Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-13
themselves suddenly stranded on the ruins


 Of its former prosperity
 50 when the mother ofinvention sat down ln the handsomely furnished apartments to devlsc different arrangements from those or simply enjoying life, she sent a thrill of horror through the veins af their dwellers
 To be thus thrust out Of their rank in life and soclety, and reckoned with the plebe- lans, was trying ordeal. The common lot of the financially unfortunate cast a dis heaftenlng Influence across their day. The social circles began to forget them. and no memoer or tho proud, refined family felt the neglect more keenly than the eldest son, Arthur, who had, hitherto, many warm friends within the radius of the bo,, ton of Hastings.
 To be thus ignored, many less suscepti- ble heart than his had found bitter fort unc; then marvel not when Arthur grew morbid over his changed life, and looked upon their circumstances as something savoring of a criminal offense.
 Society snubbed, society talked and spec- ulated, until, driven almost to despair, Arthur determined to retrieve the loss of property in part, at least, abroad. To this end ne resolved to embark in mining en- terprlse with on uncle in the coal mines, which promised unbounded success.
 But paramount to all tho grievances he endured in consequence of his unfortunate circumstances, there was wretched dread of a possibility of moro magnitude and i'm portance to him.
 In his palmy days he had been welcome visitor at Heatherleigh, and had been a favorite of the house, with the exception of Sir Rupert.
 He, however, had treated him kindly, al- though he could no. lay claim to title This mark of favor young Fairfax did not accord to the real reason, but was pleased to consider it ill the light of meritorious worth. Had he, for an instant, imagined that tho master of Heatherleigh was only condescending to him, in consideration of the wealth and influence of his family, his visits to the hall would never have been made ill the free and easy manner of an in timate friend of it's occupants. But Sir Rupert's kindly tolerance fiat tered him, and the sincerity of Lady Per cival pleased him exceedingly; but, after all, 1t was really tho society of Miriam which had held him spellbound in those days.
 Thrown into her charming company con- tlnually, his heart had gone out to her in a sacred attachment before he was hardly aware of 1t. But when Miriam, who at first had received him shyly and with re- serve, had grown to welcome him with cor dlality and heightened color, he awol1c to the knowledge that he loved her passion ately. And often, too, he had flattered him. self she was not indifferent to him. Alter this awakening it was only natural for him to indulge in dreaming o. happy day ito be-" when the beautiful daughter of the Percivals would consent to unite her destiny with his.
 Little did the young lover know of the sad days of revefse and keen sorrow the future held in store for Miriam as his wife. P11fc cfr I,o1 T., intruded on the sorrow of the hall but little, for Sir Rupert had seemed so silent and grieved, and Miriam had not been wis., ible.
 And now, after his own reverSes had fallen, would Sir Rupert ever be kind to him agains Knowing his eccentric ways, and of late years his strange reserve, he dreaded to risk visit to the gloomy old gentleman since tho failure of his father, and since by it he had fallen out of rank with the Percivals.
 How the news of his family's changed circumstances had been received at the hall ho had no way of finding out, and how it had affected the one sweet friend of his life on whose yea or nay hung his future happiness he knew not.
 She would not banish him as if he had committed sin, when it was really no fault of his that failure was written over against l tho family name, and that the ledger was 1 found without balance sheet in the Fair | fax house! Arthur loved to think of it in l this way and argue himself into believing | as he dreamGd.
 Ithamer Fairfax was no tinancier, and, | being one of those untricd individuals whose wealth comes to them by inheritance, cost ing them nothing but tho cxertion of enjoy | ing it, he never acquired any business Qual | ifcations And it was owing to his dull | ness of mental vision that he invested | largely with certain interruptions con- l panies and in the end being swindled con- pletely.
 l Not so with the son, for, although he had | not been obliged to toil he had inherited from his mothers family great business ca pacity. Their namc being connected with tho most successful mining enterprises in the north and west of England gave Arthur | great confidence in himself, and he hoped to | accumulate wealth and be wise enough to | remain on sound financial basis. But before 1 he should go abroad in tho interest of the enterprise he longcd to visit Heatherleigh, end still he dreaded it.
 l As it happened, opportunity favored him
 sooner than he had dared to hope, and he l found himself within the spacious rooms of | the hall, where he had spent many happy hours; but the light of Heatherleigh had
 gone out, and every thing was so changed. | All tho brightness seemed to have fled with l the gentle spirit of Lady Percival.
 The heavy crape folds here and there re- 1 minded him of her, while the shadowy, l iNT.@4tS.
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