The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1908-12-18


aren't you proceeding Oh 'ne '
nv that I'm her husband! ,,.s.uoo ~
of wouldn't make any dlherenoe
,o,, ,vere her father" she deciaieu'
.ryo don't want clothes from our i"
.hors We want the money for theln.
DE- yo,u take diamonds. oh. you mus
INV Iildo lots of pretty things! ISL
# lovely that you can do IL! Anu 10"
ct surely never dreamed of having
sistor like her" said |, and was sur
nrisod to find that had told the truth
60 Mrs. Gilbert and | went shoppins
next day at the earliest possible noui
had not supposed tllt 1t was posS 81,
HE for a man to tell SO many iies ~
one day. I spent the forenoon WIN
Mrs Gilbert. and we talked or noun
inc but "mv sister''-every WORD Oh
,,ine q lie of course. | spent the aII-
ornoon or most of it with Hilda, whom
called by that new name, though
knew it was not hers and' 10 hiahe
matters worse, she had fallen INTO d
dubious state of mind, and must re
boarse TO her all Connor's proofs WIN
IN air of serene and bllssful conVlc-
tion. for If a mere shadow OF doubt
could so affect her spirits what woulo
the plain truth do?
ON Christmas day Hilda woke to ma
the plain room from which we uareu
not vet remove her bright with many
flowers which the nurse had softly set
in their places. This was the best day
that Hilda had had since the beginning
of her illness. The tide of returning
health had begun to run strong ana 50
we were able to make it something IKE
n real Chris mas without risk OF harm.
But the climax was reserved for the
evening. after Hilda had had her sup
per. Then the lights were extn-
grisbed. the door was opened and In
there walked Christmas tree appar-
emily upon its own legs. but really pro-
pelled by t e serviceable Conner. 1t
| blazed with candles and glittered with
tinsel. and its boughs were well laden
better, indeed, than | was aware-for
the wise Mrs. Gilbert had bought some
gifts for me from Hilda that the dear
girl might not lack the pleasure of Civ
ing
| have never seen upon the face of
any grown person such an expression
of enhancement in pure joy as glowed
on Hida's in the light of the shining
tree. At the sight of 1t lost my sense
of shame and deception, and child
like faith took hold upon me that this
would all come right and that | should
| find way to make her happy all her
life.
By the next day, however, | had re-
! covered some part Of my common
sense, and the difficulties of the sit
uation were clear to me again, but the
path of escape from them was not
clear at all spent that day chiefly
in meditation and the next as we'll
Then a voice seemed to tell me that
| needed the counsel of woman, and
whom could appeal to but Mrs. Gil
bert? BY this time Hilda had been
transferred to the Gilbert residence, a
favor not too great to be accepted by
a young lady whose brother owns half
of a very productive gold mine. | Sc
: cured private interview with Mrs
Gilbert and disclosed to her the truth
"Oh. impossible impossiblel' she
cried. "Why. you semed to know each
other ut the very first glancew
"As was five years old when / last
saw my sister and she was barely
one" said |, "a recognition would not
amount TO very much. even If 1t had
occurred"
"Ah, but there's instinct"
Mrs. Gilbert" said I gently, "there
is no mere chance that am this young
Iady's brother than if were the beard
ed aoudad in the Central park ZOO"
but what shall we dol" she ex-
claimed. Indeed, this Is very deli
cate matter We cannot tell her now.
She would not remain In this house. I
know her She has the strictest ideas
about mourning obligations She would
rather die in the street"
AT this went into panic and VOW
ed that would keep up the deception
TO my last hour on earth though 1t
should sink my soul beneath the reach
Of mercy.
A few days later Conner came to
my rooms with very long face.
There really Is a snag in our story"
said he. why in bazes did those
Newfoundland Grays keep this thing
so quiet? Why didn't your uncle find
his little niece? 1t is inconceivable
that the Grays did not get list of the
Delphic's passengers. That would have
told them plainly who their founding
was, She couldn't be anybody else.
and surely they must have known that
your uncle Whose name, with yours
was in every account of the wreck
/ would pay them handsomely for bring.
Ing the little girl to him. Didn't your
uncle leave any papers, diaries or rec
ords of any kind which might throw
some light on this matter?"
"All my uncle's private papers," said
|, were taken in charge by Judge
Mahlon Of the supreme court. He's
dead but I'll write to his sen Jim 70
nave the house looked over"
| did so and received next dav this
telegram:
sem volume your uncle's diary. 1887
cont aiming full explanation of this af.
] tair to Mrs Gilbert Dan