The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-04-13
A Restoration
By BARBARA PHlPPs

When l was a girl of twelve l one
day looked in a mirror and was struck
with the difference between my APP
pearance and that Of my brothers and
sisters. While they resembled n IN
other. l looked like none Of them.
Their hair and eyes We're black; mine
was auburn. They were stocky of fig
ure; / vas taller than any of them
and 1.-THE. Besides these differences.
their faces unrcfined; mine. I 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 l was
fourteen my mother, who was us differ
ent from me as the others. told me that
l must earn by own living. At the
same time she confessed that she was
not my mother. She said that when !
was a baby I had been given to her to
be taken care of, and up to that time 4
certain sum of money had been paid
her regularly for my keep and Il Slc
ciic amount to be spent on my clothes
These payments had been stopped. an
this was why l must shift for myself.
Since the day I looked in the glass
and discovered the difference between
me and the others of the family l .vaA
ually lost whatever of affection | l.la
felt for them. When therefore ,iip
whom I had supposed to be my mot'is.
informed me that / must earn G,y owu
living I was content to leave thc.n. !
found a position as nursenlaid for \
little boy two years old and lived in tn
house where I was employed.
The mother of my charge was kind
to me, and one day l told her my story
She was very sympathetic and ted me
that my experience. together with my
appearance and a native refinement
there was in me. led her to believe ,i.at
I 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 l spoke Of trying to find them
she said that it would be like hunting
for a needle in a 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 I believe I should have
made an effort to find those of my own
flesh and blood. though I don't know
how I could have made a beginning.
As it was, l was obliged to be content
with my lot. The only objection to it
"a that I had a feeling In me that l
had been born in a higher sphere than
that Of nursemaid.
One day when I was seventeen years
old my supposed mother came to see
me and told me. that a 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 it 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 I do for
you. Here is a note for $4,000, due
when you come Of age, a year from
now. If you will sign it I will not only
return you to your parents, but win
furnish the evidence that you are their
child"
T rofnrrod thu rnot%o, 81 %ho %o<ho,
Of my charge, and he said that it seem
ed best that I should signsit I being a
minor, it would not be legal anyway.
l signed the note, and the same day
the woman drove with me to a hand
some house, and on entering I was re-
ceived by a lady who took me in her
arms and wept W me. l had become
used to noticing my appearance in con-
trast with those of my own supposed
station, and no sooner did I see this
lady than I 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 alb
jure his wife, and 1, when born, was
hustled OF without its being known to
my grandparents that my mother had
| been married or l born to her. My
parents agreed to all this, expecting
! that it would be temporary. But my
grandparents were relentless, and my
parents. becoming poorer and poorer,
at last were unable to remit my allow.
ance. My grandfather vas finally
taken Ill 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 I had
also been forced to pay the same