The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-01-28
TOUCHING A
CONSCIENCE
How a Crime Was Robbed
of Its Reward.
By OUNCE BLAKE
s.*.** 49,. ]. .s..&..s *+*.

David Herrick and his wife had no
children, and as they were growing
old they decided to adopt some one to
lie with them while they lived and to
enjoy after their death a snug prop
erty they had accumulated. There were
two persons from whom they were dis
posed to select this companion and
heir, the one Julia Andrews, the daugh-
ter of a sister of Mr. Herrick; the 9th
er Kate Armitage, a girl who had at
times been employed by them for va
rious purposes.
Mrs Herrick let out the secret Of
their intention to a friend who told
it to Kate Armitage. The consequence
was that when Julia Andrews was
chosen Kate was much chagrined.
Quite likely, if she had not received
the information given her, this story
would never have been written.
Julia Andrews was a lovely girl, very
sensitive and high spirited. She en-
tered upon her life as companion for
her uncle and aunt and resolved to do
all she could for their happiness. Not
in her favor.
Kate Armitage found it impossible to
relinquish not only the comfortable
home, but the fortune, that would have
been hers had the decision been in her
favor and resolved to make an effort
to GUST her successful rival that she
might step into her place. When a
person is determined to ruin another,
if the work is properly planned and
without any regard whatever to truth
- justice, in many cases the effort will
be successful.
Kate Armitage's first object was to
get possession of a specimen of the
handwriting of the girl she was de-
sirous of supplanting. She wrote Ju-
liza note under an assumed name,
taking care even to disguise her hand,
telling her pitiful story of a sick
mother and lot of starving children
and begging her to send her little
pecuniary assistance. Julia inclosed
a bill in sympathetic letter and
thought no more about the matter.
Not long after this Mrs. Herrck re-
ceived an anonymous letter inclosing
one purporting to have been written
by Julia, in which she said that she
was getting very tired waiting for the
old couple to die, and she wished they
would hurry up. The letter began my
DEAR and ended ''Your loving Julia"
Therefore the identity of the person
to whom it had been written was con-
cealed. The person who sent the let
ter-evidently woman-declared that
she could not bear to see a good wom-
an so basely deceived and had there
fore sent her the proof Of her niece's
ingratitude. a
Mrs. Herrick was naturally very
much shocked. She recognized at once
Julia's handwriting. or supposed she
did, for she did not know that Kate
Armitage had practiced for weeks imi-
tating it. and it seemed to her that
there was no question as to her niece's
guilt. Her husband was not at home
then, and she could not wait till he re-
turned to charge Julia with her base
ness. Julia, who did not suppose she
had an enemy in the world, was thun-
derstruck. She denied having written
the letter, and when her aunt called
upon her for proof of the fact, yielding
to her sensitive. high strung nature.
she walked out Of the room, put on her
wraps and left the house.
When Mr.. Herrick returned and
learned what had occurred he was not
so disposed as was his wife to believe
in his niece's guilt He explained to
his wife that the law was full of Pc
culiar checks that were intended to
protect persons accused of crime, not
only from false evidence. but from the
taking of steps calculated to place
them in false positions. He therefore
advocated recalling Julia and hearing
what she had to say in her defense.
His wife opposed this because, she
maintained, Julia. had acknowledged
her guilt by going away.
Having failed in their first effort to
get some one to be comfort to them
and inherit their property, they decid-
ed to make another trial in the person
Of Kate Armitage. She was asked by
Mrs. Herrfck to conference which
resulted in her being invited to live
with the couple on trial She quickly
assented and became member of the
family. She proved more satisfactory
than Julia as helper, because what
Julia had done for her aunt and uncle
from choice Kate did to make herself
solid with those from whom she hoped
to inherit fortune. Nevertheless
there Is a difference between true and
false affection which appears at times.
for it is different matter for the
pretender to keep up the pretense. Mr..
Herrick regretted his niece and failed
to take any interest in Kate Armitage.
Kate proving eminently satisfactory
to Mrs Herrick. the old couple decid.
ed to make a will in her favor Mr..
Herrick had accumulated the property.
and he willed the property to his wife.
who made will in favor of Kate.
The attorney who drew these wills
recommended certain restrictions. If
Mrs Hnrriok should I,n I7;col,Jo f,oro