The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-11-06
A Story Of
Heredity
By EUNlcE BLAKE

Mrs. Waterbury employed a maid
who was not only comely. but there
was about her an air Of n to the
manner born. So impressed was
the lady with the belief that Silvia
had good blood in her veins that she
asked the girl to tell her something
about her origin. Silvia refused.
Where did you spend your child
hood?" asked Mrs. Waterbury.
II cannot tell you,' was the reply.
while Silvia hung her head.
Don't you remember your parents?'
Il do not"
"How long have you been in serv-
sce?
1.-TWO years."
Mrs. Waterbury gave up trying to
find her maids antecedents, but she
was not convinced that she had been
born a servant. Silvia's case interest
ed her the more because she reminded
her of a woman she had met when she
was entering society. This Mrs. Mar
shall had been at the time a woman Of
forty and had become a social leader
from the fact of a certain courtliness
there vas about her.
What it was in the servant that re-
minded her of the high bred woman
Mrs. Waterbury could not tell. Mrs.
Marshall had been socially prominent
a quarter Of a century before. Mrs.
Waterbury. who was twenty years her
Junior, had not been intimate with her
and had seen her only at certain func.
lions.
Silvia came to be al important per-
son to her employer other than as a
servant. Arthur Waterbury. the lat
ter's son, came home from college and
had not been in the house a day before
his mother noticed that he had become
engrOssed with her maid. Arthur
struggled against the passion till with
holding expression of it became I'm.
bearable. then confessed it to Silvia
His mother overheard him doing so.
"You were not born a servant" said
Arthur. mo such high bred manner
could come from a plebeian; it is hered'
itary."
81 am a servant and nothing else
Silvia replied.
whatever you are l cannot help low
ing you. I do love you. and you shall
be my wife,"
II will not be your wife, because tt
marry me would deprive you Of thu
social position which is your right
You would always be ashamed Of me
and I would drag you down."
Mrs. Waterbury heard NO more. Sht
said nothing to her son about wha'
she had overheard. but the next day
did all she could to save her o from
a misalliance. She sent the girl ava!
and did not tell Arthur where she hat
gone.
Several months passed. Mrs. Water
bury saw that her o was not thu
same man he had been before he camt
home from college. Ambition had LEFT
him; he took no interest in anything
He had experienced a grand passion
and the breaking with his mate hat
blighted his life.
Then came a cOfncfdenc.:-a chain Of
condolences. If there were nj cOinci
dences there would be no stories.
DR.. Shotwell. Mrs. Waterbury's fam
lily physician. one day drove up to bel
house. rang and vas admitted.
"Why DOCTOR" said the lady. "wha1
brings you? We ure all we'll here
Surely you must have called socially
and are welcome socially"
81 have called to tell you of Il Singh
lar happening"
Let me hear it."
"You remember the pretty maid yor
had here for Il time. have "f"' seer
her here and noticed how n /,
servant she appeared-tha ,...K,
air.
Yes. we all noticed that" interrupt
ed the lady somewhat impatiently.
We'll. on leaving you she at once
found a position in a family | also ut
tend professionally. She is i'll. and
was called in to treat her. In applying
q hot poultice between her shoulder
blades l noticed Il birthmark shaped
something like a Maltese cross. hue
reason to remember that birthmark
for l had attended the mother Of tn,
child who bore it eighteen years be
fore under peculiar circumstances. Th.
woman was the daughter Of a socia
leader. and had not heard that sht
had been married. though l was after
ward furnished with proof that sh.
was. At any rate. the ACCOMPLISHMENT
was secret"
1.-The name Of this family. doctory
Mrs. Waterbury broke in.
MARSHALL"
Marshall: Do you mean to tel
me that Silvia is the granddaughter u
Mrs. James Osgood Marshall. Wit
fourished socially twenty-five year,
agoY
II do. Julia Marshall. the daughter
married ~cIandestinely. There was trou
| 80 S-Nla.. -. ~ :. II 49, -.xa-. -saa.