Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-15
Romance Of a Hidden Heart.

hard, selfish, grasping man, beloved by
none, and respected only because of his
great wealth. Spite of his power to do
good, the world was none the better for
Richard Steele's existence.
No one in Milford remembered Mr..
Steele as other than the mlser he was to-
day for fifteen years he had been cit
izen of the town. and no change, either
for better or worse, had come over him,
in moral point of view.
His gardens of Ireton Hall were the
finest for scores of miles; the yellow
pears and luscious nectarines mellowed
on its walls, the ungathered grapes pur-
pied on the trellises, and no schoolboy's
daring hands disturbed the ripe treas
ures. Mr.. Steele's great dog, Pluto. was
as selfish as his master, and as savage
as his MASTER and his cruel teeth were
always ready to infict summary punish
| LHOuI VI dIl uSpI0udCoIo'
One quiet afternoon, as Mr.. Steele sat
on the piazza, gazing out on the broad
acres of Ireton, his eye fell on two little
children who were coming down the
road, hand In hand. They arrived in
front of the gardens, and cast wistful
looks at the damask roses which hung
over the quantity carved gate. For a
moment they conversed together in SUBJ
dued voices, and then they turned in at
the lion-guarded gateway. and went
slowly up the avenue.
An angry scOwl contracted the brow
of MIR. Steele at this unwonted intrusion,
and he half arose from his seat as if to
drive away the unwelcome guests. They
were the first children who had ever
dared to trespass on the estate of Ireton
Hall.
They came fearlessly up to the piazza,
still holding each others hands. The
eldest was boy ofperhaps twelve years,
brave, noble little fellow, with brown
eyes, and dark, glossy hair. The other
was girl she could not have been
more than nine summers old, and beau
ty like hers is seldom seen save in some
old, rare picture.
The sight of her face struck strange
thrill to the heart of Richard Steele, and
involuntarily he bent down to look at
her. She was fair as water lily, save
the crimson which tinged her lips, and
leaped at intervals to her white cheeks.
Her eyes were deep and blue, and her
hair like ripples of molten gold touched
by sunbeams. Both the children wore
mourning garments, cheap and coarse,
but neat as human hands could make
them.
The little girl spoke first:
"Please, sir, will you give brother and
me some roses ?''
The tone was musical and sweet as
harp notes, but the rich mans counte-
nance grew hard and cold. He pointed
to the highway.
"Be off !" he exclaimed. 81 do not
raise flowers for beggars."
How the dark eyes of the boy flashed
and he was about to make some sharp
answer, but the pressure of the girls
fingers on his arm checked him.
ave are not beggars," she said, calm.
t ly, "but our mother is dead, and we are
orphans. She loved the roses, and We
love them, too. Please give us one
apiece. 1t will seem so good to smell
flowers once more"
e The hard face did not relax-tht
: long, thin finger still pointed to the
; gate; but the blue-eyed petitioner did
: : not move. She was regarding him with
+ an expression strangely tender and pity
| ing, and it annoyed him worse than any
thing else to be pitied.
"Why do you look at me in tha
= way ?" he demanded, harshly.
= Because l am sorry for you" sh'
said, sweetly. "You are old, and sad
4 and all alone. Where are your children 2
}. IL have none," he answered, and won
u dered at the same time why he did so.
: "None Have you no little girl to ST
on your knee. and call you papa? In
n sure pity you very much p
a "Humph !"
/ "But do Indeed l do 1t must b
i dreadful not to love anybody. Did yo'
= ever have anybody to love you p
; A spasm of pain shot athwart the rig
e id face of Richard Steele, and his tai
J. frame quivered, it might be with agon
y or anger, one could not decide from hi
. words. He pushed the child away.
!, ''Not another word will not listen
i Good heavens that lips like thos
s. should ask me that question p
y Pardon mel didn't mean to hui
your feelings. You loved somebody, an
y. Heaven took her away. Was it you
in sister p
Dc All, yes and memory few back
;. that gentle, fair-haired child who ha
n clung with soft arms to his neck, an
," kissed with warm lips his cheek. H
at little sister May How well he remen
., bered her, as she looked the last time
y saw her face. living cold and calm. lii