Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-17

ONNh 80 .''AN W VIVA
IT, remarked, since she aftcrward
became Mrs. Lawrence
THAT is one way of looking ct it,"
he ~assented; but I've always thought
thai she was so far from getting over
1t that she never greatly cared what
became of her afterward.'
Was it so bad as that
1T Was as bad as it could possibly
be. She did not return from Scotland
Tor two years n more. 1t was about
u year later that she married Law
renee, who was a business associate
OF her father, and lived here at Eliza
beth. l a been called TO he pas
torate of the church here and per
formed the ceremony"
i-awIence must have been consider
AMY older than she them | suggested.
oh. much older. He was a Widow
er' without children. l always fancied
lhal her father had arranged the
llalch. He had completely roken
Gown knew he hadn't long to live"
n there was only one child of
TINS marriage?"
Only one-Marcia."
'How long has Mrs. Lawrence been
q widow?'
oh, for 20 years n more"
she lived here ever since?"
She has kept her home here. but
she was abroad with her daughter
for a long time-six or seven wears.
at least. She was very fond of France
anu so was Marcia. perhaps because
she was born there"
Born there?" l repeated in some
surprise.
Yes. Mr.. Lawrence had a very Sc
we're illness a few months after his
marriage don't remember Just what
II was-and his doctor ordered him to
the south of France for a long rest.
nus WE, OF course, accompanied him,
ana Marcia was born there. l think
'ha AL IS ali the story, Mr.. Lester"
stu a loose end. What became Of Mrs.
Endicott and her daughter-I think
you said there was a daughter?"
'Yes-Ruth. One of the loyeliest
girls ever knew. They came here
IRON, IRON scotch Plains. as I've said, to
sister. Mrs. Kingdom"
de noticed my start of stonish
hlent, n paused to look at me in
quiringly.
Il beg your pardon" said. 'b,,t
.ae name struck me. Miss Lawrence's
maid is named Kingdom"
y es: shes "a niece of Mrs. Endi-
cott. v sometimes thought that IL
was because of this relationship that
Mrs. Lawrence was so kind to her and
to her sister," ~
Kind to them?" l repeated. I'm what
way?"
she gave them the cottage they
i've in he explained, land has helped
lhen IN many other ways. The young
er glri, Lucy, has a place in her house,
hold. where her duties. fancy are
purely nominal. Her sister is supposed
to take in sewing, but she really does
very little" No
And they are Mrs. Endicott's
nieces""
"Yes-her sisters children"
Precisely"
l felt a little glow of excitement.
Tor here was a clue which might lead
me out OF the labyrinth loose end.
winch, grasped firmly. might serve to
unraVel this tangled shein.
Pleas go on" | said. You have not
yet told me what became of Mrs Erndi-
colt and her daughter"
They made their home with M,s
who was also a widow. Mrs.
had had much trouble-her
husband had died in an asylum for
,he 1nsane-and they had a hard time
20 get along. But Mrs. Endicott died
within . year"
And RUTH" l questioned.
-futn was a lovely girl-and / shall
never forget herewith the same dark
passionate beauty her brother had. She
possessed artistic talent which seemed
70 me OF an unsual order and she
aaiic1eu mat she could make
But she soon found that there was no
market for her work here in Elizabeth
and that she needed years of training
before she could hope to be successful
elsewhere. So h was forced to give
it up
And them" l prompted, Cor 1 saw
by his hesitation that there was still
somethig coming. and | was determined
to have the whole story.
nave already told you that Mr..
Lawrence was a Widower. His first
wife was an invalid for a long time
before her death, and when Ruth En-
alcott found she could not make "A liv-
position OF companion to Mrs. Law
renee. l 90 not fancy the place was
a pleasant one, but she kept 1t until
Mrs. Lawrence's DEATH"
leaned back in my chair and closed
my eyes for an instant in the effort to
straighten out this story, which was
always turning back upon itself. What
mystery was there-what mystery could
there be-in the lives of the Kingdoms
and the Lawrcnces and the Endicotts
which had led up to the tragedy for
which. was seeking an explanation?
Well. and after that?" 1 asked, CIV
ing ltnp with d sigh Of despair and
turning back to the clergyman.
There isn't much more to tell. After
Mrs. L~awrence's death, Ruth Endicott
remained for a time as Lawrence's
~housekeeper. But she had verworked
herself-she seemed the very embodi-
ment of health. and taxed her strength
too heavily. She broke down very sud
denly n died if l remember rightly.
in Florida. where the elder Kingdom
girl had taken her. She was the last
of the E%ndicotts."