The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-26
CALLS WELL, THAT ENDS WELL. "

"ALL'S WELL, THAT ENDS WELL"
''Oh, dear! wonder if we have al
ways been so poor? 1 did so want that
beautiful ring at Smiths for my birth
day present when am Is, but of course
mamma is too poor to get it for me. !"
Thus mused Helen Armstrong one
beautiful October day as she was COM
| ing home from the village school,
where by hard saved earnings her
mother managed to send her. "But
will not let mamma know am dissatis-
fed for she has enough troubles and
worries of her own.'
| She had no more time with her own
thoughts for she was at the end of her
walk from the village to her home. So
as she entered the small, but neat and
cheerful cottage of her mothers she
threw aside all her worries, for one
could not be otherwise than cheerful
around such a cheerful person as
Helen's mother.
Mamma" said she, after she had
been at home few minutes, .may l
have the girls over, on the evening of
my birthdays" Her mother gave her
permission, for she was always glad
when Helen was happy and she always
liked Helen's schoolmates.
'Let me see. My birthday comes in
two weeks, on the last day of October. "
The next day Helen asked the girls
to come. OF course they consented, for
she was general favorite with them.
'sNow." thought Helen, 'T will have
to plan some surprise for them. have
it. will ask mamma to let me open
that old trunk up in the garret, and
Idress up in some of those fine clothes
that are in it. And since 1 come to
think of it, I have never heard how
that trunk came into mammals posses.
sion. will get her to tell its story and
then we will open it,
| So finally the night of her birthday
came, and with it her girl friends. AT
ter they had been there awhile, Helen
asked her mother to tell them the story
of the old trunk, for she was sure there
was a story connected with it.
eyes, daughter, I will tell you the
STORY, although have been putting i
off, from time to time, now find it nee
essary to tell it.
Il "When 1 was girl about eight year
old, 1 lived with my mother in a prett,
little cottage in the suburbs of London
| My father died when 1 was one yea
old, leaving my mother not wealthy
but with goodly sum to support her
ST am sure, Helen, you never knev
was born and raised in London. I hat
q very rich uncle named Lord Carr. A
. fortune would have it, I was the favor
: ite niece of this aristocratic old gen
tleman, whose wife had long beel
: dead.
: "He lived in a grand old mansion
called Manor House, near small fish
Ierman's village, about ten miles fror
, London, all alone, with a few old ser
, wants.
Zone day my mother died suddenly
: of heart disease, they said, and 1 wa
T left alone to face the world penniless
for my mothers money was all gone
My uncle insisted on my coming to liv
with him. He was very kind to me
. and in return I loved him with all m
heart. About one thing he never spok
eI-that was, he had a son nobody kne'
!, where. He had been very waywart
= and had gone contrary to all his fatf
!, Ier's wishes, and in return, his fathe
e had refused to live in the same hous
d with him. So he lavished all his lOv
/ and wealth upon me.
> sFrom the time was ten years ol
!, until 1 was seventeen, l had the be:
= of instructors and was given good et
n ucation. On the morning of my sever
teenth birthday, l arose with gla
It heart. My uncle had promised me
g grand surprise for birthday gift.
n went down to the dining room whel
IS I expected to meet my uncle. I inten,
: ed to coax him to tell me the surpris
- for he had said he would not tell n
o. until afternoon. He was not there, ar
le thinking he had gone for walk befol
,r eating his breakfast, 1 went out
IS quizz his servant about the surprise.
s. "'James, do you know what it is?'
~ "'Yes, Miss, he said to me yesterda
:, :. for part of Helen's surprise, I inter
~ making my will tomorrow, and shs
10 Lmake Helen my chief heir And
told me to tell you to come to his roo