The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-08-01

be admitted that a morbid curiosity
rendered Helen the greater attraction.
Mr.. 6nively 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
ar 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 Deerfield 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 thai Ir Powell had left
what little he possessed to the daugh-
ter who had deserted him. The con-
firmation was followed by another re-
port that was also confirmed Powell
had left fortune close on to million.
The breath Of the people of Deerfeld
was taken quite away
There are always those to say II
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.. Powelrs 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
friend and before leaving the angel
CT 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 Deerfield up
to the point that Miss Willard was
saint and Miss Powell was a sinner
and it could not be expected that their
positions would be reversed In day.
Indeed, 1t was not possible that the
latter should receive any attention i'm
mediately after her fathers death But
the glittering spoon with which wealth
trolls catches the fish, and as soon as
it was known that that mean old cur
mudgeon" who had till now been called
that poor deserted father" had died
rich the bouleversement 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
was sold, and 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
Later Rev. Mr. Snively called upon
hov@ 10 e.. L.
corning her, and she showed him
package Of letters that had passed Sc
cretly between her and her father,
showing how woman Of domineering
will and possessing secret to the old
mans apparent discredit had first got
rid of his daughter and then tried to
make him marry her: how she succeed
ed in forcing him to make will in her
favor and how he had sent later one
to his daughter bequeathing her all his
property
Miss Willard never again appeared
In Deerfield, nor did Helen Powell ever
after make it her home. She main
tanned that persons who knew so much
about other peoples affairs simply by
hearsay were not worth cultiyating.
She never forgave what she had en-
dured during those years of exile in
hearing encomiums heaped ur0n the
woman who was stabbing her and
the sIurs upon herself.