Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-05-27
Ills ONLY SECRET.

| of T. as curator for his diocese
Here our paths separated for some
years. and when next we met we renewed
our old friendship. | was the vicar of
the town, still single at "a, and Jim was
the chaplain of the famous Jail in the
same town. and married.
We were talking in my study, as in
olden times. Somehow the conversation
drifted to the subject of recent news
paper article: Ought Married People to
Have Any Secrets from Each Other?"
said No" Jim said Yes"
why, jim said !, you would have
been the last person ] should have ex-
pected to take that line, for | am sure,
! from what j have seen, that if ever two
folks were happy and loving they are
Ella and yourself. / can't conceive of
your having any secret which you would
not wish Ella to know"
"Ah," retorted he, with peculiar
smile, that's just it. Well Howson, IN
tell you one, if you like, though" he
added, 1T must be a secret between us
! two"
~ was the chaplain at Lowmarket, as
YOU are well aware before | came here.
The amount of society that one got in
I.owmarket was perfectly astonishing
Had | the time and inclination for it,
might have turned out a regular society
clergyman. As it was, | had Il full
amount of lectures, soirees, parties and
entertainments.
among the people l got in with none
were nicer than the Yorks. Miss York,
maiden lady Of 80, lived in large
house called The Cedars.' in the best part
of the town. She was known all over
the district for her charity, kindness of
heart and pure life. Nor was her niece,
Miss York. any less popular.
~ was % when / first saw Ella York,
and at once suceumbed to her charms.
found, upon iudicious inquiries, that Miss
York-Ella- lived with her aunt
| from childhood that she was now "a;
that her mother was dead and her father
lived on the continent for his health;
also that she was her aunt's sole heiress.
after much Understanding and de-
batting within myself, | thought | saw
| that Ella York was not wholly indiffer-
ent to me, and resolved to ask her to be
my wife.
But her aunt didn't consent. l re-
ceived dainty note that night-how
| tenderly | regarded it. Howson!-from
Ella, saying that she had spoken of my
visit to her aunt, and had told her / was
coming tomorrow for her approval; Miss
York had been very kind, but acted
rather strangely, and said that she would
see me, but she could not consent, as
she did not wish to lose Ella.
"As | approached the lodge the por
teress met me-
so, Mr. Bourn, this is shocking
II was more puzzled than ever. Why
my engagement to Ella should be Shock
| ing | could not see; and l no doubt ex-
pressed it in my looks.
$50 sudden, too, sir said the woman.
| Nobody expected it!'
Whatever's the matter?' said |.
"Why. haven't you heard that Miss
York is dead? No! o, dear! Poor
thing; had fit in the night, doctor says;
was quite unconscious when Miss Ella
got there. and died at 0 O'Clock this
morning"
There were no more details to be
learned about Miss York's death. She
was buried i'll Lowmarket church yard.
Ella was i'll for weeks, and could not even
see me- When she was well enough to
attend to business it was found that she
inherited all her aunt's money; and as
she had already accepted me, we were
married a twelve month after.
ELLA and L." pursued Jim, could
never give the remotest guess as to her
aunt's objection to our engagement, and
it would probably have remained a mys
terry to me. as it has to Ella even now,
had it not been for the following circum
stances.
"Some time ago l was sent for at the
prison to see a rather desperate charac-
ter. whose end was very near. Although
| had seen him several times, and Ger
tainly been struck with his face and APP
pearance, we could not be said to be
friendly, as he had been Indifferent to all
my advances.
Il found him lying in the hospital, and
I soon saw that he would not live very
long.
1--WE had a queer life, sir said the
convict. | might have been somebody and
done some good but | got led astray
after marriage, and broke the heart of
my wife, who died soon afterward. And
if you'll promise me to do one thing
when Pm dead, l shall die happy
III promise as far as | cam said J..
What is it,
It's to take care OF your wife, an
swered No l52. All. said he, smiling, I
thought that would astonish YOU
Take care of my wife!' l gazed at
him in amazement. Why, of course,
shall! But what is that to your
Because she's-my daughter.'
Sit down, sir, please; | can't talk
much longer. You need not send for Dr.
barton; I'm all right. / feared it would
give you a shock, sir, as it gave me one
the first time saw her with YOU Ella
York was taken when quite child by
her aunt. who disowned me, and never
told the child what her father was. She
changed her name from Wilson to her
mothers name of York, and completed
the disguise. You'll find Ella Wilson's
birth and baptism in the registers Of
Northfield, and | give you my word its
true.