The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-12-12
By EMILY C. BOND

Iltil Dttil III tAiN AtAliAiA' 80 AA'''N+s'
sat down to breakfast alone. Sev-
eral letters that had Just been brought
bv the poStman lay on the table one OF
Will h was from Il firm of lawyers, IN
forming him that by the will of the
late Edward Burroughs he (Wilkinsl
was appointed guardian to the de
ceaseds daughter, Alice.
Ned Burroughs dead" exclaimed
wilkins. much affected by the news
and for a time he gave himself UP to
reflections upon the loss of chum OF
his younger days. Burroughs had gone
TO live in a different place. They had
correspondent for awhile, but that in
evitahle separator continued absence,
had come between them, and for ten
or fifteen years they had not met
Presently the purpOrt of the letter,
his guardianship. occurred to him. He
could not think of Burroughs as any
older than when he last saw him and
assumed that his ward was il little
girl.
What this guardianship meant,
whether he was expected to take care
of his wards prOl ATTY or his ward her
self he had no ided, but his mind was
soon set at rest upon opening another
letter. from his ward herself, which in
formed him that she was without q
relative in the world that she had ever
seen and did not know what TO do.
1t seemed to wilkins that he must
see the child and learn something about
her property-if she had any-and how
she was to live But just then he
found it announcement to get away. He
wrote her that the only thing for her
to do was to come to him. He told
her how he was situated and that Mrs,
Hawkins. his housekeeper. would take
excellent care of her \ reply to this
letter informed him that Alice would
arrive in few days wilkins told
Mrs. Hawkins To prepare for her re
ception.
"How old is she?" asked the house
keeper
How old is she? | don't know
She may be five or six or ten or eleven
or something like that"
Mrs Hawkins asked no more ques
tons. but prepared n bedroom for the
little girl adjoining her own in case
Alice We're still too young to sleep en-
tirelv alone. Perhaps she wouldn't care
to sleep alone anyway
On the morning of Alices arrival VIII
kins told his housekeeper that he
would have a busy day and must rely
on her to meet his ward at the sta
tion. He would send carriage to the
house at a certain hour. Mrs. Haw-
kins was to bring Alice home. and he
would he on hand for "A O'Clock din
ner.
He was SO much occupied during the
day that he scarcely gave the matter "A
thought hut ON his way home We re
membercd it and wondered what he
would do with II child in the house.
However. he could tell nothing about
the matter till he had seen his ward
On entering his living room he was
surprised to see "a young woman dress
cd for dinner sitting there writing. lt
did not occur 10 him that she was
Alice wilkins. But who was she?
The Young lady rosa She was appar-
emily about nineteen and advanced TO
meet him she seemed herself some
what taken aback at his appearance.
I'm waiting for Mr. Wilkins she
remarked.
Beg pardon VIII you tell me-w5o
you areT
nm Mr.. Wilkins ward
You? Mr.. Wilkins ward! am Mr..
wilkins"
Dear me, expected to meet a per
son the are Of my father
your father was just my age
Papa was forty You don't lool,
much over thirty"
During this brief dialogue a very
pleasurablc sensation was yelling up
IN the bosom of Mr.. wilkins. and At
the same tine he was perplcxed AT the
result of the mistake.
Well" he said, after a welcome
grasp of the hand. you're here. and
here you will have to stay till we can
settle what you're to do. Fortunately.
Mrs. Hawkins will make very good
chaperon and viii take care Of you
admirably Has she made you com
fortable;'
"She has"
I'm be ready for dinner In few
minutes
II seemed that evening to Mr.. VIII
kins that his dining room looked diff
ferent from ever before. The lights
burned brighter. the dinner tasted bet
ter. the flowers on the table smelled
sweeter wilkins took up the subject
OF his wards future, but made no
progress en- settling il. As TO her for
tune. her father had left her nothing
and she must either marry or make
her own living.
After dinner the two adjourned to
the library aud continued 10 seek for
solution Of the problem. About u
o'clock wilkins said.
III were ten or fifteen years young
er we might find a way out, very lie
sirable way-tO me-
Miss burroughs made no verbal re