Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-15

grandfather, her last remaining rela-
tive, she simply disappeared with the
fortune the old man had left her. be.
cause he could not carry it in his grasp
ing. miserly hands into the other
world.
That was just after May and had
had our bitter lovers quarrel; and
when came back to the old village to
look for her, she had vanished. And
| now to find her asain-not nv Nav.
but this child's mother.
could not bring myself TO question
the child about her father. She had a
bit of black ribbon tied round her
| straw hat.
dared not even think of it. l tried
not to think at all, while she drew me
gally on, her feet dancing over the
rough ways Of the dingy streets, up
which she turned. as her bright eyes
were dancing over the fragrant bios
SONS heaped up in her pinafOre.
UP the dingy street, up and up the
dark staircase Of dlngier house to the
very garret floor. Surely it could never
be May Elllston, the heiress, lodged SO
high as thisI
Little MotherI''
There was slender figure In black
STOPPING over a long, white seam over
her knee.
1t must have teen the sun that shone
full on the window where she sat which
dazzied me. for seemed to see a halo
shining round the dropping golden
head, that never lifted though Mays
voice-it tCas Mays voice, faltering
with the sound of tears in Unanswered
the child.
my little BERTHE back again already?
Why, you couldn't have got as far as
the park, darling; and it would have
done you good to play there in the SUM-
shine. Did dolly get tired and want
to get homer"
She was stitching away so busily
that she never glanced round.
wait, darling; am just finishing.
Then We'll go out together and take
all this work home, and if they pay us
this time"-this in a lower tone
'we'n get nice dinner that will make
up for the breakfast"
Little Mother, see!"
The child had slipped behind her,
and was showering down the fragrant
blossoms over her shoulder into her lap.
"White lilacsI'
1t was with wild sob In her voice
that May cried out, and she gathered
up the fragrant lilacs and buried her
face in them.
When she lifted her face they were
all shining and wet, but not with dew.
And when she lifted her wet eyes, it
was straight into mine that they
looked.
Slowly she yielded her hand into
mine, outstretched for it.
'Donaldl After all these years
And changes"
after that first impulse to draw her to
me, to claim her in spite of everything
that had come between, came the re-
vulSiOn.
l looked down at her black dress,
and seemed to see, under the mock
Ing heap of flowers, and the coarse.
white work, the little left hand with
the weddIng-ring upon it.
No, l couldn't forget that she had
forgotten-that she had given herself
to some other mani l touched fold
of the black dress. letting go her hand.
"He is dead, May?" said.
She gave a startled glance at the
child, pressed against her knee, alb
sorbed in punching the flowers TO-
gether.
"Yes, he is dead"
And then, very softly, lifting up her
lovely eyes to mt:
''lf you know so much as that of
him, Donald, it is likely you know all.
But let his memory rest; he was sorry
enough at the last"
Sorry But first he brought you
down to this. Your fortune"
''Gonel' she said; and with the hand
| had let fall she gently stroked the
golden head of the little one, intent
upon her task, not needing us. "His
child" she said. Donald, when L
parted with my last sovereign for the
simple cross that marks his grave, that
Sacred to the Memory made his
memory ever sacred 10 me. SO let 1t
rest, untouched by any slightest breath
of unkind word"
L looked down into the dropping face
of the girl-my May Queen once; and
suddenly knew that, try to dethrone
her as | might. she was my queen still
and mistress of my fate.
And because Of that stone, sacred
TO his memory" | said bitterly, "be-
cause of that, May. you are going to
send me from you again. more wretched
than when we quarreled and parted,
years agO?"
"Send me from you againP'
Tnere was frightened gasp in the
sweet voice; ard In the blue eyes lifted
to me look that told me 1 might ven
ture to do what thereupon l dld-that
is. 10 catch both of her hands in mine,
to draw her to me, the left hand as
well as the right.
Then, suddenly and sharply.
MAY, what have you done with your
wedding ring?"
"My-weddIng-ring?"
"Oh, see,-aIl the poor, pretty fiow-
ers spilt!" the child broke in, trying to
push US back from the fragrant show
ers living about our feet. "Oh. Little
Mother, see what you have doneP'
| felt the start that went through
and through May. as l still held her In
my arms. Ill
And then she looked up at me, smli-
ing TREMENDOUSLY, blushing ravishingly.
"Ah, now 1 see what Berthe mas
doneI 1t is her Little Mother that
misled you into fancying L could ever
have been false to youi Yes. l am her
Little Mother'-the only mother she
has ever known; for her own mother
lied before she could remember. She
is Door Bertie's child, D. maid"
/ stopped and caught up the little
one rapturously. setting her down
again bewildered and staring, in the
midst of her blossoms.
"BIessings on her pretty facel Ii is
inst what yours was, May, when 1 can
first remember it."
She shook her head.
81 never could have been as pretty as
that she said simply. lowering her
Voice that the child should not near.
.sRut INV brother and were very much