Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-10-24
MIRIAM.
TlG Romance Of HeatlGPlGigh Hail.
By MANDA L. CROKER.
CoPYRIGHT, 1889.
CHAPTER XIX.

We left the inmates of Heatherleigh Hal
terrified over the PROSTATE form of the mas
ter But he was not dead, as Peggy sup
posed; only dazed and stunned. After re
lighting the tapers they carried Sir Rupert
to his apartments, where he revived pres
emily, Marcia declaring in an aside to the
coachman that "he had the lives of cat OF
he would have been dead and buried long
ago, as became him.
They stayed with him until the thunder.
storm had spent its fury and swayed away
in the distance with low, sullen roar. By
that time Sir Rupert had gained his usua
quiet demeanor and was sinking into slum
Der.
1t was now nearly morning, and the warn
ing of chanticleer notified them of daybreak
And, as Peggy said, ''she niver was KNOWN
Ov the tonne whin the masther didn't kape
awake an tearin' around like possessed
until there was no tonne left for any one oy
them TO schlape 'ceptin' himself"
But there shortly came time when the
master did not even ''tear round" In the
Silly sweet weather another step'toward the
long, long home was indicated In those
days Sir Rupert did nothing but lie on the
couch and stare aimlessly at the frescoed
ceiling.
These days were days of comparative
peace at the Hall and the servants were
left to their own sweet win pretty much.
Sometimes the clergyman of Fairhght
Church, an old friend of the masters, came
in by request and read to him for hours
sometimes the servants kept Sir Rupert
company, and whiled away the hours in his
rooms to please his childish fancies.
One afternoon after the rector had taken
his departure, an unusual silence pervaded
the Hall, as if the house hung wavering in
the balance of some terrible destiny.
Sir Rupert broke the gloomy spell BY
sending summons for Ancil Clarkson,
who was busy in the garden And when
that broad-shouldered son of Erin made his
appearance, hat in hand, he was electrified
by seeing his master walking about his
apartments. "Seel' said he, 81 am much
better this afternoon, Ancil, therefore !
must go downstairs, and want you to as
sist me in descending"
so the willing servant, ready to crafty
his masters strange wish, almost carried
him down the long flights of stairs and
through the central hall until the front en-
trance was reached.
The wish TO be downstairs was not so
strange to Ancil as for the idea to get into
Sir Rupert's head that he was able to en-
dure it.
Nevertheless, he was down at last, and
placing him in his long-unused rolling chair,
which had kept lonely vigil behind the door
for months, Ancil wheeled him out on the
steps, and, reclining peacefully, Sir Rupert
watched with a half-smile the waning
light Of another summers day.
The lovely English creepers nodded in
the bright soft air of midsummer, and
dropped in sweet profusion from the wealth
er-stained colonnade; and the birds twit-
tered sleepy songs in the shadowy fastness-
es OF the hoary elms, but Sir Rupert seemed
not to sec He heeded nothing of the peace
full present, nor even noticed the patient
Ancil, who, leaning against a column,
watched his masters countenance and
waited further orders.
No; Sir Rupert saw none OF these; he
was locking beyond, 20 the open space :.
where Miriam sloud once with outstretched
arms; toward this spot he only cared to-
gaze. And he had said "go;n had forbade
her coming across the threshold; the
threshold now so desolatei
Some way the golden shafts Of Pickering
sunlight falling slanting through the dark
crowns OF the elnas seemed to him to-day
like golden baby curls, and the dark, hover
ing shadows nearer still put him so much
in mind of Miriam's dress The somber
Grape fell down into folds like that when
she babe him goodbye" That last, last
goodbye.
He clutched the arms of his chair in a be
wildered way, and murmured, family: 1T
has been so long, so very long since She
has been here; don't you know il has,
Ancilp
Upon being answered in the affirmative,
he paused q moment and then said: II do
not understand it at all; will she not come
soon now, Ancili' but the servant did not
answer. The cruel words of his master on
that memorable day flashed through his
retentive memory, and he held his peace.
Atthis Sir Rupert grew nervous and dis
appointed Signifying his desire TO go in,
Ancil wheeled him back into the hall.
might go into the gallery 70 see Mir
iamW asked the master, as Ancil pre-
pared TO assist him upstairs. The question
came in a faltering tone, as il coupled with
the fear Of being denied, and Ancil carried
his master thither without word. Steady
ing his trembling limbs on the threshold, Sir
Rupert managed TO walk, unassisted, across
the room. Long and sadly he fingered be-
fore the portrait of his daughter without 9
word. Then he was ready to 90 upstairs
again.
Ancil was thinking, all the way up the
long fight Of steps, If he dared speak to his
master concerning Miriam. What would
| the penalty be should he mention her in
| the connection he desired
| "MssthRr," said he, as he arranged the