
bone hairpin, two bits of lace, surmount-
ed with lavender bows, such as old ladies
wear for caps, two or three cheesecloth
busters, five handkerchiefs, hair ring
and an old fashioned daguerreotype in a
rusty black and gilt case, showing the
| faded countenance of a genteel looking
youth of past date.
There said Mrs. Stone derisively, lis
my share of my late lamented aunt's es-
tate, and here am l, who expected 500 or
5000 anyway, as hard up as anybody could
be, with John sick and unable to work
while Aunt Susan, Fife and May Gordon
who know nothing of hard times, are
probably basking in the sunshine of her
dollars
AT this point, being of philosophical
turn of mind, she gathered up her inherit
ance, put it away in the closet and devoted
herself to her husband, who lay grumbling
| on the sofa, victim in the clutches of
rheumatism.
Several weeks later Eleanor was brood
ing over the financial situation when the
bell rang and an elderly man stood at the
door He introduced himself rs Mr.
Clavers' and said that, being the Gordons
family lawyer and happening to be in
town that day, he had come at their re
quest to ask little favor.
Would Mrs. Stone care to part with a
little, old fashioned daguerreotype the Cor
dons had sent her in a box of things that
were Miss Perkins'?"
Eleanor's curiosity and suspicious were
aroused by the sudden desire for this
worthless relic of former days. MIR. Cla-
vers explained that the ladies had taken a
fancy for it, as an antique merely. They
would be quite willing to purchase it, and
if a $40 bill would be any object
NO" answered Eleanor, spurred on to
refusal by sudden conviction. Il didn' t
! get many of my aunt's things, but what |
| did shall keep" Whereupon she arose
and politely but Enthusiastically bowed the
| dSUOnlsneu Olu genUieIuau Out
| Then she hurried to the closet and,
rummaging around, soon found the box
and in it the daguerreotype case. This
she opened and began to scratch it all over
with her thumb nail and to finger its sur
face carefully, hoping that she had not let
a $40 bill go by for nothing.
| 1t might really be a whim of Aunt Su-
sans after all to want the old thing, yet
1 ahr<x. I 90 <r hat h haA
once heard Aunt Marcia speak of a daguer-
reotype case with a secret spring and false
back which was a much priced possession.
the gift of a dear friend.
Suddenly she gave a gasp, and John
looked up from his couch in time to see
something white flutter to the floor. For
| getting his rheumatism, he sprang from
the sofa and stood reading over Eleanor's
shoulder bit of writing on. scrap of pa
per that meant much to those two:
| /, Marcia Perkins, hereby give to the person
| who after my death becomes the owner Of the
] daguerreotype of Joseph Thurston, in the case
1 of which this paper viii be placed by me, the
| sum of $500.
That was as far as they went. "Ohf
said Eleanor
Hum" said John, and there was q
silence for as many as three seconds
go on, said John.
'It's nothing more about us. It's only
that he''-waving the placidly pictured
young man-''was her lover. He was
drowned Mt sea, and her house and other
belongings are to be sold and the money
| is to go to the Seamen's Orphans fund
$50 Effie and the others will have to
| give pwhat they have already taken pos
session of, and instead of everything will
have nothing.
| "Good enough" concluded John, in q
satisfied tone, provided this paper is per-
fectly legal Thought they could slight
| you entirely, but instead they made mess
of it themselves by giving you a cast off
| insignificant looking trinket, which hap
pened to be the most valuable thing your
| aunt left after all
| IF everything is only turned over to
us without any trouble" concluded his
wife ITO think of their pretending she
didn't leave anything"
There was little trouble over the mat
ter, the paper being dated, signed and
| witnessed. Thus the Gordons reluctantly
saw their knowledge of the daguerreotype' IS
secret came too late, while the Stones
with its aid, were enabled TO buy pleas
ant little home, where, secure from hard
times" they enjoy life together, the da-
guerreotype case occupying the place of
honor Boston Post.
Penus md CurxOnu.