Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-10-10

lot has fallen with the dis Inherited, and brand
ed as Cain seek the strangers home in a
strange land.
''Rest ye darling mother. The boom Of the
seas Will roll between us and you will not
know the fate OF your heart-broken child.
unless you can see from the region above the
stars andiove and pity me from the gates TO
which trust 20 shortly come. Yet mother, II
IL well. MIRIAM PERcIvAL FAIRFAX
The sexton had finished reading tho
strange, weird epistle, and in such place
II seemed entirely in keeping with the sad,
soul-communion with the dead
Sir Rupert, who had kept his eyes
riveted ON the lips OF the reader from the
beginning, with a wild, unearthly stare
and shrek staggered back into the arms Of
the white-faced coaehinan and lay quite
still for some moments, giving but little
sign OF consciousness.
The frightened John held ,his master
tenderly in his arms, as If he had been
sleeping child, while the sexton ehafed the
withered hands and face TO hasten return
ing animation.
81 expected this,n he said to the fearful
servant. II looked for him to find that let
ter. Yes" he went on, as John shot an in-
quiring glance at him, II knew ii was
here. You see Mrs. Fairfax visited Oak
company her in the grounds as she left the
boy outside with the carriage.
II accompanied her, of course, wondering
why she wanted me, but aftess saw her
write that letter there on the railing and
deposit it In the bolt-easing, why,I under
stood. You see she wanted me to know
it was there and to look after it, which /
have done. l never read 1t until to-day,
though, but l had an idea 1t was some
thing awful-like. because she looked like
death itself and said, low and solemn
like, shaft for shaft and | kinder
thought she was driven at revenge or
him. motioning to Sir Rupert, who nov
began to revive.
Presently Sir Rupert opened his eyes
with piteous, appealing look IN them, and
asked in whispered accents: where is tina;
ietterl Give it TO mel II is all have left OF
her--of Miriam"
They gave him the fatal note, aud he ca
ressed it with kiss, and put 1t Ia his inner
coat.
snow take me home, TO thai desolatt
Heatherleigh,p he said, YEARLY. Sand when
come again shall not know aught OF
earth and its hard, hard waysp'
The men exchanged significant chances
and helped him to the carriage. 1t was
with difficulty that they manag "a to get him
safely among its cushions, and when they
had accomplished 1t he was so exhausted
in soul and body he seemed more dead
than alive.
''You can't count on much speed, said
the sexton, warningly, as John mounted the
box, "bnt you must be as quick as you can
under the circumstances, or-or yen have
him to bring back here by tomorrow
They turned away from Oakiawn then,
and the sexton shut the great double gates
after them with an ominous clang.
When they left the beautiful repose OF
Oaklawn behind them and turned into the
highway, Sir Rupert revived enough to sit
up and look about him. Suddenly, as II
reeollecting something quite forgotten, he
drew from his pocket the fatal missive.
Folding and unfolding the scrap OF paper,
as one might in a dream, he murmured in a
vague, desperate way "All 1 have left, all
Ihave left OF happiness is DEATH
"Miriam is gone-gonel l had
thought toto make amends, but it is too
late; too iater' And bowling his head upon
his trembling hands, he sobbed like O child
i'll his great grief
The autumn breezes came softly over the
sleepy world and gently famed the silky,
gray hair on the aged crown; the sunset
fire famed low on the hills, and, stealing
brightly across, kissed the bowed form, but
he needed it not. What was natures sooth.
ing pity or loving favor to hint He, with
his cross heavier than he could bear, was
at last succumbing to the inevitable.
Moving his lips as il in prayerful suppli-
cation, ne raised his head and sank back
among the crimson cushions of his easy car
riage.
Who would have dreamed of any L
but comfort and luxury to have seen
Heatherleigh turnout rolling along tae
picturesque lanes, with its emblazoned
arms on the panel and the sleek dapple-
grays p:anciug along, FESTIVE enough Under
the tight rein Of handsome, rich-liveried
coachmanl But ah ! had they seen the sor-
rowful face within
Miriam then had gone from the Hall on
that fateful day directly to Oaklawn and
paid, as it seemed, her farewell visit to the
dear, dead mother And she had, under
cover of all that stoical, outward compos-
ure, carried away from Heatherleigh q
breaking heart, and felt her Punishment
keenly.
Doubtless, too, she had left the written
good bye addressed TO her dead relative at
the tomb purposely that it might some time
fall into the hands OF her unnatural father;
putting the slip in the fastening in the pres
ence of the sexton, she might have shrewdly
guessed that he would lose no opportunity
to discover il TO Sir Rupert, which he at
tended to on his first visit thereafter.
If the design in leaving the paper at Oak
lawn was to break the austere, hardened
heart of the master of Heatherleigh with
its contents, the plan was well laid and ex-
ecuted to a fault, and the purpose had been
accomplished without doubt. He sank visi-
bly, each day under the terrible blow dealt
him by the proud, suffering daughter, and
he would sit for hours, silently and
alone, in his private apartments, with cur
tains drawn, and grieve IN the gloom of his
desolated home The weight of retribution
was fearful. Poor old mani that drive 10
Oaklawn on that quiet autumn day was his
last outing; he never recovered enough