Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-08-07

MIRIAM DOUGLAS.


I'm sorry to interrupt you, SIR;
but the lock on your satchel is broken,
making the things unsafe besides be-
ing a very shabby old bag, sir, beg
cling your pardon" So quoth Eliza,
relict Josiah Minis, the sexton, to her
ledger Rev. julius Byron.
What a bore, exclaimed the
gentleman. when | really haven t
the time to attend to anything but
these letters!'
81 have an euaud which takes me
past Piper and Tlpson's; | could buy
youa new satchel, If you would trust
me. Going among all those fine
people at the wedding with your lock
tied up with a bit OF string wouldn t
do at all, sir ~
Thank yoH, Mrs Minis [ have
great trust in your judgments, and
should be obliged if you would attend
to this matter for me and save my 60
ing INTO town.
As the door closed after his land
lady the Rev julius Byron resumed
his writing with a sigh OF relief. AS
he sat leaning his head on ms olsen
gagged hand-a hand beautiful enough
TO atone for plainness in all other fea-
lures had nature willed him to be
plain Julius Byron was an ideal PIC
lure Of student brown eyes, with a
faraway, dreamy look, hair long
enough to show a tendency TO wave
loosely back from the forehead. and a
pale clear complexion set oil by
golden brown yelvcteen coat, which
he wore when i'm his study. Twenty
nine years old, undeniably handsome,
gifted with winning manners and
shepherd Of a flock most willing to be
guided julius Byron. as If by mir
acle, had escaped being spoiled and
petted into eItelninacy His safe
guard lay perhaps in a pair of soft
eyes which held him spell-bound for
a few rapturous weeks, and the witch
cry of which had lasted over three
years Of almost total separation.
Miriam Douglas, dispensing tea
and ginger bread to a horde of char
ity children IN the park at Mount
Edgecombe, was one of the prettlest
and daintiest of modern Hebe., in a
muslin dress in c0lors matching for
getme-nots and her eyes equally well,
and with roses at her waist and throat
which stole their delicate tint from
her checks. Miriam was seventeen
that day, and the blue muslin was
her first long dress; to this the little
lassie paid far more attention than to
the admlrlng gaze of two dreamy
brown eyes After the feast there
were offerings of flowers, good wishes
and rather too many kisses from the
charity children; and, among her
other trophies, Miriam Douglas car
ried away the heart Of the Rev. Jul
Illus Byron. Had She known this, it
would have affected her less than the
consciousness that the Barclay girls,
her former playm&tes, We're enyiously
adm;ring the grown-up womanish ar
rangement Of her bright silky hair.
There were few tennis parties and
o'clock teas after this, during which
Mr. Byron worshipped his divinity
from affair She seemed a little in
awe of him audrareiy spoke with him
more than five minutes ut time
What a delightful task it would he to
chase away the timdity from the soft,
fawn-likc eyes, and how pleasant TO
think that the Sea-shell pink stole to
her cheek from Joy at his approach
Fate, however, cruelty interfered
with Mr.. Byrou's dream of awaken
ing LOVING confidence in the bosom Of
tins bashtul maiden of seventeen. In
three short weeks, before he had made
any perceptible Roadway, Miriam was