Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-26
MIRIAM. l1l3 gll33 Romance of Heatherleigh Hall

Allan's painful revcrio by saying: "Ere bit his." At the same time he wiped Q sus- picious moisture from his old eyes and locked the great doors in silence.
 Allan Percival left Heatherleigh as one in a dream. The long, desolate avenue, down which his darling had passed alone in her grief did not seem real to him. The changing of the great gates sounded afar of and even the hum of the carriage wheels on the echoing drive beyond came to his ear as unnatural and deadened. He thought of 1t, and remembered Miriam's horror of the place.
 He paused at Hedge Place, the squire's lovely cottage, and letting him out with many warm adicus, drove mechanically on toward the city.
 Hastings camo Tn view, and he drew a sigh of relief. The simmer of the sea be- yond gave hinNa new impetus, and he smiled. "It won't be so very long uow," he said, waking up, until shall sec her, my own." 7.
 He consulted his watch. ''I have time to get every th,ng attended to in my care and reach London tomorrow; then Q final in- terview with my bankers there, 0 bidding goodbye to few friends, and I'm of on the reacherous waters yonder."
 "Back again!'' Allan cjaculated, as he threw open the door of his lodgings, and entered with hls precious burdens. "Weu, I'm blest if Pm not glad the affair is wind ing up. What great deal grows out of Q little, sometimes, to be sure," he continued, settling himself comfortably in his chair by the table and emptying his pockets of the Heatherleigh find. "If had not met that old lady in the park that clustering autumn day last year, presume I should not have been there again this time.
 HI guess had better Shut the door anh insert the key, lest have auditors"
 With this timely conclusion he fastened the door, and, returning to the table, spread out the contents of the thrce dusty little boxes on the green chintz cover.
 II only wish to sec them a moment" he apologized to a hint of consclence, land Miriam wouldn't care"
 Tho two little ebony cases contained jewels nlso, as well as the more protentlous casket, but whether they were tho property of Miriam or not he had no means of find ing out. They were very costly, however, and must have been prized very much by the happy possesSor, whoever it might have been, Allan drought, ns he held up to the light an cxquisitely wrought bracelet, with little forget-me-nots clustered at the fastening.
 ''These shall be her wedding present from the Hall, he said to hlmself sarcastically. Then he dropped them, shimmering in the light wandering through tho white dimity curtain, as if they had been serpcnts.
 ''What If they carry tho malediction of our internal old ancestor" he questioned, half aghast at the mentalsuggestion; 'cvery thing about the cursed place, I verify be- lieve, bears tho brand and feels the taint! came near losing my senses under the baleful influence myself, and only a few hours there at that. These have lain for years in the desolate gloom, and the prico of a soul may be their cOstv'
 He showed tho shining heap from hlm with gesture of horror, and sat looking at the contents of the third box or case. What ever it was was wrapped in q little silken scarf. Allan reached over and touched 1t gently. "Ohl here Is Q slip of paper at tached to it," he said, growing interested in the delicate package, and suddenly for, getting the glamor of q horrible dread connected in his mind with the ghttering jewels opposite him.
 How his heart throbbed for an instant ns he recognized Miriam's delicate, yet firm writing: My baby curls; Miriam Parci- val"
 ''Oh' he saic, half rapturously, "when she, my darling, was little, care free girl"
 Enrolling the scarf, he held in his palm a long silken ringlet, tied with a bonnie blue ribbon. look of happy satisfaction beamed from his dark eyes. My Miriam's curls," he said, tenderly, "cut from hel dear head before the shadows gathered