Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-16

uoOb-DlEs TAAhLnS A AON0
 stretching their magnificent lengths across the way.
 "Drive to Oak Lawn," she said to the solemn looking lad in front, who had felt a great lump in his throat through 1t all, and was ready to mingle his tears with those of "the sorrowful lady inside" at the word. Then she leaned back against the cushions and covered her tear-stained face with the crape of the heavy vail she wore.
 A sadder company never gathered in tho servants quarters beneath the drowning gables of Heatherleigh than assembled there that evening after Miriams coming and sorrowful going.
 The old housekeeper was angry with her. self, and called on venerable St. Peter to witness if she would "iver knale to the loikes of him again ;' no! mot to save her ] sowl from purgatory wud she ask a thing" Anoil smoked his pipe in the chimney cor ner, grave and thoughtful, while the rest l divided up their opinions in blessings and curses, according to their individual views. That evening when James stole softly up | to the masters apartments with a tray of | tempting delicacies which Maria, the cook,
 had prepared for Sir Rupert's late dinner, ! the while she wished she might put Ia wee
 bit of suthin' In it," he found his master so I changed; silent and taciturn as of late, to be sure, but with such gentleness of tone and manner as he had never witnessed in a
 Percival during all his faithful years at the Hall The bewildered butler rubbed his ! astonished eyes to see if he were really
 awake. He had read in old legends of crusty, miserable individuals being spirited
 away after some crowning act of deviltry by goblins, and milder persons sent to
 breathe peace in their stead, and may be- ! well, may be-
 l But no; it was really Sir Rupert, but Transformed during the last few hours in
 the solitude of his lonely rooms into a passive, mild-mannered gentleman, whom to serve would be his souls delight hence forth
 "James, you may replenish the coals and
 wheel my chair a little nearer the grate if you please; it seems rather cool in here
 Notwithstanding it is spring -time.''
 What long, friendly speech, and to 0 servant at that! And he had said ''please- tlf you p.eGscn Such surprise from such la source almost turned the brain of the Idumbfoundcd butler. He never obeyed orders moro readily in his life, and he al-
 most held his breath for fear the spell might be broken and the austerc old master might be dropped again before the fire, thus bit
 terly ending this delightful illusion.
 The coals glowed anew in the grate, the easy chair glided noiselessly to the most
 cheerful corner, where the light shot little ruddy gleams through the shadows, and Ihappy-hearted James felt as if some good
 fairy had condescended to wave her magic wand over his lucky crown for all time. "Now bring the lights, James," and the
 much-changed master of Heatherle1gh shut
 his eyes and leaned back with sigh.
 | When Sir Rupert dismissed the mystifed
 butler kindly for tho evening, awed and be-
 wildered beyond expression, he rushed in
 among his fellows and reported the mracu. lous change in the master as soon as pos
 sible.
 Amid the confused ejaculations of aston.
 ment which followed the buffers astound ing tidings, Peggy burst out; "Blissid
 Vargin! an Ol was shure tho masthur had a heart if he only cud foind it; he's afthu,
 repintin' ov his thratement of the pull
 childers." And in her excited grief she rocked back and forth in her favorite . wicker chair, moaning in her grief that ii ! might be ''too late to repint."
 One by one they were won over to the be : lief that may be the ancestral curse hat l been thwarted, and that soon they nigh have their young mistress and the littl , one with them again, until it came to olt 5 Ancil, who was keeping company with hi !, l inevitable old pipe in the corner of the wid ! chimney. Ho stoutly refuted all ideas o , repentance and reconciliation on the part 0
 Sir Rupert, remembering, as he did, hoy that Lady Percival had knelt at the mas : ter's feet once m tho long ago, somethinl as Peggy had done that day in behalf o Miriam, and plead in vain for restoration , of love.
 "No, he never wud be silly enuff to belav ony such stuff. The divil a bit will he repin' ! an ye arc foolish lot, be jabers, to vast ; your pity on 'im," he said, reflling his pip with an impatient gesture, "Oi wudn , wonder, though, an 'twould kill 'im," h added, meditatively, as he held the pipe be tween thumb and finger, and gazed into tn /, sickly flamo on the hearth. Then, as if h < had settled the masters fate and passe