The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-11-28

At last some one spoke unable to control his

At last some one spoke, unable to control his
goaded curiosity.
"Wellf"
"Well ~ repeated the artfol "Jim.'
"Did you find her ?" was the question that |
now broke from all lips, in gamut OF In |
creasing Impotence.
swered; "bos, if tell You the HdenOament we
shall fall into what we wish to avoid-the
commonplace" :,
sides. Miss Houghton was silent, but she
seemed to hang on his words. He had caicu-
lated on this emotion, the wretch, and was
making the most of bis points!
At last he resumed in q slow, absent way:
"Yes, l accepted the search; 1 made it; l
did all could think of-but failed"
The bomb had burst, but we all felt disap-
peared. This was not commonplace, not even
enough to our minds. O. He had cheated us"
we cried.
al can only tell you the truth; remember
end in wedding, bell-ringipg, and carol
singing. Hark! do you hear the caroliers out
side p
tatively i" I do not mean 10 give it up,
though"
Miss Houghton, who, till now, had said moth
ing, opened small locket attached to one OF
her bracelets, and, keeping her eyes fixed on
"Cousn JIM" passed it to him, saying:
"Did you ever see this face before 7"
He took it up, and looked puzzled mo-" he
We all looked at her if she had been
young lunatic, her interest in the story being
apparently of no very lasting nature: she
hanging lock of which she opened and handed
| to her friend again.
This face you have seen ~ she asked con-
idently.
He started, and rush of color came over his
bropzed cheeks.
ayes. yes, that is the Baron Van Muyden1--
younger, but the same. And here is. his MS
faithful friend.' Miss Houghton :"
eyes," she answered calmly, as if he had
| asked her question.
"Theu what 1 have been looking for for
three years have found to might !" he said,
looking up at her. while We were all stupehed
| and silent
answered in o low voice, 81 have suddenly
| learned to- night"
The carollers were now close under the win
dows and tho words of simple chorus came
| clearly to our hearing
The snow lay on the ground,
When Christ our Lord was born
On Christmas night.
After few moments silence, our curiosity,
like water that has broken through thin ice,
flowed into words again. Many questions and
storm of Explanations rang through the
room. and the conclusion lch that the
Yule logs crashed in two, and broke into race
across the wide hearth, splinters flying to the
side, and sparks flying up the chimney. Then
| MISS dOught0n spoke WIN the marvellous bolI-
| possession of her nature.
| 81 knew my own name and my mothers
from the beginning" she said, and Monsieur
Van Muyden, and the old house, and the
Flemish bonae in the Rue Neuve. remember
them all when o child. 1 used often to sleep
there, and the night before I left Bruges I still
remember playing with the baron's old sword.
remember my mother coming to see me at
school in England, convent school, where
was very happy, and giving me these bracelets.
She told me never to part with them; she said
che would not be with me long. They told me
of her death some months afterwards. The
other portrait is that of my grandfather, given
by him to my mother on her fete day, just be-
fore her marriage, with lock of his hair
hidden behind. She always wore it. n. Van
Muyden's was done for her when was born,
and was meant to be mine some day, as he was
my godfather. The remittapces he spoke of
used to come regularly; but when 1 grew
older, my pride rebelied Gust as he guessed,
you say), aud hated to be dependent on those
who, kind as they were, were not my blood.
relations. ran away from school, and lived
by myself for a long time in poverty, yet not
in absolute need, for worked for my bread,
and worked hard. had great deal to go
through because I dared not refer any one to
the school where had lived. Mrs Burtleigh
was very kind to me; told her my story, as
far as knew it, and somehow she found out
that we were cousins through my father; so
she made me take her maiden name, Houghton,
instead of the one had adopted before She,
of course, thought as did, that the child of
the disinherited Marie Duneombe and the un-
AaPpy E1uBloumouI my poOE labuoTs COulu 10
naug ht but beggar. She was kindness itself
to me, and, though was too proud to accept
all she offered me, did accept her companion
ship and her home. Many little industries of
my own, pleasant now because no longer i'm.
peratively necessary, help me to support my.
self, as far as pecuniary support can be called
gift prize most"
She stopped, and Mrs Burtleigh looked up
in inpatient confusion, perhaps conscious that
her feelings and motives had been too mixed
| to warrant such frank. unbouuded gratitude.
"Jim" said nothing, and Miss Houghton seemed
so calm that it was almost difficult to con.
graduate her. She was asked if she had recog
nized herself from the FIRST in the story.
"Yes," she said "I knew it must be me-"
! You took it coolly," some one ventured to
observe.
al have seen too much of the rerer8 de la
medaille to be much excited about this" she
said; but, if she was outwardly calm, her
feelings were certainly aroused, for her strange
eyes had far-away look, and the color came
aud went in her cheek.
} Our friend seemed almost orest-fallen; we