The Lincoln County herald., 1869-01-01
,onscious pathos, shook her Armness toe

conscious pathos, shook her Armness too
much.
II must CO." said the child, drearily ;
"oh !! it's so fur and so cold ~.
Sho tried TO rise from tho sofa, but
Mildred pushed her gently back.
"You are going to stay hero tonight" "
she said; take little more soup, and
then you may 40 to sleep"
"Stay here ?" she repeated, wonder.
ingly. "But won't granny Bates como
after me2 She said she'd pound me If l
wasn't back BY night"
"She shall net touch you-l promise
It." returned Mildred.
The child looked at her wearily out Of
her troubled eyes, caught her hand and
pulled her toward her.
Have I gone to heaven 2" she asked
again. "Bs JoU .au angelY"
II will be your good friend if you are
nico little girl and lie quiet" Mildred
said, sitting down beside her and soothed
by her look, tho child sank back among
tho cushions with an expression Of peace
stealing over the misery in her face.
After awhile, Mr.. Leyton won't back to
the library, aud announced that the child
was doing we'll, that Mildred was going
to undress her and have her carried to
bed, and then come back herself to finish
the evening.
While they stood about, wondering aud
talking, o cry went up from the inner
room which startled the whole group.
"Father! fatherv"
1t was Mildred's voice, but so changed,
so sharp, that those young creatures who
had only heard its peaceful accents
scarcely recognized it only the old
father was carried back into the misery
Of their common past by that sound.
He hurried into the dining room.
When the rest reached the door he was
supporting Mildred, her eyes were fixed
upon his face with wild terror, and her
hand pointed toward deep scar on the
chill's arm.
Only IN instant they saw this, then
Mildred struggled into calmness. Mr..
Lcyton went back with the family to the
library, explaining that Mildred had
been frightened by the child's appear =
ancc.
It was unlike Mildred, but no one
could say SO, and before long they oil
went away, wondering and talking among
themselves. Not that they connected
the incident Of the evening with that
but somehow they all remembered there
was mystery somewhee in Miidred's 3
past, which was secret to all except her
father, but it was too vague aud too sa-
cred subject to bo openly discussed,
even among themselves only they all had
vague impression that some time Mil
dred had passed through great sorrow,
and it was that which had brought her
among them again, 80 changed from the
proud, glorious Mildred, whom the older
ones remembered in her girlhood.
All that night Mildred Legion watched
by tho bedside Of the little wandercr, and
in the stiffness of her vigil she registered
q VOW which was faithfully performed, as
all duties were to DO throughout her
whole life.
Then her thoughts went far away from
the child to the memories which had been
called up by Maurice Hadon's visit.
She was glad to reccollect that in the
darkest hours of her humiliation and hel
misery sho had not hated him-glad to
recollect that even in the full tide Of hes
agony, she had been able to sec clearly
enough to understand how he had bccn
driven to the crowning sin Of his youth
by the reckless impulse Of his nature,
very unlike the deliberate way in which
cold. .bloodcd men commit q wrong.
All those things lay years back. Mil.
dred was safe in her home, loved end
cherished by the father who had shared
her trouble from the FIRST, watching her
latest youth fade with feeling of roliei
as its restlessness and pain drifted slowly
away.
She was glad of the impulse which had
made her send for him after all that lapse
of time, and she was confident that the
words she spoke had produced lasting
effect.
More than ten years since they had
stood face to face until that night-neveI
more to meet, unless some exigencies oi
existence should draw them to each Other
for q brief season.
Mildred knew very we'll what his life
had been during those ten years, that dis
sipation and bad habits had worn out the
last promise Of his ill.directed youth
and now he had returned from his for
eign wanderings, and the report whicl
had preceded him Of the difficulties bs
teen him and his wife had grown to b.
tho common theme of conversation amonl
their friends.
Now they were going to part Mildret
had learned this, and it was her reasor
for sending to Maurice Hadeu. Stand
Jog before her, remorseful and humilis
ted, looking back on his wasted life, mar
yelling always at her goodness, aud feel
ing the passionate love Of the olden tim,
burn more hotly, he had given the prom