The Irish standard., 1889-08-03


alleviate the sorrow she felt had fallen,
somewhere and somehow, on the idolized
mother.
The nurse came for her charge, but for
the first time the child stoutly refused to
leave the room.
ssLeave her to me awhile, Hewitt" the
white-faced mother fnterposed, and the
nurse left them together alone, wondering
much what troubled Lady Percival as she
closed the door softly and went back to the
nursery.
Having arranged the cushions to her sat-
isfaction, Miriam went over to the window
whose narrow panes cleaned in the after
noon sun, and stood gazing far away over the
environs of her palatial home, awed into
silence by something she could not under
stand.
How the mellow light fell through the tall
issome elms, and glowed in its sitting rays
through panes, falling at last on the long
sunny curls, and forming halo Of glory
around "the eldest child-a daughter"
as she stood p,azzling her inexperienced
heart over the dark title page of her life.
Lady Percival watched her with a sense
of utter helpless misery. The child's SEN
tence of an hour ago fell like verdict of
lite sentence, booming them all to woe:
"'Cause do not love him velly we'll"
The legend of Heatherleigh Hail was be-
ginning to unfold it's menacing power, and
the tide Of doom had begun to set toward
shores OF estrangement, heartache and
tearsl
Lady Percival gazed long OH the heiress
of the proud and aristocratc manorlal pos
sessions in dumb anguish But her heart
was making moan against a dreary barren
shore, and the burden of it's language was:
''Oh! Miriam, my own lovely child. why
must 1t be; why, oh! why?''
And an unseen influence made answer:
''The eldest child, if it be a daughter"
Sir Rupert never referred to the scene in
the park, and, to all appearanc es, had for
gotten the unpleasant occurrence. But
there was a change in him that rendered
him at times uncompanionable and reticent.
The servants noticed the change and
speculated accordingly, John, the coach
man, remarked to his fellows that "the
dreary days were a-settlin' him, and that
halter while hit would be war to the lit be:
tween the master and the young mistress"
But long to be remembered was the day
of the first real disagreement between ia
Their and daughter.
Miriam had rushed into her mothers
apartments and had thrown herself into
Lady Percival's arms, crying and trembling
In very much excited manner. Upon
being interrogated in reference to her I'M
usual behavior she replied, amid sobs OF
painful excitement, while she chung to
Lady Perciyal's gown: II do not love him
one bit. now, and he doesn' love me, either;
and do not care"
Clarkson, who was passing her mistress
rooms on duties intent, heard and saw
Miriam in her paroxysm of grief and anger.
"Oh, Olive known it liver so long that it
wud COON to this declaration ov war. Och
hone an that's the ginuine Parcival tim
per-" muttered she to herself. And the
old housekeeper communicated the affair to
the cook with doleful shake Of the head
that set the broad white rufaes on the cap
she wore to trembling over her whitened
locks. ....u
Subsequently Sir Rupert had come into
his wife's apartment in search OF his daugn-
ter, yet, after all, dreadlng to meet her.
Finding her sobbing on her mothers knee,
he gave her such a strange look OF deep,
angry sorrow as perhaps few see IN llfe-
time. and SAID, in voice as strange as his
look: 81 have tried, God is my witness,
to love the child and break the power OF
the decree which will estrange us, and 1
End it is useless can not love my child ~
He covered his face with his trembling
hands, as if entirely overcome by the
baleful intent of his own words, and leaned
against the doorway screen. II can not"
he moaned, "avert mightier DEGREES than
my ownr'
Miriam seemed to understand, in part,
her fathers great grief, for she shuddered
visibly and ceased her violent weeping, hid
her face in Lady Percival's gown and re-
manned silent.
Seeing this demonstration Of fear, Sir
Rupert went over and, bending down, with
white lips pressed the last kiss he ever be.
slowed on his child on her sunny ringlets,
while the tears rolled down the face Of
heart-broken Lady Percival.
CHAPTER VII.
And after the scene closing our last chap
ter Lady Percival never saw another happy
day. From that wretched day on, until her
decease, her existence was but q living
death. -