The Springdale news., 1889-11-01
came down stairs vita the trencher. and ho shivered i'll anticipation of the morrow.
CHAPTER

l CHAPTER K
 'HoHly motheri an we'll put it off tilr tho crack O doom f We can, Peggy eiac.1 lated later when Sir Rupert had re. l tired, and 1he servants had all huedled around her in tho west wing to hear the de- sAiis of MiriafD's dc parture. Nothing suited | her better than to entertain them in hes graphic way and mpass;oned manner with weird and strange recitals of fortunes pos stblc and impossible. and often she had held them spell-bound until the great clock of the central hall warned them Of midnight
 "But T@ all know fulB well, n she reflected, that the masther friH Lc knowiu' sv it ter morrer br some manes, an mark ye. Y nov ing her right index slowly around the circle like the finger of destiny, mark ye, taere's not a mothers son of ye knows a single wurrud of the runnln' away whin the masthur's wrath runs hoighn And all promised with one accord to faithfully keep their knowledge a secret for the 'Swate childer's sake,' Peggy sad, while her auditors knew full well that 1t was fer her own sake as much, and more, than fos Miriam's that they were cnjoined to sucis secrecy.
 An we must kapc the saycret for the loifc uy us,p supplemented the housekeep- CT once more, as they were about 10 sep arate for the night; ''ye know If ye don't we'll be whooped cut O the Hall quickern' wink; ony way, maybe we'll be kilt roight on the spot, an which is wurrust uv the two Oi' m not to say
 At breakfast the next morning Sir Rupert settled himself in his accustomed seat and looked about him; he would wait for Miriam, something he scarcely remem- bered of having to do, she beng an habit ual carly riser.
 The butler stood respectfully near, qual1- ing in every linlb in dire anticipation Of the impending storm about to burst over their unlucky heads, and perhaps sweep them from Heatherleigh like ehaff.
 Miriam IS lat9' said Sir Rupert. "Call the housekeeper.p
 Clarkson was waiting iu tho next room, and at a look from the terrified James came forward as If by magic, halting at a respectful distance, demure and innocent looking enough to win the faYor of anyone however austere.
 It was evident that she was in better trim for the emergency than her fellow servants were.
 Ask the maid if Miriam is ill" the mas ter commanded, rather than said Then he reiapsed into a silence to be felt He was thinking that perhaps the disagree ment ot the day before had unuerved the almost art-broken daughter Perhaps he had been too harsh-ah! perhaps he had.
 Little did he dream when he asked for the maid that she had gone. Declaring that she would not stay to hear the anathemas sure to fall, little Mary Ferris had left only afew hours after her mistress went away; aud, at the time the master of Heatherleigh called for her, she was relating again the instances in connection with the flight of Miriam to the dwollers of her fathers vine covered cottage, some three miles from the Hall.
 Clarkson went, without moment S hcsi= tation, in search of the girl, whom she knew to be far enough away. "Howly mother,o she murmured, as she went up- stairs, "defind us Ill swate marcy! The masther'H be for the kuiin' ay us all in less an no toime. 0i feel it in me bones
 Opening the door of Mram's room she peeped in cautiously, as if fearing that the Woefal tradition had taken form unto itself and was but waiting to slay the first in- truder. Then, remembering the far, proud face of it's late occupant, Peggy went over 10 the bed and knelt for moment in prayer, making the sign of the cross as she did Sc.
 "Oh, me darlint, me sWate mauYourneen. an it's toweriu' pashun yer faythur'lI be ini'
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