The Irish standard., 1889-09-21

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g THESE SHALL BIB HER WEDDING PREsENTs.''
over her path; cut, doubtless, by my aunt's
fingers, now crumbled to dust, Lady Per-
cival !''%Ss1
He rolled up the curl carefully and re-
stored it to its case. A kindly emotion
stirred the depths of his soul, and dreamy
expression softened his features.
Perhaps, Z he unused, perhaps these Jew
els are my daring's also; and, if they are,
no harm can hover over them
The sight Of the ringlet had softened and
rendered mild the whole atmosphere, and
he gathered the bracelets and their accom-
anying necklace up with far away, pre-
occupied air and sh them in their elegant
cases with a sigh. I'll
CHAPTER XVIII. ...:
I. i. Nav, and beautiful day, with q
.vmphoary lingering in the fragrant air:
Ysfiam is out among the rosebuds that
beautify the clambering vines as they wait
for the breath of June to unfold their glory.
And, instead Of the pale; pinched express
sion on her perfect features as in the win.
ter, the flush of health and--may say hap
piness7-yes, happiness, creeps into her
oval face, where the dlmples OF her girl
hood are still visible.
Miriam Percival Fairfax has outlived the
crucible years of her life; the dark chap
tiers Of her strange history are being fol
lowed UP by bright, golden pages, fragrant
with the love Of a blissful, happy sumner
to b..
1 had difficult task, indeed, to persuade
her that the dream Of seeing Peggy and OF
hearing her seeming prophetic words would
all come to naught. But fancy, although
she declares yet at times that sit means
something to Gomez her faith In night
visions is on the wane. g ;..#s
But the. roses bud where last year the
rue grew darkly luxuriant, and the smiles,
the rarest Of ali rare things then, are slip
ping gradually into her days.
Some time agoshe came to n.e with her
fine goice all a-trembs, and wondered to
me il Thought it wos.I DC proper % wear
colors?" I looked at her a monsntl the
somber Grape folds had grown to - !dsn-
teal with Miriam. Ishouid not havv tsown
her, thought, without them-hils tss loaH,
sorrowing years for q young heart - throe
beneath the garb OF mourningws sassght
who could ask morea Then, too, ,usrrnts &
was of the heart, not the habiin5nts alto
gether, and if this lone woman has found a
silver lining to the heavy clouds Of her
heavens, why not?
eyes, said, perfectly proper, dear, see.
ing that Allan is coming"
Then she smiled one of her rare, perfect
smiles, which can neither be forgotten nor
described, and said she :sshould go down to
the city and make some purchases"
Sly little puss; did she imagine that ],
who had played the part of a detective for
a twevemonth or more, could be hood
wlnked into .sspring fashions in this man
ner! If she did, she has reckoned without
her host, as 1 mentally cite wedding day
somewhere adown this golden summer; a
perfect day in June, no doubt, as May is
waning. All! yes; methlnks ! hear we'd
ding bells, and their clear, sweet music is
in harmony with the symphony of the day.
But Miriam. A couple of letters lying IN
her lap bear foreign post-marKs, and she
has been reading them softly to herself,
smiling the while, as if the contents were
pleasing in the extreme. 87 syl5 81
The soft, gray texture of her dress she
chose gray for afternoon costume, but
there is a beautiful white satin folded away
amid cloud of costly lace for another oc-
CASTOR falls from her queenly figure in full
folds, and she looks every inch a veritable
queen; this stately, proud daughter Of the
Percivals. s5 2
s.Heatherleigh is in the past" she says,
turning her head, with a smile which is
half JOY, half sorrow 'tThe house of the
Percivals have nothing more in its somber
shadows. No; no more, forever!'
sSold!'' ask.
Eyes; disposed Of q she answers, look
ing away seward The fair face Pushes
and pales fitfully. There is a strong tide Of
memory surging up from the past; thou
sand thoughts are coming to the front for
recognition, and it is safe ito say they are
not pleasant ones. 5. ~ #
work away on my embroidery and fin
ish an impossible grape cluster ID smoky
purple without pretending u Offer any
thing further. Such things are bcsaa thought
out in silence, az have learned 80 we sit an
hour in the soft, sweet weather without q
word she looking seward and down at
the letters alternately, and ] attentive to
my! embroidery, with an OCCASIONAL glance
at her face. She will speak presently, and
tell me what she is thinking about. Il have
known her long enough to know tins, and
work away, awaiting her pleasure.
ii 81 have sent to the Hall for a few things, 81
she begins just as expected she would
.sand 81 I am happy enough 10 get those the
whole place known as Heatherleigh may
rest for aye under the curse Of Sir Leon
Heatherleigh for aught care. z d s.
Her face fushes crimson, then pales like
q lily; she is still revengaful and passion
ate in her hatred Of the Hall 4 had thought
abe had forgo tten the Old, sdespe rate days.,
but she has not. i do not ansver; have
no words. u scarcely ever have when Mir
lam towers up I'll speeches like this, and
she relapses into smother everies III sdisa.
greeabIe, perhaps ths /, iHs5|
Peggy ClarksonE nev yer toId slles
gins q NH sofs
did md "a
assuines III Rlea
/ p tisIeI snd SnsiIs ttie