Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-08-19
NT FREDERICK COUNTY, MD. THURSDAY, AUGUST 49, 1916

brown like her mothers and her hair
was the same color-and she gave no
promise of looking like this one. If
you'll excuse my saying so, she
couldn't be as handsome!"
"Then-then, who is our Helena?"
demanded Uncle David fiercely.
can impostor!"
Absurd" almost shrieked the three
uncles in concert, and Mrs. Muffet
was allowed to depart under suspend
ed sentence of dismissal until they
could investigate the case Of the
niece whose relationship to them she
had so boldly questioned.
what shall we do?" asked Uncle
Anthony, feebly, when they were alone.
'Let us get the truth" said Uncle
Benjamin firmly.
Sc they went in body into the
garden on their distasteful errand.
They came upon her suddenly at
the turn Ola corner arbor. Jack Ly-
man was with her, and what the
would-be inquisitors saw made them
forget their errand.
The young people did not see the
three anxious old faces-they were
too deeply absorbed in the telling OF
wonderful story whose setting
should always be in rose garden.
Guiltily the granduncles tiptoed
back to the house. 81 will wire the
news to Isabel and ask their con.
sent" whispered Uncle Anthony.
At which his brothers blushed rosy
red, for they knew that meant a
speedy solution Of the problem. 1t
would soon be known to them whether
they had indeed been entertaining
their grandniece or an impostor, as
Mrs. Muffet had charged.
"She Is a dear child, anyway" de-
clared Uncle David grufny, and the
others nodded assent
Uncle Anthony scratched off tele-
gram, of which the others approved:
Helena is quite well and wants
your. consent to her engagement to
Jack Lyman, our particular friend"
1--WE should receive a reply by din.
ner time" said David as he prepared
to take the telegram to the station.
Helena did not make her appear.
ance until half an hour before dinner.
She pleaded a headache, and she
looked quite pale and dropping when
she came down stairs and joined the
waiting trio on the veranda.
Mrs. Strang's telegram arrived al.
most precisely at the same moment.
Uncle Anthony opened it with shak.
ing fingers and read:
Are you crazy? Helena is with
me and i'll with whooping cough, an
absurd ailment for girl of seven.
teen. Will write. Isabel"
Without word the distressed old
man passed the message to David,
who read it in grim silence and then
handed II to Benjamin.
Helena stood before them, her eyes
looking like drowned blue violets In
her pale face.
Il have something to tell you, ALL"
she began with catch in her voice.
Il have told Mr.. Lyman-Jack-and
too, for love you all so dearly!"
What Is It, my dear?" asked Uncle
Anthony compassionately
Helena slipped to her knees and
hid her face in his lap.
~ am not Helena Strang," she con.
fessed tearfully. 81 am quite an
other Helena-Helena Clifton.
have been Mrs. Strang's private secre-
tary for several years. am twenty.
four l never had home. l was
brought up in an orphan asylum and
when l was old enough to go out into
the world l found place in a store
and worked until l could save money
enough to take business course
when l was competent Mrs. Strang
employed me.
when she decided to go to Mon.
treal she gave me six months vaca.
tion-and l had nowhere to 60.
There had been much talk of Helen
coming down to her uncles and 1t
was all arranged, but at the last mo.
ment she decided to go to Canada
with her parents. Before she went,
she proposed this scheme to me and
insisted that l should imperscnate
her as your grandniece.
1T was great temptation to me to
come down here-and-so l came
You know the. rest-and If you want
to send for the police, you may! But
you have been wonderfully kind to
me and l don't believe Helena Strana
could love you more than do! So
there!"
She rose and faced them with tear.
full eyes and trembling lips.
Dear mel" coughed Uncle An.
thony, looking properly distressed
"Humph growled Uncle
David. "a man may have more than
one grandniece, eh, boys? Well, Hell
ena Clifton, I'll adopt you as my niece
here and now! like you" He held
out his arms and Helena promptly &C.
cepted their protection.
Its my turn now," reminded
Uncle Benjamin, rather jealously.
After Helena had cried a little on
each kindly shoulder, and still
blushing divinely, and with pathetic
quaver in her voice, she resumed: Il
have promised to marry Jack Lyman,
uncles. told him all about 1t and he
said 1t didn't matter in the least, so
we are engaged-provided, of course,
you give your consent"
The three old matchmakers looked
very uncertain indeed, but while