Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-02-22
BORROWED FAMILY


y It
cushions.
Edith was an orphan, both par
ents having died before she was four
years old. Her father appointed his
partner, Horace Clark, her guardian,
and from the time the will was read
that very excellent gentleman had
assumed the responsibilities with ad-
mirable promptness and devotion.
Robert Anderson had left well-in-
vested fortune and several valuable
properties to his small daughter,
which included the family mansion,
located two miles from Stamford.
Horace Clark, being unincumbered
by family ties, decided to live with
Edith and exert every effort to sup
ply the loving care of which death
had bereft her. Nor had he failed
in his mission. ~Uncle Horace" was
family and chum combined. Many
of Stamford's inhabitants said he
had sacrificed his life to the little
girl, never taking time enough from
her to select life mate from among
the many ladies who found him in
teresting.
He employed a nurse, who was
supplanted by a governess when her
seventh birthday was celebrated, and
during the summer had made ar
engagements for her to enter school
at Boston.
Edith had led rather an isolated
life, caring only for outdoor sports
and books Uncle Horace and she
had spent many happy hours playing
tennis or riding horseback over the
tree-bordered country roads, but now
that she was to live in house filed
with girls she wondered whether
they would prove congenial.
She reached for the photograph
of Uncle Horace and realized that
this represented her entire collec-
ton of family pictures. What would {,
the other girls think Of her single
picture, when they filed bureau and
mantel with hkenesses of their loved
ones? She never felt the loss of her
parents more keenly than at this mo-
ment.
II she only II she only had had
brothers and sisters or even cousins;
but she was so utterly alone. As
the tears fell on the red-leather
cushion she suddenly remembered
that the craftsman shop promised
to have a table cover to match fin
ished that day, so she decided to call
for it.
An hour later found her gazing
at the display of photographs in the
window of the leading studio. She
examined the contents of her purse,
then entered. Inquiring of the young
lady whether she could purchase du-
plicates of any photograph in the
display and being answered in the
affirmative, she Immediately pro-
ceeded to supply herself with a fam
lily. Selecting a dignifed, aristo-
cratic man for her father and a ;
lovely, queenly woman to represent !
her mother, she chose two pretty !
girls for sisters and a fine, hand
some young man for her elder
brother; nor did she stop until she
had completed the family with a
chubby, laughing baby girl.
Visiting the jewelers., she had the
"father" and mother" pictures
fitted to silver frames, for girls al
ways had their parents framed and
standing on the dresser.
That evening she packed her "fam-
ily," and hungrily devouring with
her eyes each lovely face as it smiled
at her, Edith loved them as if they
truly belonged to her.
A week later she was arranging
the contents of Uncle Horace's box
about her room when the first ava
lanche Of juniors descended upon
her TO pay their formal call on the
fresh"
They admired the Navajo rugs
and Bagdad couch cover. Then Bet
ty Reynolds noticed the array of
family photographs. ''what a good
looking bunch Of people, Your fam
lily, / suppose"
YES" Edith answered. Then she
told Of father" mother" Uncle
Horace; Of her elder sisters, Grace