The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-02
THE EVENING STORY
The True Heir
DIV Alice Won zoo

CO
In the upstairs front room Priscilla
stood before the mirror giving a last
critical look at herself. Her hair was
done nigh on her head in a style of
Dygone days. and an ancient shell
comb was at the back. Her dress
was gorgeous brocaded silk. which
had belonged to her great-great-
grandmother 1t had never been al
tered and it fitted her tall, straight
figure to perfection.
'There!' she said. 81 guess that will
do; Now I will sit down and wait
till they come"
She went over to one of the west
windows and sat where she could look
down the road. Her face was alight
with JOY. This was the happiest day
of her life. 1t was what she had look
ed forward to and worked for.
As she sat waiting for her expected
guests her mind travelled back over
the years that had led up to this day.
which seemed to her to be the full
filiment of all her hopes.
She remembered how, when she
was a little girl and lived with
her grandmother in the house she
could see from where she sat, she
had looked with awe upon the man
sion which stood on the hill and all
the stories she cared to hear must
be about the old house.
Her grandmother could tell her
| many stories of the old place, of the
young people who had lived there
and made 1t gay with their happy
| voices, of the noted general who
courted and married his fair bride
there and of the sad times that came
when the young people all went away
and the old folks grew feeble and
died and the old house fell into alien
hands.
Priscilla remembered how she teas
ed and teased till her grandmother
took her to see the man and his wife
who lived as caretakers in three or
| four rooms in the ell After that she
| used to slip away to see them and
| they got to be fond of her and let her
roam over the house at will.
When she got to be eighteen she
determined to earn money enough to
| buy the old house and restore it. The
going to destruction. 1t seemed such
a bad thing to Priscilla to see the
blinds sagging, the shingles and clap
boards coming off and the chimneys
| losing bricks in every high wind. She
would buy it and save it from ruin,
and it would stand there in all it's old
| time dignity, a valuable historic land
mark.
| She told no one of her plan, but
set about deciding on her work. She
had always intended being a nurse
and this work would serve her pur-
pose as we'll as any.
So by the time she was twenty
| she had finished her course at the
training school, had taken her first
case and deposited her first money
| in the bank toward buying the old
place.
Then came disappointment. The
great-aunt for whom she was named
sent for her to come and take care of
her. Priscilla rebelied inwardly, for
the old woman grudged her the food
she ate. But Priscilla knew that 1T
was her last sickness and she could
not find it in her heart to leave her
alone in her misery.
/ For two long years, therefore, she
devoted herself to her kinsweman and
gave her as good care as If she had
been a wealthy, paying patient. And
| the aunt's disposition softened won
derfully at the last and Priscilla con-
| fided her secret about the old house
| to her.
After her death there was great
surprise for Priscilla. Her aunt had
| left all her property to her. There
was more than any one had suspected
and the will expressed the old lady's
wish that Priscilla should use the
money to buy and repair the old place
on the HILL
After the place was actually bought
| there was much to be done. Carpen
| tiers and masons and painters were
| kept at work for weeks The yard
was made tidy and after that the in
side of the house was cleaned and
repaired.
1t was IN June Lndt every Wdo
done and Priscilla had moved her
aunt's old-fashioned furniture into the
house. The old couple who had lived
in the ell still stayed and the woman
was Priscilla's houSekeeper-
Then Priscilla found that her leg
acy was greatly reduced and that she
must go to work. SO she went to nurs-
ing again with light heart.
And now it was old home week and
as one feature of the occasion she
4. Q
to read a paper to the guests, telling
some Of the most interesting stories
about the place. She had furnished
the rooms as nearly as possible like
what they had been when the family
lived there. There was not modern
piece of furniture in the whole house
and she had even been able to pro
cure some of the very articles that
had once furnished it.
At last she saw her guests coming
She colored as she recognized one fig
ure among the others. He was the
only one of the old family name who
had taken the least interest in the
old place. To be sure. he was mere
ly the great-grandson of the last OF
the family to live there. and he had
never seen it till this week. But he
had taken an intense interest in what
Priscilla had done. and somehow she
had seen good deal of him during
the week.
Priscilla's heart beat high as she
went slowly down the old staircase to
meet her guests.
Richard looked uncertainty about
the dim old room. In moment his
eyes became accustomed to the dark
ness and he went quickly over to
where Priscilla crouched sobbing on
the floor. Her old brocaded gown lay
in folds about her and the arm on
which her head was bowed rested on
the old chair by the fireplace.
what has happened?" cried Rich
ard in alarm. He lifted her gently to
her feet. and for a moment she rested
heavily against his shoulder. Then
she drew away and sank into her
chair.
at am very sorry you found me this
way" she said TREMENDOUSLY. TT