Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-14

of her poor father is regarded" said
another.
81 have a mind to write to her about
it," chimed in q third.
you don't need to do that" snap
ped a fourth. 81 met her at a ball in
Chicago last winter and told her just
how people were talking"
What did she say?' asked the first
speaker.
why, she just looked out of those
simpleton eyes of hers and said, 'Peo-
pie will talk no matter what you do
Then a young fellow with his hair
parted in the middle whisked her
away in the barn dance"
"She doesn't appear to have any
soul or any conscience was the last
comment, and the ladies turned the
conversation upon the coming sleeve
for woman's dresses.
Finally it was announced hat Mr..
Powell was very i'll and his end was
approaching. Every one expected this
would bring his unnatural daughter to
his bedside. But every one was disap-
pointed. Helen did not appear till the
day her father died. The town-the
social town-was furious. Only a re-
gard for the deceased as an old citi-
zen and admiration for the woman
who had been an angel of mercy to
him kept most of the circle from re-
naming away from the funeral.
However, strange to say, these two
reasons and a third crowded the
church where the services were held.
The third reason was that there was
q universal desire to ogle this dread
full girl who had deserted her father.
She walked into the church beside
Miss Willard, and every eye was
strained to see the two women, who
represented the opposite types of sac
rifice and selishness, though it must
be admitted that a morbid curiosity
rendered Helen the greater attraction.
Mr.. Snively preached the funeral SER
mon, but as the deceased had not rem
dered himself an interesting character,
since he had afforded no example of
Christian sacifice, the %reverent gentle
man ignored him and dwelt upon the
noble example Of one whom he did not
name, but whom everybody knew. Aft
err it was all over the two women fol-
lowed the coffin out of the church. The
body was disposed of and all was
over.
The next morning Deerfeld was set
agog by a report that Miss Willard had
been summarily elected from the Pow
ell dwelling by that inhuman Powell
girl without having been given more
time than was necessary to pack her
trunks. Women ran from house to
house inquiring the truth of the re-
port. 1t was confirmed. The will had
been opened the evening before, and
it was found that Mr.. Powell had left
what. little he possessed to the daugh-
ter who had deserted him. The con-
firmation was followed by another re-
had left a fortune close or to a million.
The breath of the people Of Deerield
was taken quite away.
There are always those to say 81
told you so,' and persons who had
averred that Miss Willard had been
after what means Mr.. Powell possess
ed held up their heads. Report after
report flew through the town, and most
of them were confirmed. One was that
Miss Willard was Mr.. Powell's widow
and that she would attempt to break
the will. This was denied, especially
by those who stood by Miss Willard
and who declared that nothing could
shake their faith in that angel of mer-
cy.
The truth was that from the reading
of the will Helen Powell seemed trans
formed. She stayed that night with
a friend and before leaving the angel
Of mercy gave her orders to get out Of
her house by noon the next day. The
order was obeyed, and Helen moved In
the next afternoon.
1t had required several years to
work the social circle Of Deerfeld up
to the point that Miss Willard was a
saint and Miss Powell was a sinner.
and ii could not be expected that their
positions would be reversed in q day.
Indeed, it was not possible that the
latter should receive any attention i'm
mediately after her fathers death. But
the %gfittering spoon with which wealth
trolls catches the fish, and as soon as
it was known that that mean Cd cur
mudgeon' who Il d till now been called
that poor deserted father" had died
rich the Embarrassment Of public opin-
ion came rapidly on.
Helen kept secluded, and cards kept
on being left at her door. No one
spoke openly of the conditions Of the
last few years, though whispers were
flying like wireless messages. Miss
Willard left the town without making
any statement, and the wagging of the
tongues of her defenders grew grad
ually less.
A few months after Mr.. Powell's
death the house in which he had lived
vas sold, and a card for every one
received by his daughter bearing the
letters standing for pour prendre congo
Ito say goodby) was sent out. That
was all Deerfield society ever saw of
the unnatural daughter.