Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-03-23


81 must" she answered, infa'ing q
bewi,ehing .oi,nes. into her voice. my
future fate is to be at Cape May next
week"
"Yoar fa,e.'
"The man whom | suppose Am to
many" Miriam added elrsIes,ly.
"Mi. Crs~iek"
"Mr. wylde" 4"
Then I am to understand ,ha, you
have been deeeiving me all this time ?
"Dsceiving you. Mr.. wylde| In.
deed. I am a, los, TO eomprehend--
"S,op. Miriam" the young man 10.
,srrup,ed. speaking in a low. measured
voice, which awed the coque,,e more
than any bur., Of fevid passion or over
pow,rins rage could have done. $50
YOU mean TO tell me tha, you have de-
libsra,sly sn,iesd me 90 all these weeks,
knowing ihA, q, las, you should cas-, me
of s a plsyihing. Of which you bad
grown weary Miriam Creswick, | should
scarcely have believed this Of you :"
Miriam eolor,d scarlet, and tapped her
FOO, indignantly on the hoor.
"lt Was yOar own fault. Mr. wylde.'
"lt ws--and seeep, the eon'equen.
ce. Of IT," be answered calmly. "I
would rather be myself than you. Mi"
Cre.wiek. A disappointed man may ye,
lind some sweet drops in the cup OF life.
but hear,le.s dirt can never wholly re.
spec, herself or be respected by Others ("
Miriam biz her lip. |, was no, such
fun, after all. to be leeiured after this
h,hioa by the man she had be'oolsd 80
delightfully."-. Nor did she resre, the soft
sound Of Constance DAle's football on the
porch floor-a 'ign ,ha, her ,s,e.a.ie,e
was AZ an end.
"One woald really think ] had been
committing a State crime" said Miss
Cre.-iek 20 herself. her cheeks still
blazing and her eyes sparkling IN the
moonlight. "Conny may entertain him
now II she please.-lll have nothing
more to say 10 him."
And altogether /, was q decided relief
when Mis-, Miriam Creswiek and her
trunk. departed for Cape May.
"Hn Mr. Dalton come. Aun,y ? was
her frs, eager question. when she arrived
At the huge, swarming hotel. and began
to unpaek her treasures Of gauEe. Grape
aud la,,rous silk.
eth. morning" Mrs. Cre.wiek an.
.wered, with an air Of self'sa,isfed pride
$50 stylish and di,,ingue be Is. ,oo-'he
hAndsome., man In town, ! ,hink"
Miriam smiled proadly-how long ago
those moonlight evenings At the old Dale
farm seemed to her nov. Poor wy!de
but whl, else could he have expected.
Who can play with edged tools without
inearing the risk Of Gu, fingers
"Do you suppose he'll send up his
card, aunt - she asked. "or wait for .
less formal introduction ?"
Bat Mrs. Creswick could only leave
the answer to this question for fate to
develop.
And il happened that Miss Crswiek
and Mr.. Dalton met tha, very evening.
Miriam WAS standing in the doorway.
a Heecy cloud Of white. with roses In her
hair and eorase, when .udd,nly the
color dsepened .Omswha, In her cheeks.
Aunt" she whispered. hes here"
"He, child. Whom on earth do you
mean'"
"Don't you remember the parson's
nephew. out At Edgedale, thl, ! told
you abou,w
"where,' asked Mrs. Cres~ick. put
ting her gold Eyeglasses to her eyes
Thereby the door See. hes com.
ing this way. Why. Auntie, hes bowins
to you y
But Mrs. Creswick. without hearing
her niece's las, words, rushed forward all
smiles and graeioasness.
$50 happy to meet you. Mr. Dalton
Allow me the pleasure Of presenting you
10 my niece. Miss Creswick.'
"And Miriam found herself involan.
,arily eourte.ying ,o-Mr. Percy wylde!
Aunt Creswick. the Only one who wa.
entirely unconscious. smiled and 'impered
as only q wellseasoned dowager can.
"And when did you arrive from Eu.
rope, Mr.. Dalton p she inquired.
al did no, come directly from Europe.
Mrs. Cre,wiek," the young man answer.
ed with . sligh, smile. "l have been
spending the summer with relative at
E1gedsle.'
Mrs Cres~iek stared.
AT Edsedale Why. Miriam has
been there. I wonder yol didn't NEE,
her."
"I had the pleasure" said Mr.. Dalton,
with . slish, inclination Of his head.
"Miriam T. cried Mrs. Creswiek, "you
never told me-"
"B.cause she herself did no, know.
said Mt. Dalton, smiling. AT Edge
dale I 20 by the name Of Percy wylde,
In adherence to fancy Of my uncle, who
never loved my fathers name or family.
And II Miss Creswick told you anything
about me she should have merely men.
toned me ss one Of those country hearts
|, was her 'pss,ime' to break ere shs
should return TO town"
He bowed. aud turned calmly away,
while Mrs. Creswick Was still In mael'
strom Of perpleIity.
"Niirism, I don't undentand this a
ALL" she cried.
But Miss Creswick did. She under
stood that her own folly had Lost her I
rich husband.
And when Constance Dale maniet
Mr.. Dalton she Was forced to be content
with the very secondary position Of frs
bridesmaid.