The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-07-03
(copyrlght. 1919. by the Western News-
yttji' paper Union.)
bvIEssIE ETHEL sHERWIN


With her fair. expressive lace anu Wln~
ming manner, she was worthy Of inter-
ested attention, put she in no way en-
couraged 1t and her secret was her
own.
Miss Radcliffe was Il great lover OF
animal pets. At the first she kept two
beautiful col!ies, but one was poisoned
and the other run over by wagon. A
handsome high-bred cat was next
adopted, but some one stole the animal
and it's successor was short-lived.
"Well, what do you thlnk?" exclaim-
ed q neighbor to the next-door. resi-
dent. Miss Radcliffe has a new pet
baby!" :...'.
For mercy's sake! Whose?"
Nobody knows. She went away
Monday and came back Wednesday
with the child-a little girl about two
years old"
'There's mystery here, and ro-
NANCE" was darkly suggested; but
the gosslps got no further with their
surmises and curiosity. Miss Rad
cliffe engaged a nurse and the little
child became the object Of her tender
care. Then Miss Radcliffe was report
ed going to distance Oh the train
each week. Finally there was an ex-
planauon; A visiting relative Of q
Mrs. Rose happened to see Miss Rad
cliffe pass the house. $50
''Why, Il know that LADY," he de-
clared; ashes the one who bought
place TITLED the Hermitage. -
A, few weeks later Mas Radcliffe,
the baby, nurse and the servants left
Grayvilie for good and took possession
of their new island home. About a
month later the man VINO had spoken
Of the Hermitage revisited GRANVILLE.
"Well. those Radcliffe folks have set.
tied down at the Hermitage" he said,
and ,1tst IA secret and exclusive -
ever: They've taken In a new MEM
her Of the family-a woman. The doc
tor goes there regularly to Sttend her
and ~, hear that she Is out Of her
mind"'','
"What a mixup!" wes the vigorous
comment. .-,.-....
> II wxa Indeed a "mixup" to ali save
Miss Radcliffe. What u story she
could have told, II 50 inclined! What
heart history, tender, sad, Involving
disappointment, sacrifice and the full.
fillment Of duty grandly, unselflshly
and sincerely! Eleanor Radcliffe had
mourned when Warren Lee had mar
rietl: Esther Vale. Th0p she had re-
moved to GRANVILLE. Later she learned
that, the woman he had married had
become "A frivolous, waSward woman,
who4at 3xtravagance had driven him to
use money placed in his trust. He had
been prosecuted and sentence. to .
term In u penal institution. Eleanor
learned that his wife had become IN.
sane and their little one was left to
the cold charity Of tho world. A
mighty impulse had swayed her. She
had gone after the child. and then the
af1lction Of the demented wife. too,
appealed to her and she had assumed
q new burden.
For over a year Eleanor Radcliffe
devoted her life to little Leila and hea
invalid mother. Gradually the woman
faded away. The only letter Eleanor
had ever written to Lee was waiting
for. him the day he was released from
prison. It babe him come to ~6iends
ut the Hermitage" He was electrihed
when he was shown into the presence
Of his first love. His head bent low,
his tears fell as he listened to the
plain, clear story Of all that Eleanor
had done for him and his wifi" and
child. He was too broken down tc
speak. Oh, how she must have loved
him. Suddenly the nurse entered the
room.
"AIiss Radcliffe" she spoke. In hel
trained, subdued way. Mrs. Lee has
passed away
To his dead wife and his child e.
eanor left the crushed husband and
father.!!tf!She removed to the town
hotel. Thither at the end Of the week
came Warren Lee. He was like a be-
Ing dumbed by conception Of the
service Of this peerless being.
"You are to have the Hermitage fol
your own and for little Leila" she told
him. until you are strong enough
again to face the world, you must al
low me to be your friend"
"And your" he quavered.
twill be happy in knowing that
you will nobly redeem the past.
shall 20 back to my lonely life, regret
ting little Leila, but oh! Infinitely glad
that I have helped you and yours"
He sought her out six months later
A relative had placed him once more
on his feet financially. Little Leils
was, with him. 1t was while she was
clipeing to her dear aunty." that War
rem asked Eleanor to bless them with
her coAkinnal presence. There wat
the surety OF fidelity and devotion ir
the future. and the woman who ha<
faced dnty, and sacrifice like heroine
weaksu46 like q woman and could ~
tacs another parting.