Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-03-04
A Secret
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

of five. | being a girl, the rest boys.
Our parents were in comfortable cir
cumstances, and, so far as l knew,
there was no skeleton in the closet to
trouble any one of US.
The day / was eighteen on leaving
the house to do some shopping l was
nccosted by a woman.
Il have been watching for you to
leave your home for two or three
days" she said. please come with
me to lawyers Office in the matter of
n legacy"
l went with her to the office where
she worked and was ushered into the
room of one of the partners. He was
a pleasant looking man and quieted
what misgivings had. He asked me
to wait while he sent for person who
wished to see me, and l was detained
some time. at the end of which an eld-
erly woman came in. She looked at
me curiously for few moments, then
began to speak to me.
81 have communication to make to
you which will probably both trouble
anu DledSt NOu lVu diC NV tiC NhAAA
of your supposed father and mother"
caught at the arm of the chair in
which l was sitting, but presently,
mastering my feelings, nodded to the
woman to proceed. Mrs. Worthington,
your supposed mother. when first mar
ried had trouble with her husband.
He left her, and she, thinking that the
birth of child might heal the breach
and bring him back, applied at
founding asylum for a newborn babe.
A child had been left at my door, and
I had taken steps to have it received
at the home at which Mrs. Worth
ington applied. The result was that
she took the baby that had been left
at my door. You are that child
Again / showed signs of collapse,
but my Impotence to hear more kept
me up.
Several years after this occurred
lady called at my home and told me
that she was the mother of the found
ling whom she had left at my door.
She gave me no information about the
matter except that she was the daugh-
ter Of well to do parents. but had mar
ried against their wishes, and her ia
ther had for time disowned her. In
reply to her inquiries as to what had
become of you told her Of your situa-
ton as the supposed oldest daughter
Of persons of responsibility and that
If you were claimed it might part a
husband and wife, the former not
knowing Of the deception that had
been practiced upon him.
"She left me without telling me what
she would do. Two years ago Mr..
HARDWOOD, the gentleman who is with
us, sent for me and told me that you
had received in trust for you property
valued at 100000, which was to be
yours when you came Of age. He had
been charged to see that you were in
formed of your bequest without any of
the Worthington family knowing any
thing about it He desired me to keep
track of you and when you came to
be eighteen years old to take steps
that you should be informed of all
these facts. Your real mother depos-
tied in this office all the information
about you to enable you to claim the
property"
She ceased to speak, and both she
and the lawyer for awhile left me to
recover from the shock had received
They conversed together, but l had
no idea what they were talking about,
so absorbed was l in the information
7 hod raaniuad oil
greatly distressed. loved my sup
posed father and mother. my brothers
and sisters, just the same as if l were
of the same blood. now had a Sc
cret that only my supposed mother
had. But she did not know that I had
1t. What should I do?
was permitted to digest the matter
so far as could within a brief period
when Mr.. HARDWOOD said to me kindly:
1T is not necessary that you should
come now to a decision as to what
your future course is to be. | would
advise you to think the matter over
before action"
81 have decided just what to do.
shall keep this secret to myself"
The lawyer looked somewhat dis
turbed at this and said that it would
be difficult to inherit my property
without my identity becoming known.
told him that | would resign the
property. / wouldn't have it on any
account. since its possession would
bring trouble on the family of which
was a member.
left the office. but did not return
home for some time. | telephoned
that l would visit a friend with whom
/ was very intimate. When met the
members of the family again | was
prepared to live with them and my Sc
cret 1t did not make any change in
my feelings or my bearing toward my
supposed mother. and she never knew
that l possessed knowledge that
was not her daughter. From time to
time l was asked by the lawyer to
whom my property had been left in