The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-06-16
A Restoration
By BARBARA PF1lPPS

pedrduCe anu lnul VI lily DlolhSio "A
sisters. While they resembled one an
other, | looked like none Of them.
Their hair and eyes were black; mine
was auburn. They were stocky Of fig
ure; | was taller than any of them
and 1.-the. Besides these differences,
their faces were unrefined; mine, was
pleased to notice. was rather pretty.
was also better dressed than they.
1t did not exactly occur to me that l
had been born of other parents, but
from that time l began to suspect that
there was something in me different
from what was in them. When | was
fourteen my mother, who was as differ
ent from me as the others, told me that
| must earn by own living. At the
same time she confessed that she was
not my mother. She said that when l
was a baby had been given to her to
be taken care Of, and up to that time
certain sum of money had been paid
her regularly for my keep and spe-
cific amount TO be spent on my clothes.
These payments had been stopped and
this was why l must shift for myself.
Since the day looked In the glass
and discovered the difference between
me and the others of the family l grad
ually lost whatever of affection | had
felt for them. When therefore she
whom l had supposed to be my mother
informed me that must earn my own
living | was content to leave them. l
found q position as nursemaid for
little boy two years old and lived in the
house where l was employed.
The mother of my charge was kind
to me, and one day told her my story.
She was very sympathetic and told me
that my experience, together with my
appearance and native refinement
there was in me, led her to believe that
| was the child of persons of the upper
class This is all she said to me. |
wondered if she would not offer to help
me find my parents, but she did not.
When | spoke Of trying to find them
she said that it would be like hunting
for a needle in haystack, especially
since they did not wish to be found
Were this not so they would seek me.
The fact that my allowance had been
cut off was especially discouraging.
Had it not been for this last men
toned fact | believe | should have
made an effort to find those of my own
flesh and blood, though | don't know
how | could have made a beginning.
AS it was, was obliged to be content
with my lot. The only objection to it
was that | had a feeling in me that |
had been born in a higher sphere than
that of nursemaid.
One day when l was seventeen years
old my supposed mother came to see
me and told me that great change
had taken place with regard to me
She was commissioned to take me to
my parents.
But" she said, they don't know
where you are, and 1t depends upon
me whether you reach them or not. If
you go to them you will be rich and
can afford to pay me for what | do for
you. Here is note for $4,000, due
when you come of age, a year from
now. If you will sign it ! will not only
return you to your parents, but will
furnish the evidence that you are their
child"
l referred the matter to the father
of my charge, and he said that it seem
ed best that | should sign it. | being
minor, it would not be legal anyway.
| signed the note, and the same day
the woman drove with me to a hand
some house, and on entering | was re-
ceived by lady who took me in her
arms and wept over me. had become
used to noticing my appearance in con-
trast with those Of my own supposed
station, and no sooner did | see this
lady than l knew by my resemblance
to her that she was my mother Her
hair and mine were the same shade Of
auburn.
Later a gentleman came and took me
ON his lap and caresSed me. He was
my father.
1t was many years before l got all |
the reasons for my having been put in
charge of the family with whom l
grew up, My father made a clandes-
tine marriage with one TO whom his |
parents were opposed. Soon after / |
was born my father consented to abb
jure his wife, and l, when born, was
hustled off without its being known to |
my grandparents that my mother had !
been married or | born to her. My |
parents agreed to all this, expecting
that it would be temporary. But my
grandparents We're relentless, and my
parents, becoming poorer and poorer,
at last We're unable to remit my allow
ance. My grandfather was finally
taken i'll and on his deathbed relent.
ed. He had left his money to charity,
but at the last moment changed his
will, leaving the property to his son.
Immediately after his death my par
ents sought me. 1t turned out that my
supposed mother had received $4,000
for my return. The fact that / had
also been forced to pay the same
amount was not pleasing to my father,
and he threatened to prosecute the wo-
man for fraudulent conduct unless she
the note l had signed.
This she did.