Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-19

that the Rest had changed hands. At any rate the letter was Miriam's, so upstairs sped Patty, wondering at a letter coming in this post-haste manner. "I sincerely hope 1t contains no bad news," she murmured, going in search of the owner.
 Miriam was half reclining, half sitting in her favorite deep armchair near tho win dow. The rich crape folded about her rounded form gave her pretty, proudly arched neck and half-exposed arms a mar ble whiteness by contrast with it's somber folds as she gazed dreamily away out to sea. The jewel at her throat gleaming ill it's bed of shadowy black lace seemed to light up her pale, proud face with cheerfulness it did not possess. The pallor of her sorrow full countenance was not so noticeable in the light of the window as when she turned in the shadows and you met the ycarning look of her sad eyes.
 1.-The letter is for you, Miriam dear" said Patricia, entering the parlor softly and dropping the letter with strange-looking seal in her lap.
 "For me?' and alittle surprised look came over the fine features. Perhaps father had written, and-and-but no; a-yes, wasn't that the Percival scals Yes, the handwrit- ing was strange; twasn't Sir Rupert's.
 1.-The bear CT waits for an answer; waiting below now," said Patty, almost forgetting the pompous carrier in the waiting room in the strange, anxious light fitting over Miriam's questioning countenance.
 "Indeed!" and Miriam broke the seal ex- citedly. Her face lost it's questioning and grew drawn and white, so white that Patty knelt by her side in alarm.
 Suddenly she sprang to her feet. II will go! Twill go!" she exclaimed, almost wild ly 'Ten him so; no, stay. Write it. Write that shall come if it be the last thing do. Now know why have lived. Poor Allan Poor Allan's son! My relative in sorrow, as we'll as name."
 An unwonted light burned in the depths of her fine eyes, and an expression of sympa- thetic pleasure flashed into her face as she took an excited turn about the room,
 Although Patricia knew in part, she could hardly fathom the spell the letter had thrown over Miriam. She guessed, how ever, that the legend and malediction of the Percivals had 8 part to play in the excite ment of her sister.
 "Pen and paper," said Miriam, sink ing exhausted into her chair again.
 Patty produced them, and Miriam, seizing the pen, hastily wrote reply.
 ''That is right" she calculated, hurriedly. ''Take it to the postboy; l am so glad-so glad"
 She talked incoherently; Patty felt no little alarm concerning Miriam. She had grown so strangely different, metamor- phosed, as it were, within the last half hour that she was excusable in feeling no little concern in regard to her.
 Patty took the reply down herself and gave it to the waiting carrier, who bowed himself out in haste.
 When she returned to Miriam she found her crying softly, her face buried in the let ter Sha had racaiya6 n hOl1r ha afOro "Cousin Allan is very ill and wants me- explained Miriam, drying her tears and lookingu up. 'I never knew where uncle went to after-after his marriage, but Cousin Allan is now in London, and Uncle and Aunt Percival are both dead. shall go to him at once, Patty. It seemed good to have some one care for me at last" "Why, Miriam dear, I love you as an own sister; you must know that, certainly" an- swered Patricia, in pained voice, looking at her with brimming eyes. Miriam threw her arms impulsively around Patty's neck and sobbed out: "Not that, Patty; not that. mean to have one | of my own house to speak to me, to care for; real Percival, Patty.''
 "Oh" exclaimed Patricia, enlightened; 1;
 'there, there, do not weep in that heart broken way, Miriam," and she soothed her as she would child
 "You will make yourself ill.," warned Patrica, "and you may not be able to visit | that dear cousin who, of course, would give l worlds to see you.'
 Miriam unclasped her hands at this, and l calmed herself as much as she was able, considering the unusual news she had re- | ceived. Never in all her life had she heard from real relative; and this one wanted her to come.
 With 8 nervous cagerness Miriam set about her preparations for leaving for Lon l don on tho morrow.
 l CHAPTER XVIII When Miriam alighted from the com fortable railway compartment at Charing l Cross Station, it was raining in little, disagreeable gusts. The pleasant weather had put on another and colder phase aside from the dampness, and she shivered ss she drew her wraps about her. | HOlli0 and Pattv had coyra I7~1,,u 1x,;<h