Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-09-28
Convinced !
Story of a Well Kept
Secret.
By r. A. Mitchell

Georgia plantation. She was spin
ster, and as Queen Elizabeth was mar.
RED to the state so was Miss Deane
married to a girl friend. That friend
had left her some time before to take
her invalid mother to Europe. Letters
Were received from the traveller post
marked Naples, Rome, Florence, Lu,
cerne and other points. The last, re-
ceived from little seacoast town In
England, announced that the writer
would be ut home within few weeks.
While Miss Deane was breakfasting
that morning it was fated that she
should receive the surprise Of her life.
Chloe, an old darky woman who was
born on the plantation, came into the
room carrying basket and exclaimed:
"Fo' de Lawd, Missy Rosa, wha' yo'
s'pose l found on de po'chw
Placing the basket on the table, she
turned down an embroidered blanket
and exposed the face Of a girl baby
that appeared to be three or four weeks
old.
poor dear little motherless child!
exclaimed Miss Deane, bending over
the baby and kissing her
"Wha' yo' t'ink o dat woman who
lef' her baby to some un else? grum-
bled Chloe.
But Miss Deane heard not She was
busy uncovering the child with view
to examining the clothing for a mark
Of identity. The apparel was Of fine
texture, but there was nothing on It to
give a clew.
"Well, Chloe" said Rosamond, I'm
sorry for Its mother, but her loss is our
gain. We will keep It The house won't
be so lonely hereafter"
"Ef yo' do when yo' come to lub 1t
somebody come along and TAX 1t away
from yo' sho."
81 can't help that I can't turn the
little stranger away"
But tickle fate, having brought a JOY,
turned about several days later and
brought a sorrow. A letter came an
nouncing the death Of Miss Deane's
bosom friend. 1t was dictated by the
dead girls mother, but was written by
q man. The shock to ROsamond was
severe and was the more intense that
she had expected any day to receive
word that her friend had arrived In
America. For a time she forgot the
little girl who had come to her In her
grief; then suddenly 1t occurred to her
that the child had been sent by Provi-
dence as q compensation for her loss
Taking the little one in her arms, she
covered her with kisses.
In due time letter was received,
written in the same hand as the first
and signed Edward Warick, stating
that the mother had survived the
daughter but a few days and both
would be buried in England. This was
q disappointment to Rosamond, who
had hoped for the satisfaction of at
least keeping her friends grave green.
The clothes In which the founding
had been received were put away that
they might possibly serve as an iden-
tifcation In the future. Chloe was In
stalled as nurse. Miss Deane acted as
mother Months passed without any
intimation as to the baby's parentage,
and what was at first desired came to
be dreaded. BY the time little Wlni-
fred, as her foster mother named her,
reached the age Of six months she had
so completely wound herself around
the heart Of Rosamond Deane and
Chloe that any one appearing to claim
her would have been regarded as an
enemy.
When Winifred was eighteen months
old her foster mother received letter
postmarked Philadelphia that aston
ished her. 1t was written In mans
hand, and an attempt seemed to have
been made to disguise 1t. 1t stated
that q child had been left at Miss
Deane's plantation whose identity at
the time could not be divulged with
out causing serious trouble. A change
had come In the situation owing to
the demise of the child's grandfather
A check for 81, 800 was inclosed as pay
ment for what had been expended on
the child and more would from time
to time be forthcoming. This was all
the information contained In the letter
except that the baby had been born in
wedlock.
"Wha' tole yo', missyT cried old
Chloe when the contents Of this letter
were made known to her. Mex ting
some fine lady or gemmep come down
with kerriage and carry de baby off,"
"Heavensw exclaimed Miss Deane,
shocked at the mere prospect Of such
an event.
From this time Winifred's foster
mother and nurse lived in state Of
anxiety. An envelope came once a
month containing a check for 500.
The envelopes were addressed in dif-
ferent hands and were postmarked
from different places, mostly abroad.
Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Munich seemed
to be the abiding places Of the sender,
though one or two had been mailed In
America. One day letter came, evi-
IDENTITY from the person who sent the
checks, as follows:
1t has been suggested to me that pos
sible taking away from you Of the child
left in your care may be narrowing to
you. therefore take this means Of as
suring you that she will not be removed
from you without your consent.
"Ennybody know fool man wrote
dat letter." grumbled Chloe. He
hadn't sense enough to know ef one
took de chile In one wouldn't want to
glib her up"
You're right Chloe" replied Rosa
mond. Some woman In his confidence
has told him how unjust he was to US
to keep us In a state Of anxiety. It's
pity he did not think Of It himself
when he wrote the first note. 1 wonder
II he is any relation to WinifredT
Like enough he de fadder. He mus
be mighty mean to keep de baby away
from de mudder."
I'VE are completely in the dark about
the matter, Chloe" replied Rosamond
land there Is no use In our speculatinG
about 1t. expect, however, that some
day it will be explained. Winnie Is
evidently the daughter Of parents Of
the upper social strata. At any rate
whoever Is sending us money for hel