Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-15

able day. On his return he had sought Sir Rupert's apartments hurriedly, and handed him letter with black seal.
 Ills master was lying on couch, near the window, in the cold, uncertain light of the autumn afternoon. He turned wearily over toward tho shimmering sunlight and stared at the suggestive seal of black; then he said, hurriedly: Pull the curtain aside, John." Then with trembling fingers Sir Ru- pert Percival broke the badge of death, and read the solitary line written in Miriam 8 fine, lady-like hand. Over and over the one single sentence he went, forgetful of Johns presence. Tho servant would have gone downstairs, as was his wont after delivering message, but in this case his inquisitive anxiety overcame his man. ners, and he stood with hungry eyes fixed on tho masters white, haggard-loo1ing face, shrewdly guessing it was from the l9ngGaRSasaARtt lna dafntfhafeii Gf the eeipisfle
 Presently the old man looked wearily, sadly from the letter to the anxious face bending over him, and said, as if measur- ing each word by it's sorrowful meaning: 'He is dead-Fairfax is dead, and Miriam is widow" Then he turned his white face away in the shadow of the curtain, and motioned to John his dismissal
 "Miram has wrltten," said the tender hearted John to tho servants, as he wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. "Her- husband is dead; yes, Arthur Fairfax Is dead!"
 A moan escaped the lips of the little group gathered about their lonely dinner at tho close of this memorable day. "Poor Miriam," and John made another applca- tion of the handkerchief to hide the tears gathering in his honest eyes.
 "An' it's dead ye say he isa Ohl this wurruld is full Of throuble. Dead, an not l pairson to comfort tho misthress. Ohl Oi expected it." And Peggy bowed her gray head on the table and wcpt aloud. "Dcadr echoed Ancil, shaking his whitened locks as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe against the broad, hospitable jamb, and came over and sat down by his wife. "An' now the masther'u be afthur sendin' fur tho heart -bhroken msthress an repintin' ov his sins," ventured he further as sort of comfort.
 "An' he won't naythcrP' blazed Peggy, angrily, and suddenly forgetting to sob Tn her resentment of any thing humane | as expected of Sir Rupert. "Niverl whln ho let the young gintleman wurruk hisself l into the grave, and niver welcome lonc l could he sind-not even to her.'' As usual, Ancil subsidcd with his notions of charity and devoted himself to his dinner, | while Peggy enlarged on tho doings of the
 
 very severe opinions concerning her mas ter.
 She was the ruling faction in the west wing, and when any one of it's inmates ex- pressed tho hope, or belief, that Sir Rupert would send for Miriam, or may be go to her himself, "seeing sho was in mourning | so soon again." Peggy would shake her cap- l ruf1les into confusion dire in her authority. Her egatives usually silenced all hopeful | expectation as with tho spell of seer, ] capped with her Hibernian climax of 1 'niver bit will tho haythunish masthur go to the childer; he wud doie forninst the day of puir stubborn manenesS.'' And uncharitable as Peggy seemed, she was, nevertheless, right in her assertions, l for not a word of condolence or pity did Sir l Rupert send to his bereaved daughter, | neither did he express any sympathy he
 might have felt for her in her sore be- reavement
 But Peggy, good old soul, sent a letter l bfimful of comfort and loving sympathy to 1 the lonely-hea-ted Miriam, ''unbeknowin' l to the masthur," for, as she confided to John, who smuggled the missivc in with l the mail of the Hall, "he needn't think as ! how the whole wurruld is goin' to walk In the loikes of his mane footstheps." And so | the long letter of condolence indicted to l Miriam by the faithful Peggy was sent, 1 and all the servants promised to keep 1t secret from the master. They never forgot l his commands of four years ago, to never mention Miriams name in his hearing, nor ! to appear concerned in her welfare for | fear of his wrath. These orders they had
 never broken, with the exception of the
 time when they heard of Arthur Fairfax
 having gained in wealth and position. In keeping their thoughts far from the master 8
 ken they had ''grown wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
 Some weeks after the cuckoo had sound