The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-26
NUMBER 8.

| uOt very well.
was not very much excited about
the will for he had often told me that
before, but had girls curiosity about
the other part of the surprise, SO Invent
Immediately to his room. I knocked
at the door, but 1 received no answer,
and thinking he had not heard me l
opened the door and walked in. He
was sitting in his arm chair at the
window, with his eyes closed. I was
about to greet him in lively manner,
when something in his face made me
stop. He looked so weary, as he sat there,
that I said not word but crossing the
room, put my arms around his neck.
AS did so l must have screamed for
three of the servants ran into the room.
There sat my uncle, cold in death. l
must have tainted for that was the last
I remembered until after my beloved
uncle was buried.
There 1 was left alone once more to
the world. When his financial affairs
came to be settled, it was found that no
will was left so of course, his son in
herited everything.
did not know what to do. All that
was given me, was that old trunk up in
the garret and it was given to me more
in sarcasm on the part ofmy uncle's son
than anything else.
There was one who was very kind to
me. He was rising young lawyer,
named Charles Armstrong, who was
employed by my uncle's son, and in
about month I was married to him in
one of the churches of London.
| A few months afterward he decided
to come to America, where he thought
he would become more famous.
We sailed to America and in one year,
Helen, you were born. When you were
one year old, your father died without
becoming famous. Instead he left me
with you to struggle as best could, as
you have all seen. AS she finished,
tears were streaming down her cheeks
and the girls too were very sad.
Now girls said she, ssthis is the story
of the trunk; now you may open it and
look at the relics it contains"
The girls did not feel like dressing
up in the dresses, so that they laid
them one by one on the floor until they
came to the last one. They were very
elegant. Many grand old ball dresses
trimmed in silk, satin, and fine old
laces, and also the old uncle's soldier
suit. AS Helen went to take out the
last dress her hand touched what she
thought was nail, but, as she did 80,
lid flew up and revealed what seemed
to be a square box. It contained moth
ling but papers and one small square
tparcel.
| Mamma said, Helen, did you know of
this secret box and these papers?
sLet me see them I did not know there
were any papers there.'
She looked them over one by one un-
til she came to one which she read sew
eral times and then she handed it to
the girls saying, 'sWhat is that?''
Mamma, 81 do believe this is will"
Sure enough there was will be-
queathing everything with the excep-
tion of one Thousand pounds which was
given to his son, to Helen's mother.
They looked farther through the
papers and found the little parcel la
belled, 'Louise's SURPRISE for her
seventeenth birthday. They broke the
seal and found the most magnificent
diamond ring Helen had ever seen.
The girls stood spell bound.
Il Mrs. Armstrong took the ring out of
its mahogany case and handed it to
Helen. 'Tt is what you want, take it
for your own."
OF course, Helen and her mother
went to England and found the lawyer
named in the will, and this was his
= story.
Your uncle for some reason must
have changed his mind about waiting
until the next day to make his will, for
he called me about nine o'clock, and
while was there drew up will in
which you were chief heir. 1t has
three witnesses which I cannot name,
but 1 can find them. He must have
hidden the will a short time before he
died, and suppose he had good pur-
. pose for doing so.
AS soon as left his house, went i'm
. mediately to the depot, where took
q the train to Paris. did not return for
about one month, and when 1 did re.
> turn, found your uncle dead and you
y gone and didn't know where to find
you.
Ihave been searching for you ever
y since, and am glad I have found you
at last and 1 will proceed at once to
u hunt up those witnesses, so that may
'o get the property out of that scape
9 grace Carr's hands before he ruins il
all.
u So you may now find Helen and hel
~ mother comfortably installed in Manor
i House, and Helen's schoolmates whom
i she has not forgotten, are expecting Il
~ spend Christmas with her.
Written by LEAH YATES.
70 The language of the lower Londonel
is changinp: