The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-29
A Family
Secret
II Came Out Gradually
and Satisfactorily
By ESTHER vANDEvEER

hcu i was Olu cuOuSu W ueSnt q
child to play with me / said to my
mother:
Mamma, why haven't you another
little girl for me to play with?'
She kissed me and told me that I had
a little brother whom l had never
seen, but he was coming home soon
and l would have companion. was
too young to seek for a reason why
this brother, whom she called George.
had never been at home since l had
been born. simply accepted the fact
and rejoiced that l would have a play
mate.
George arrived a couple of days
later. He was several years older
than l. l asked him where he had
been living all the while, and he said
that he supposed he had been with his
mother, but a few days before he
came to us she had told him that she
was not his mother and then was sent
to us.
Whatever explanation Of all these
matters was made to us was called
forth by our childish questions, and
they were answered vaguely. We
looked upon each other as brother and
sister. We lived in a place In the
country where we saw no other chill
dren and when we began to be edu-
Gated were placed in charge of young
woman who taught us the rudiments
and as We grew older had tutors.
When I was ten years old something
occurred that troubled me. A lady
visitor called on my mother. was In
an adjoining room reading story
book and as quiet as mouse.
"Is Clara still ignorant Of the fact
that she is not a Clayton?" asked the
visitor. My mothers name was Clay
ton.
eyes, but she is getting to an age
when we shall find it hard to keep the
secret"
"How about GeorgeT
"He being older than Clara, we may
expect still more difficulty in his case. "
II question it. Boys are not SO Gu
rious about seeming trifles as girls. A
boys mind reaches out to discover
what is going on without-how things
! are made and oil that. A girl is GU
rious about those things which imme.
diately concern her."
was thunderstruck. could scarce
" refrain from running into the other
| ho~pfy, INV RI Y
plain what had heard. But the pres
ence of the visitor restrained me.
would wait till she had gone. l stole
away and upstairs to my room, where
I shut myself in and gave myself up
to all kinds Of Ito mel terrible fore
bodings.
BY this time George had grown old
enough to crave the society of boys
Of his own age and was out playing
ball with some Of his friends. There
fore I did not see him before I had
had conference with mamma. This
was perhaps fortunate. As soon as
the visitor had gone l went to her and
almost with tears in my eyes asked her
what the lady had meant by saying
that l was not Clayton.
Mother was evidently quite put out
| at first, but presently she took me UP
| on to her lap and said:
II will explain this If you will prom
Use to ask me nothing more till you
become eighteen years of age"
I gave reluctant promise, and she
/ continued:
Papa Is not your real father. You
real father died when you were q
baby, and married papa when you
were too young to know anything
about it."
| This was a great shock to me. Re
Numbering how it affected me, have
ever since condemned the bringing W
Of children in ignorance of their true
parentage. After what my mother tolt
me / was curious to know abou
George. Forgetting my promise to ash
no more questions, begged mother t.
tell me about him. She considered fol
awhile, then said:
George must soon know about hi.
case, but not now. l wiA tell yol
about him If you will promise to keel
what say a secret from him for tn,
present"
1 gave the promise, and she con
tinued:
George is not your brother"
1 This was not the shock to me tina
the secret about my papa was. Posi-
bly, this was because Of Georges In
PRODUCTION into the family at a tim,
when l was old enough to take cog
nizance of his coming. Mother con
tinued:
Georges mother and were yer.
dear friends. She died when he wa
two years old, and George was give
In charge of a woman who took ear
of him till he came here. would hav
taken him at the time OF his mother
death, but 1t was then impossible
There had been an arrangement be
tween me and her to that effect. an
carried 1t out as soon as was abb
to do so.''
! Mother paused here for awhile In OF
der. presume, to give me time to &c
somewhat used to what she had fol