Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-23

sure you were i'll 7
Then she stopped speaking, look
ing with dilated eyes at the open
doorway leading to the little exten>
sion room. The ladies had with
drawn to sofa, where they could
hear all that passed unseen. Pres
emily they heard a low voice, speak
ing with strange, thrilling, notes.
Nathan, tell me, whose picture is
that2'
Il do not know, DEAR
81 wish it would come back. Was it
q dream | had-a picture like that
an old man, my papa lifting me up
to kiss my pretty mamma y
sWait + whispered Lillian, as Mrs.
Arnold would have started forward.
and this room,' Steenie said,
still in the same low tone,
every word slow and distinct;
Il seem to remember this room.
Only, ever there there was q little
white figure they called 'Steenie's
Cupid because 1 played with it;
and | dropped it one day and broke
it,
LILLIAN Lillian no one could
teach a strange child that 7 Mrs.
Arnold sobbed.
And mamma, my pretty mamma,
used to sit here there was a little
table here then, just where your papa
is-Nathan ! Nathan = with a wild,
wailing cry, why have you sent for
me to come here?'
But Nathan could not trust his
voice to speak.
In the open doorway there came q
tall, black-robed figure, and a low,
quivering voice said =
'Steenie, / am your motherl'
But the girl made no glad rush
forward; the shock stunned her, and
she stood white and trembling. Mrs.
Arnold came forward, shaking in
every limb.
'One more test she said to Nathan.
'Steenie, if, indeed, you remember
your old home, tell me what is in that
cabinet in the corner?'
Shells, said Steenie promptly +;
and -and-what was the pretty baby?
your own reflection in the door
mirrors, my child
Then, while mother and child
chung together in one long embrace,
Nathan staggered TO the hall, and fell
helpless upon the wide stairway. His
head dropped upon his folded arms,
his breath came in choking gasps,
while the murmur of voices from
the room he had left told him he
was utterly fogotten in the first &C.
stacy of that meeting between the
long-severed parent and daughter.
They recollected him at last. And
then the last bitter blow fell like a
two-edged sword upon his faithful
heart. For Steenie came to seek
him, Steenie's little hand fell lightly,
and Steenie's voice said -
why, Nathan, what are you doing
here p
And in her voice, all unconscious
to herself, was that fine thread of SUI
periority, that was not pity, was not
patronage, but, clearly as lightning
cleaves space, defined their relative
positions.
L am the young lady of this house,
you are mechanic employed here.
That is what the voice said, and
Nathan understood it. He rose to
his feet, and there was quiet dig
nifty in his manner, as he stretched
out his hand.
we must part now, Steenie,' he
said, and there was nothing in his
hearts agony in his tone.
you will come to see me p she
said, knowing, and ashamed to know,
her relief as he said -
1T will be better not. Ii your
mother will allow you to bid my
mother farewell, it will please her.
Then he passed once more into the
drawing-room.
you are satisfied, Mrs. Arnold p
he asked. 4 have no trinket to show
you, no letters to prove my story ,
only Steenie's memory, and her like.
ness to that picture, guided me, as
they convinced you. You need not
fear that we will annoy you-or your
daughter
But you must allow me to replace
what you have expended for Miss Ar
mold %
A hasty, passionate answer trem.
bled upon Nathan's lips, but he forced
it back.
Il will send her school.bills to you,
it you desire it, he said and, feeling
that his endurance was strained to its
utmost tension, he bowed gravely to
both ladies and went from the house.
Mother, he said, after his story
was told, I'VE will not speak of
Steeniep
And Mrs. Calorost, weeping bitterly,
guessed something of the suffering
that silence was to cover. She knew
how the gravity upon her sons face
deepened, day after day, while his
great noble heart never so1red or
hardened. She saw the silver threads
come prematurely amongst the dark,
waving hair, the lines on the broad
brow grow deeper. But they never
spok of Steenie.
Twice a gayly dressed little but
terfly came to visit Mrs. Calcroft,
elusive in speech, tenderly csressing
in manner F; and then Steenie agreed
with her dear man ma that it was
better to sponge out those seven
years of her life. as far SIS possible.
They were very kind to me, man.
ma, she said, but as you say, they
are not of our own class, and it
would only be embarrassing to keep
up the friendship
Heartless? Well, yes; but heart
less only from want of true applica-
ton of natures deeper, than her
own shallow one.
There was grand wedding two
years later, at Grace Church, the son
of millionaire wedding the beauti-
ful Stephanie Arnold. No one no.
ticed grave, quietIy-dressed man in
the side aisle near the door. VI o sat