Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-10

came into the perfect face. sat watching | her, wrapt in admiration, and hoping that the dawning of brighter hours had come She turned to me with animation, saying:
 "This is pleasant; ;so pleasant and peacefull" l and was glad to answer: "Yes." That was last year, and since then the fuctuating tides of peace and disquietude nave run so often into sea of counter cur rents, ebblng and flowing over that first | great hope, that l am not certain of any thing permanent.
 hesitated great deal before giving her
 the mlsslve thinking that perhaps it might
 not be conducive of any good, but after all l nave done so, and regretted it immediately afterward. l fold up the letter now, wish ing something had happened to it be- lore 1t reached it's destination, or that had | had discretion enough to have foreseen the consequences, and had committed it to the | grate, as might have done, seeing it was addressed to me.
 While am indulging thus in self-con- demnation she comes down stairs, calm enough outwardly, the glossy hair freshly
 brushed, and l doubt not the tear-stains | bathed carefully off the placid face so as not to grieve me. She comes forward and l takes my hands in her two hot ones, looks pleadingly into my face, and makes a strange request, request that sends the blood surglng back to my heart, leaving my cheeks blanched, I am aware, for she pauses, looks troubled and doubtive, and hesitates. But finally she has finished, and l l have promised to grant her desire, al- me thankfully and settled down on the shadow-fecked steps with great sigh of relief regret having done so.
 She knows 1t is my intent to visit Q rela- tive living in the suburbs of Hastings, shortly, and she has asked me 'while there, take little run over beyond Fairlight, and visit Heatherleigh." But that isn't the strange part of her request, though it is all surprising She looked me calmly Tn the eyes and asked me to "bring her portrait away from the fated gallery with me-" How on earth am to accomplish this? At first 1t seems easy enough to me, but on reflection tho undertaking grows stu pendous, and borders on the impossible. I sit very still, revolving the request in my mind, and every moment its magnitude is intensified. But made no sign, and she sits with clasped hands, gazing out at the water, fully confident that will be able to fulfill my promise, and haven't the courage to undeceive her.
 So we sit out the piece of a day talking some but thinking moro until the sun goes down behind the hills, and the shadows grow longer and denser over the carna-
 tions and roses, and reach out darkly for CuO SlcdmluH SdIlu O1 IUc ullcS WDlcl ClSV envelop later.
 Maggie, my little maid of all work, rings
 the tea-bell merrily, then peeps through the
 blinds to sec where we are Having seen
 us, her bright eyes disappear, and know
 she has flown to her kingdom to keep 'the tay proper hot'' until we put in an appear anee, which we do shortly.
 Miriam always say simply Miriam looks satisfied once more. divine the req
 con hoo l1l
 positively in the negative, or rather have determined it for her by my rash promise.
 But how am to beard ''the Douglas in
 his halI' is more than l know, and obtain the elegant portrait of the daughter of the house, because am not to reveal her where abouts-it is her request
 Miriam thinks, however, that am the one all-powerful equation of her life, and sits over there slipping her tea in full con fidence, while choke down my dessert, measure my powers with a broken reed and transform my digits to ciphers.
 The day of my departure arrives. Over against it's fair, promising skies falls shadow. dread to leave Miriam. would so love to take her with me, but the laws of the Medes and Persians are not more irrev- ocable than Miriam's nay. She is to stay here i'll the cottage at Bayview, and see after my affairs, while 1 am to go and en- joy myself As if I could enjoy my visit with that gigantic undertaking supple mented on like thing of evil
 If Heatherleigh was still in it's halcyon days, as when I once visited within it's doors, how differently I should feel about this matter; but I understand evil influ- ences turk in it's long, dark halls, and march through it's desolate corridor since Sir Ruperts demise.
 This is one reason why my little tour comes to mc, in the prospective, like nightmare, and feel terror of it all creep ing into my bravest moments.
 These reports coming to me by letter oc- casionally have never revealed to Miriam, which now is one thing l am thankful for, as have not frightened her by any thing said to me and kept her away thereby.
 am positive, too, that she knows noth- ing of these things, as she gets no news from merrie old England. This, to me, is one ray of relief.
 But am ready, so is my luggage, and I must bid goodbye to Bayview and Miriam She clings to mo, pale and sorrowful. but there is wild, eager questioning in her eyes as she lays her tear-wet cheek against mine. Instinctively, know she is thinking
 of my promise, and l ssy, impulsively: "I will bring your portrait, dear" I don't
 add Eff l can," which, perhaps, ought tc do. but leave the declarative promise in
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