The daily gazette., 1883-11-10
Miss Hildreth.
l!!.r.!., r,e.eo.. sponota in ooar oon,!a.a,. y
tConcluded.)

lie wondered II, in0oed, ne was the hero
NJ thofe dreams, II he had ever been 60
happy. The first parting, the first estrange-
me- It, wrung his heart anew, as If they had
haopened only yesterday. What a foolish
thiog their little quarrel looked like to-day,
see by the light Of years aud knowledge
sucb trifie, but with such large results !
Ye he had been the frst to make an over
lure toward reconciliation, thank God II
sbe accepted his overture she was to write
and say so; but no word had como to him in
,eply. What days and hours Of dark sus-
neuso lifted their shadows before HIM how
HE world had seemed bleak and unprotit-
able without her And in a season Of weak
ness, when bis wounded heart could bear no
more, he had accepted the sympathy and
comfort nearest at hand ,and had finally mar
hed Lefty Carew, because abe loved him,
only to wake up one day to ind that he owed
all his happinsss to her. Miss Hildreth
bad indeed answered him, had given Lefty
the letter TO Inail-they had been intimate
friends IN those days, intrusted With each
others heart-beats--a Lefty had detained
the mIssive that would have healed the
breach. How did he know thisY Years
after 1t tumbled out Of q drawer Of old let
lers, and confronted bim with its familiar
address. Miss Carew thought she had se-
cured herself for all time by burning Prue's
letter, but she had tossed the wrong en-.
yelope into the crate. Austin Miller had
lived his sorrow over again after this dis
covery; he had walked with II aud wrested
with it without getting nearer happiness,
and had long ago made up his mind to do
without 1t. But he had thought 1t due TO
Prudence Hildreth TO send her word that
by an accident her letter had come to hand
five years too late; he said nothing OF
aI,o L.. ah. n.
deGce understood all. These memories
had been revived by Prue's hasty note as k
Ing him to forgive the children for breaking
up the pea-hen's nest Her children, too
He was at the point Of carrying the note to
bis lips, when his eyes fell upon his sermon,
"The Mistakes of Christians" and lest this
should be one of them, he threw It into the
waste BASKET. He looked at the clock; he
had been idle two whole hours. "Of what
was lie thinkingi" he asked himself "where
was he drifting an anointed preist, the ex.
ample and counsellor Of sinners p At least
he could go and thank Prue with clear
conscience; as for the children, they were
already In bed, technically speaking, and
having such capital pillow fight that they
agreed to get into mischief every day Of
their lives and be punished.
After that Mr.. Miller often found himself
dropping in, ON one pretext or another, at
The Elms; to ask Miss Prue to play over the
air Of some new psalmody that he might
join in the congregational iuging; TO lend
her the latest volume Of religious thought;
to beg advice about the children, Some
times he came bringing those unruly in
;ants, with their brown hands full of pea
cock fclthers and their hearts full OF impeni-
tcnce. They and the peacock were now the
best of friends; he ate from their hand and
endured their pettlng, which was much like
punishment, with heroism, II he stayed away
they hunted him out and brought him home
IN triumph.
Those children might as well live here, /"
said Jane.
"And their father, toe" added John.
"Not bit of sweetbTead can keep In the
larder; and when they tears their frocks
they goes straight to Miss Prue, and she
mcnds them before Bridget scolds 'em, just
as If they'd be her very own"
"a fine stepmother she'd be making"
Observed John. "They do be saying In the
Village that it's her cap she is setting for the
parson."
THAT ie just the way of the gossips. If
man takes 10 woman it's always she that
Is a-setting of her cap for him. The parson
ought to ask 'em to pick out wife for him
and suit themselves"
money" persisted John, who like fair his
torian, was bound TO state both sides, tan'
that he came here a-purpose to marry her."
"A great deal they knows about 1t, cried
Jane. 81 heerd him tell her, with my own
blessed cars, that when he was called to this
'cre parish he never dreamed that she lived
here. They must hev knowed each other,
you see, when they was young afore Miss
lruc came into her great-uncle's property,
and came to live at the Elms; for hear 'em
talking now and they of folks that don't be-
long hcreabonts. And she says, DO you
remember we went hither and the day We
went yonP And he says, Il remember,
remember, and looks away from her face.
thinks, myself, he must have been an old
beau OF hers. sees 'em together heap,
You know, bringing in the tea things, and
the lamps, and puttering round"
"At the keyhole," laughed John.
And I've never found 'em love making
onet, though l steps quiet like, John, as you
know and 1t isn't like opening door to
push the portiere aside"
1t is true the Miller children were great
deal at The Elms, and gave their father
frequent excuse to follow them; and it is
true there were few congenial souls in the
parish or village, and what so natural as
that he should see more or less OF his
pleasant neighbor, with whom he could
journey back to the past. Indeed, they
never talked of to-day or tomorrow; 1t was
always yesterday whose praises they sang,
whose skies they extolled, whose pleasures
they coveted. He was nothing like lover,
to be sure, except in preferring her society,
and yet 1t was happiness to Prue
10 see him there, to know that he
would come tomorrow. 1t was tow
ard night, and summer day, that Miss Prue
looking out on the lawn, where the shadows
Of the leaves were dancing, saw Mr.. Miller
no unusual sight--coming toward her door.
He had been out of town whole week on
business; Bridget confided to Jane that he
had gone away suddin, after telegraph IN
ayaller wrapper come for him." but he had
been at home several days without darken-
Ing, Or, to express her feelings better ,illumi-
hating Miss Prue's door. Naturally, she
wondered what his errand had been; II he
mad had call to leave the parish; and at
that thought her heart stood still.
You have been away" she said after the
nrst greetings.
Eyes. / hope you did not suffer from
an invasion of young Millers during my a0-
sence"
I'VE met, but we missed you," she ad-
mttcd "I hope your vacation was rest
and recreation to you."
Prue,' he said. ''My wife died suddenly at
the asylum the fifth Of the month"
" Tour wifep' gasped Miss Prue. "YouI
Sile-del-on the fifth of the month
thought-Austin--Mr. Miller-I thought
she had been dead years and yearsW -,
u thought YOU knew" he returned. ~
supposed evaruhodv had heard of. IL: IL Wat