The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-11-06


" grandmother, kissing her again ant
again.
Putting him into his mothers arms
the young wife lifted her own baby from
is own cradle and left the room.
In the darkly-furnished library, Mr.
Hepworth was leaning back in his arm
chair.
A light step reused him from his reve
re, and his wife stood before him.
Over her morning dress Of delicate
rose color, that suited well her fresh,
png beauty, fell the long white robes
ofthe infant that she carried with all the
II q of motherhood.
Her husband opened his arms to ca
ress both, and said:
"Oh, these mothers ! Do you suppose,
madame, that babies are admitted into
the sanctums Of legal gentlemen ?"
al do, il the legal gentlemen have an
additional honor of being their papas. -
''Listen to this most conceitcd OF
mothers, comparing legal honors with
the ownership Of little pink roly bolies
like that.
"Did you know, Harold" said Meta,
her lip quivering slightly, as she felt the
deep import Of her words, "this is my
birthday, and you have given me no
gift"
"You are impatient, little wife," he
answered, thinking of the costly baublc
that was to come without fail by noon.
"But / would like to choose my own
giit," she persisted.
"What can give my rosebud tha;
she has not already"
"Does not your Office include the
power of pardon ?" she asked, her sweet
face paling with her earnestness.
"ln limited degree it does" he re-
piled "but dear should not like It to
be known that | had shown clemcncy
to a criminal upon your solicitation
You would be constantly annoyed by
the loving relatives of scamps and
rogues, trying to move me to pity through
your intercession.
'But this is not a case Of roguery,
Harold-only true penitent-one who
erred in extreme youth was led from 4
path Of duty by love as warm and true
as our own, hut mistaken. Oh, dear
husband, do you not know for whom |
plead ? Cannot you guess for whom |
would beg your pity and forgiveness. "
"Clarice," he asked hoarsely "who
has told you Of her ?"
''She has come herself to seek your
forgiveness"
''She is here p
'Yes. You will forgive her ? For the
sake Of your own boy, Harold, let this
be the home for her and Stephen"
"Stephen !" he cried starting.
"Her son. Her husband is dead
She is widowed, poor and lonely
Let her return to your home and your
love, Harold"
There was moment of silence, and
the mother softly carried the strong
right hand Of her husband in her own
until it rested upon the head of the babe
in her arms.
He looked down, and said:
wwill grant your birthday wish, Meta.
Take me to Clarice."
With 4 tender, loving kiss upon the
hand that still rested upon her child's
head, Meta led the way to her own pret.
ty sitting-room where Clarice waited
the result Of her errand.
She waited, with fast throbbing heart
and trembling limbs, for the words that
were to give her sorrowing, lonely heart
peace and rest, or the stern mandate
that would close the doors of home upon
her and her boy forever.
ssHer gratitude could never fail, she
felt sure, for the beautiful woman who
had so lovingly undertaken the Office Of
mediator on her behalf, and the tears
rolled down her cheeks as she thought
Of her stepmother.
As she heard the steps coming across
the wide hall toward the room where
she was seated, her agitation became too
great for patient waiting, and she stood
up, holding her child by the hand, her
breath coming in quick, painting sobs,
her eyes dilated with suspense, and her
whole figure quivering with intense emo
tion.
It was this eager, flushed face that met
the fathers eye as he opened the door
the face Of the child to whom he had
given the entire strength Of his love for
years.
He forgot her waywardness, her alb.
sence.
He remembered only that she was his
only daughter, the child Of his dead
Clarice, and he opened his arms with a
smile that carried love and forgiveness
to the sore heart.
There was glad cry Of
"Father, dear, dear father |"
And they were folded fast in each
others arms, while Meta drew wonder
ing Stephen into an inner room and
closed the door.
Not even for her ears, she felt, were
those first sacred words Of reconcilia-
tion.
1t was notlong that Stephen was with
held from his grandfather's kiss, for
father and daughter alike turned again
to that gentle influence that united them
once more.
The gossips are divided in their opin-
ion as to the exact amount OF hatred and
jealousy existing between the young
widowed daughter and the young wife
at the great house, but it would be quite
beyond the power Of their narrow minds
to understand such true sisterly love as
exists between Clarice Manderson and
Mr.. Hepworth's second wife.
p@-"Sooner or LATER" says French
writer, "everything is found out" Just