Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-26

herself into my arms. "Earle Fairfax Earle Fairfaxp' she repeated. II wonder why-O, I wonder whyl'' "Miriam," said l, "don't you want to sec
 tho old gentleman; Arthur's uncle, I pre- sumel"
 For moment she lay quite still, making no response. Then she said slowly: "He is
 good. kind old man; such 0 friend of
 mine-such a friend of mine!" Tho words were whispered with colorless lips and pallid cheek. was sorely puzzled
 to know why, if he was such good, kind friend, sho felt this way at mention of his name.
 People don't generally grow white IS death at the prospect of seoing a friend,
 not generally, at least, and was at loss
 to fathom this new phase of affairs. made no reply. I simply released her,
 and she went directly to her room, with the letter clasped tightly in her nervous fin gers. "Old memories" l said, by way of excusing this, to me, unexplainable freak of Miriam's. 'Doubtless his name was inter- woven with some painful memory, which tho mere mention of was like the thrust of a dagger"
 She did not como down to dinner and I did not sec her until tho breakfast hour the next morning. She was cheerful as usual and seemingly anxious that I should forget the little episode of the previous afternoon Launching of into conversation, in which 1 was sure that her heart had not the least
 interest, in order to detract my attention from the pallor of her countenance, she managed to become unusually talkative dur ing the breakfast hour.
 Perhaps" said to myself, 'she Is not paler than usual, and l am yoking up yes
 terday's circumstance with morbid fancy of my own imaginative braiu." But when Maggie, my little maid, said soi1citously behind py chair after Miriam
 had excused herself for walk in the gar den: 'It seems to mo that the lady Is i'll ; she is uncommon white-faccd and talks sort O wild like, don't you thinkr I thought, ah well, then my conjecture is not all an imaginative affair, after all. But
 I said to the maid that "tho warm weather might have something to do with It." "Oh! well, she pears SO anxious like" persisted Maggie. II shouldn't think the
 weather would give that worry to her look and manner, ma'am."
 The maid knew that something like 8
 shadow had fallen athwart the path of our guest, and with natural inquisitiveness was doing her best to wiring confession from me.
 "Well, well, Maggie" ," said, finally; "letit pass, and if she is really ill or worrying about any thing she will tell us by and by, if it is proper for us to know" Thus admonished,
 the maid gave me look of suspicion and began clearing away the breakfast things
 in silence, while I sought Miriam, deep in the garden of roses nAd lilies ID front of the cottage.
 "Dissembling," I said, as she greeted mo with wintry smile from behind a rose- hedge, but the beautiful eyes told no tales, and the lips touched not on the friends 8 coming, as half expected them to do, dur ing the morning.
 During the afternoon, while l was en- gagged in the re-arranging of cluster of stately lilies which the wind had tossed ruthlessly from their fastening, 0 cab drew up at my humble gate and two it must be they whom we were expecting. and dropped my twine and went down the graveled walk to meet them. Sure enough, as one of them came for ward, I recognized my acquaintance of the Heatherleigh park.
 As soon as he looked up he smiled and extended his hand. 'I remember your face," he said, gladly. Then he introduced an old gentleman, in dark gray suit and gold-bowed glasses, as ''Mr. Earle Fairfax, of suburban Hastings, Eng" ''She is in there," said, indicating the l direction of the library door with wave of
 
 1 the little front parlor into which had con- ducted them.
 knew she would rather meet him alone, l with no eye to criticise or intrude on the l sacredness of their greeting, and I knew also that she was in there waiting for Allan, because I caught tho swish, swish of her dress, and the soft closing of the library door as we came in.
 Allan Percival gave me a look of such 1 joyous gratitude that 1 thought had he l asked me to carry a thousand letters to the
 ends of the earth for him, instead of one
 little request that ho did, that look re-
 warded me in full for every thing
 Then he stepped into the library and l closed the door behind him, while did my
 best to entertain this friend of Miriam's, l although could see plainly that he was very anxious to get Q glimpse of her, as his eyes sought the library door frequently. I was fully os anxious that she should meet him, for had q curiosity to seo them to- l gether; if there was any secret between them, perhaps might bo ablo to guess 1t should sec their meeting. After awhile Allan came out of the To be continue. l V,,u nuo1 Wn~L 0. N,,A r1nmnur