Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-13
MIRIAM.  !,..::.; Romance of HeatlerlGigh Hall

And the housekeeper had, with all the superstitious influence Of her Irish nature, impressed on the susceptible mind of ger mis .ss the weight of tho whitening :.or- row of this woeful legend.
 Yet it had never come to her, after al, as forcibly as when the innocent, upturned face on her agonized bosom proclaimed her the mother of "the eldest child-a daugh- ter"
 Then Lady Pcrcival had shuddcred and wept over the sleeping infant, gathering her closer to her aching heart and wailing: "Ohl my darling! my precious child; my ill fated onel May the kind Father, in His mercy. spare thee from this awful thing-a fathers hatred"
 With her tear-wet check pressed to that of her child Lady Percival could hear the plying tones of tho housekecper once moro as she ended tho recital. "Ahl me Leddy, an Orm sorry for ye's that's niver hear'n tell O the loikes ov this therible thing, that cooms to all ov lem that's born under tho curse. Thim faces what's turned away from ye, ma'am, Is ov thim cz has bin ban ished from the house. They hev to bear it, me Leddy, for there's not ony thing to, sthand forninst an many's the prayer for marcy an' forgiveness ez has coon from broken hearts within these walls, an' niver been listened to, naythur."
 Now, with the hirth of her daughter it all came back so painfully and wildly, that to hcr supersensitive soul it seemed that the trio of reversed faces on the wall of the gallery gazed down in pitying sorrow on the httle form so dear to her mothers heart.
 And Sir Rupert walked the corridors si- lent and glum, little thinking that the del icate flower of a wife knew of the trouble cntailed by the birth of tho daughter. His only comfort lay in the thought that she was bissfully ignorant of 1t all as he paced up and down in an aimless march. But the bitterness of the wormwood he had hoped to keep from her cup had been put to her lips through his reticence in the rudest and most thoughtless manner.
 The season-of gloom ushered in by Miri- am's advent gradually became dispellcd, and the sunlight of happy content shone from Lady Percival's sweet eyes and illu- mined the visage of Sir Rupert as the child grew, beautiful, bright, and above all else, affectionate.
 It was then that hope sprang up in tho bosom of the mother.
 She would watch as the child grew; watchand palliate any dislikes, smooth down any differences which might spring up be- tween the two she loved.
 She, with her great wealth of affection, would avert or at least mollify, any trouble l threatening an estrangcment To this hope Lady Percival chung as Miri- am developed into beautiful childhood. Sir Rupert seemed very fond of his bright little daughter, and spent many hours with her after sho was old enough to prattle her childish witticisms to his paternal ear. He seemed to have forgotten the ancestral anathema, as he amused the child by tho hour, driving or strolling about for her pleasure. Perhaps he was trying, ill ceaseless endeavor, to foil tho evil in- 1uence lowering over the name, and with Q fathers love break it's spell ID this genera tion. Thus the fond mother argued, not dreaming that deep in tho heart of her hus- band there lurked a terrible dread of the day when the happy days should have an ending, darker and moro sorrowful than death. He was certain the evil days would fall, and he was right.
 Tho clouds of fate wero already in the horizon of tho fair heavens, although the fair mother, trusting and ever hopeful, per ceived not their baleful gathering. And so it happened that the day arrived when the black cloud of vengeful darkness came between the sun and the dial, and sll thelr lives were henceforth shadowcd by the storm-cloud without a silver lining. They were walking in the park, all three, 1 III UuC 4OEcly WCdGuCT dAu AAlIldtll, IuuIlIS | on before her parents, was to all appear ances the very embodiment of beauty and l affection. Her bright curls flying in tho | soft sweet air, and her tiny red boots twink l ling over the closc-cut sward as she sported among the trees, delighted the eyes of the mother. She looked up witha Q word of af- fecuonate admiration on her lips, only to see such strange, yearning look on the face of her husband that she forgot her remark in the chill of apprehensive terror which seized her. Such on expression of deep emotion on the countenance of Sir Rupert could mover be forgotten. An! what could it meant Why should she, of all others, l askl
 l Her heart refused it's usual beating, and the trees seemed as if in mist, while her l husbands face she saw as one sees faces in @ troubled dream.
 Then she put her trembling hand on his arm and looked the wretched question she did not dare to put into words. | Sir Rupert started as if from a terrible l dream, and looked down into the face of 1 pale, frightened inquiry a moment, as if try ing to read her thoughts. ''She is older in 1 heart than in years," he replied, slowly, | with dash of keenest pain in his voice, as his troubled vision turned toward the child.
 "She Is getting old enough to-hate me, and it will fall, how or when know not, but of one thing I am certain, and that is the con- ing arrangement. have felt a strange prese ntiment present with me for weeks, | and"
 He stopped short, as if alarmed at having made this confession, and had not Lady Per- cival understood, through previous infor- nation, his words would have been Q mean | ingless riddle. As it was, too well she | knew to what he referred.
 Miriam at this moment came rushing back to them, shouting in childish glee, and Sir Rupert caught her in his arms, kissed her fondly and then strode of across
 the park, leaving his wife and daughter to
 return to the hall without him.
 How the coming evil goaded him no one
 ever knew, but the pain and haunting
 dread, visible on his white, drawn face, in-
 dexed Q struggle against decree.
 Miriam looked after her father in a be.
 wildered manner, then turning to her moth
 CT asked, with strange, impetuous air
 "What ails my father7"
 OhI how the heart of Lady Percival went
 down in the depths of agonized sorrow at
 the question she dare not answer She
 sank helplessly on the sward and drew the
 surprised child into her arms with prayer
 such as she never yet had uttered.
 And curious inquisitiveness had taken l possession of Miriam, Pointing after the