Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-12-23

away into the night she leans her curly
head out of the window, and calls after
him III her sweet voice:
Don't ever try to steal any more !"
! Years afterward, when the child Eva had
grown into a beautiful woman and when
the apples dropped upon her fathers grave,
and the whitewashed house in the orchard
had passed into other hands, she was pre-
sent at brilliant assemhlaXe.
! She was among them, but not OF them;
she was there not TO be amused, but TO
amuse; she was not n guest, but only u
voice.
"Who is she 2"inquired the distinguished
statesman in whose honor the assemblage
! had net.
"Only my governess, answered the vel
vet-robed and diamond-decked hostess.
"But she has wonderful voice, she add
ed, ap1logetically, 80 | had her come in
to sing"
The statesman looked after her with
strange intentness.
"What is her name?" he asked.
Eva, Errom, answered the lady depre-
catingly, as if she thought somehow the
name might be offensive, and should there
fore be spoken apologetiCally.
The gentleman was looking at the black
robed fig Ire of the girl at the piano, whose
wonderful voice was thrilling through the
room, and he made no response for min
ute and at the end of that time he was the
centre of admirers and satellites that were
always eager to gather around him.
Later on, when the marvellous voice was
hushud, and the black -robed form had van
ished, AS was expected, with its sound, the
political star with his circle of satellites was
standing near an open window looking out
upon the tiewery lawn, over which the
moonlight lay like silvery mist. AS he
talked to those about him in his cold, proud
way-for it was said of him, that he was
all brain, but heartless, so far as the tender
passions were cOncerned-he glanced Oc-
casionallY out in the night. And in one of
these glances, perhaps, he saw the figure
moving like a dark shadow among the
trees.
Five minutes afterward he was making
his apologies and adieus TO the regretful
hostess who bewailed the pressing business
which called him away; and then the star
faded from its satellites, and the very walls
seemed TO mourn the light withdrawn.
Miss Errom, the governess, wandering
alone over the lawn, hearing step behind
her, turned to find the star shining upon
her obscurity.
He stood before her in the moonlight
with his barred head bowed in a kind of
rcverential manner that bewildered her.
After a startled moment in which she had
involuntarily halted, she bent her head
slightly in acknowledgment of his ispresence,
and was about to pass on.
"Pardon me, Miss Errom," he said de-
tanning her with a gesture; 81 have follow
ed you here tonight, driven by the remenl-
brance, which has never for an hour left
me, of the great debt of gratitude | owe
you"
"You owe me no Acknowledgements
she said, interrupting him, and speaking
coldly, while she drew her slight form up
haughtily, in the moonlight II my mu-
sic has entertained you, have given it be-
cause l was hired to do 50. am a paid
governess in the house and of my own free
will would not have entered the parlOrs to-
night" and with naughty inclination of
the head, she again made movement to
pass on, and again he detained her by an
| almost mploring gesture.
Miss Errom, he said, II beg that you
will not mlsconstrue my motives in seeking
you to- night. have sought you for five
years, 'and he looked steadily into her face,
as she stared in a kind of dumb bewiidcr-
ment at him.
"Whatever l am-whatever may be Of
good, under God, owe to you"
His voice was low and vibrating, and he
stood, as he had stood throughout the inter
view, in reverential attitude before her,
with the moonlight silvering his bowed
head
Il don't understand what you are say
ing, she stammered.
Probably not, he responded. 'The
little drama in which you took part with
me years ago, and which lifted me out of
darkness into light-out of vice into virtue
would naturally make deeper impress
sion upon me than upon you, a little
child"
Still she stared in dumb bcwiderment at
him.
He reached up and drew from his bosom
a strip of narrow, faded blue ribbon, en-
which cleaned small gold coin.
''Do you remember this?" he asked,
holding it towards her.
She stared from it to him, and q faint
recollection seemed struggling into her
| face.
Il don't know" she said confusedly.
81 seem to remember something about a
gold dollar which gave to"
Exactly" he said, (which you gave to
| Yn16pi0bt roIhor II hoc bpan my toi1C-
man ever sInCe.' And he touched il rev.
erently with his lips, and replaced it in
his bosom.
''But how. Where did YOU get 1t p
she asked, in amazement.
1t was to me you gave 1t, " he answered.
"And you were" she commenced, and
halted in the speech, working her fingers
nervously together.
81 was the would~be-rob he said,
'fand but for you, would now be filling a
felon's cell or felon's grave" and he
dropped before her as before a presence
not of this earth.
For full five minutes he remained stand
Ing silent and bowed before her, while she
stared at him with the ebewilderment slowly
passing out of her face. When she spoke
it was in her own natural tones, unbrOken
by embarrassment
at has been dead secret, as it were, "
she said gently, sail these years. Let it
remain SC"
From that evening for several months
the yelvet-robed and diamond -decked host
ess of the stately mansion became the en-
We'd of all the other aspIrants to the states
|