The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-03-01
Life Lines Crossed
iorlsfnatl

Original
Our lives may be chartec By lines
These lines are continually crossIag
ana at times becoming cntsAgled with
each other.
Ny father had been wealthy New
Yorker, but in some way never knew
kew-his fortune had been diverted
fran my mother and ne. her only
ehia. she would not permit me to look
imto the closet where lurked the family
skeleton. Others knew what / was ig-
novant or. and often would notice
persons regarding me with an express
sien In which pity seemed to be min
gicd with Indignation.
AS grew up developed q talent for
music. and at my mothers death had
sufficient funds to enable me to study
abroad. On my return gave music
lessons. by which means / made
scant support. was alone in the
wcrM. having no brothers or sisters,
and my lot was hard one. had been
told by my mother that at my birth II
was expected would some day be one
Of the wealthiest women in New York,
! remembered this, and II made my ef-
forts to exc out living only the more
intolcgable.
Arneng those TO whom gave lessons
was the daughter Of a wealthy man
named ShanklIn. He was one OF the
new rich and, not having either the
time or the taste to make q handsome
home for himself, had bought house
with everything ia 1t just as it stood
at the death OF the owner. widow.
The frat thine ! entered the premises
was with singular feeling II seemed
that ! had been ia some house very like
II. But where this other house was or
what part OF my life had been In It
could In no way determine.
Now, | shah account for this feeling
presently, but there Is another circnrn.
stance tAat ! cannot account for.
ran show q coincidence, but the under
lying reason is one OF those mysteries
which, II ever solved, must be solved
BY what | may call the science Of soul.
Over the mantel In the drawing room
was the portrait OF beautiful woman
Ia the prime OF life The moment |
looked at this portrait was seized
with the most bitter repugnance. 1t
seemed as II the original were delug
me some great injury from which
could net escape. Never before nor
since have felt desire to kill any
one as desired to XIII the original OF
this picture. Yet mas fascinated with
the beautiful face, the wealth OF faxen
bslr the soft blue eyes. why should
feel hostility to face that was look
ing down on me beniEnly could not
divine.
The music room opened into the
drawing room aud | often went into
the drawing room alone. One day
whlls casing on the portrait # seemed
10 me that the eyes were locking to.
ward an antique desk directly oppo-
site. went over and sat in the chair
before the desk. why / ala so / do
not know. Presently ! turned and be-
gan 10 runmage the drawers While
doing so l struck my knnckie agsinst
BIT Of carved work, and a drawer new
open. II contained two papers. one Of
which opened and read.
reed not give the text Of this docu-
ment. II was the narrative OF the
daughter OF an English army officer
who had como to America and taken @
position az governess A married man
who visited the house where she was
employed had fallen in love with her
and had insisted on dlvorcing his wife
and marrying the governess. The man
was Of strong will and induced her to
comply The deserted wife gave birth
70 daughter only few weeks before
the marriage Of her husband with her
rival
The second wife seemed from the
narrative to have been a very unhappy
woman. She was ignored By her fam
ily m England, which was arlstocratic.
She was received by the society OF New
York, but the friends OF the woman
she had supplanted never lost an op.
pcytunity 20 slight her. 1t appeared
that she was good at heart but had
been led by the man who loved her,
At his death be made her all the atone
nent he could by leaving her bis entire
property.
! His widow. now possessing an eDor-
nous fortune, found herself alone In
the world and. unInfusneed by the
husband. NOT only gave vent to remorso
at having broken up and despoiled
family. but made an effort to End the
child that had been born while she was
doing go. The narrative ended with
mention OF this effort
had no sooner taken up the other
paper than I saw that IL was will.
and my astonishment was great to see
my own nsrae written In 1t. Then
read thst this person Of my name was
left all the testator's property. The
matter being unintelllgible to me,
took both papers to Mr.. Shankin. On
reading them he looked at me wonder.
| ingly. then asked me number Of ques-
tions. Finally be said to me: This, /
happen to know. Is the latest win dis
posing Of your fathers property by his
second wife who left Il to YOU instead