Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-07-28
The BEST LAID
PLANS
By HOMER STOUT
toopyrisht la0a, by DAILY story Fah- o0-l


was summoned to her room is Difficult
10 explain, when the sisters exceedin
care and conscientiousness Is taken In
to account. 1t only goes to prove tina
no human being is infallible. and i
this case good Sister Agatha certainl
failed In care and caution 70 a degre
that entailed results which foreye
robbed her of her peace Of mind Al
a matter of fact, she opened the box 4
refresh her mind as to some particula
instructions regarding Bertha. abou
which she was to talk to the girl TheI
the mother superior came In with /
few suggestions and-Well, to tell thu
plain truth, Sister Agatha forgot tha
the precious box with its secrets still
lay on her table when Bertha arrived
Bertha was no longer a child. She
was II, and most beautiful young
woman, had she but known it. One
more year and she would leave the
care of the convent No one in the
convent knew even the name of her
parents. She was a child of mystery.
i Brought there when a child, with most
i
explicit instructions as TO her educa-
ton and treatment, with ample pro-
visions for the payment Of all bills,
naught was known of her antecendents
nor of her future excepting what was
contained In the tin box confided to
the keeping of Sister Agatha. And all
that was ineligible there was a series
of explicit instructions regarding her
training. education and treatment-ex-
cepting one mysterious packet, amply
sealed and marked: ITO be delivered
to Bertha upon her leaving the convent
upon her eighteenth birthday"
Scarcely had Bertha entered the
room before Sister Agatha was sum-
moned outside on a brief errand.
Bertha, left alone, inadvertently
glanced at the mysterious box. II was
open. with the sealed envelope lying on
top Of all the other papers The girl
started and turned pale For years
she had wondered and grieyed over the
mystery surrounding her She knew
she was different from the other girls,
who had letters and visits from their
people, and who frequently went away
in vacation time to their homes, bring
ing back strange stories of pleasures
unknown to her. At times she fiercely
resented the fate that had left no affec-
ton in her life A sudden impulse
seized her and she reached for the
sealed envelope and tucked 1t In the
bosom of her dress.
A moment later, when Sister Agatha |
returned. her eye caught the open box |
and she glanced keenly at Bertha The |
innocence on the girls face treasured
her and she hastily locked the box and |
returned 1t to its place in her closet
That afternoon, alone in a secluded |
nook, Bertha opened the precious en-
velope. It contained only a letter as
follows:
MY Dear Ward: owe you, perhaps,
many apologies for keeping you so
long without knowledge of your name,
anteeedents and place In the world,
but when you have read this am sure
you will agree with me that 1t is all
for the best. Your name is Bertha
Farley, Your father was a dear friend
Of mine, and when he followed your
mother TO the grave, while you were
still an infant, he made me your guar
dian. My brother Charles was a dis
sutton of your mother and
never recovered from his attachment
He died bachelor soon after the
Heath of your father. and left a large
estate. He had a very strong sense of
5inship. and desired the estate kept in
he family. He was very fond of his
nephew, my son Richard, four years
your senior. He had. however, so
strong sentimental attachment for
FOUR mother, and through her for you.
hat 1t became dream of his mind
Turing his last years-in fact from the
line of your fathers death-that
match should be arranged between you
md my son Richard. With this in
7iev, he left his property to Richard,
he should marry you imme-
lately upon coming Of age Knowing
hat | was in a position as your guar
Ian to influence you. and fearing my
he made a provision that II
rou and Richard were not married I
within three months of his twenty-frst /
the entire estate should go to
'ou.
Nov, my dear young lady, had I
ther plans for my son, and tearing the I
Inheritance would be a temptation to
ny wife for our son, and also that
our own charms might attract him |
or their own sake if you were brought {
p In the same house. placed you in !
his convent, leaving only this record, (
o in case anything happens to me you (
7ill know where your people and your
Inheritance are. Upon your eighteenth
birthday the day of forfeiture of the 6
state will have passed, and feel sure.
lso, that by that time my son will be 9
married.. 7
''You will agree with me. think. r
hat my motives are eminently fair :
nd generous so far as you are con-
erned. You find yourself the possess
or of very large fortune. and free
, dispose of your heart and hand ac- =