The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-02-21

wlfe OF Sir Rupert as il had TO the other
unfortunate and sorrowmg mothers. 1t
was part of their destiny to unrayeI the
legend u spite Of imposed secrecy.
Lady Percival, on her first visit 70
the Heatherleigh gallery, had been strange
y impressed with the srio Of portraits
whose bright faces, reversed, gave 10 them
an AIR Of mystery.
She had asked her husband WHY they
were hung so strangely, and ne had grown
pale and agitated, and had answered eva
slveiy, at the same time leading her away
with some remark entirely foreign 10 the
question.
Being curious concerning the port-afs
and nystitied by her husbands unsatis-
factory reply, she sought an interview with
GARRISON, telling her of Sir Rupert's uz-
exI1asnable derneanor during her visit TO the
gallery. Thus il happened that she heard
the lsgend OF her husbands ancestors re-
ated-
And the housekeeper had, with all the
supersJtious influence of her Irish nature,
impressed on the susceptible mind Of her
mistress the weight of the whitening sor-
row OF this woeful legend.
Yet it had never come 70 her, after AL, as
forcibly as when the innocent, upturned
face on her agonized bosom proclaimed her
the mother Of ''the Oldest child-a daugh-
ter"
Then Lady rercival had shuddered and
her closer so her aching heart and wailing:
''Ohl my dlrlingi my precious child; my
M-fsIed onel May the kind Father, in His
mercy, spare thee from this awful thing-a
fathers hatred"
With her tear-wet cheek pressed to that
OF her csi.d Lady Pereivsl could hear the
plying tones Of the houseSeepeT once more
IS sne ended the recital s.Ah! me Leddy
an OPm sorry for yes that's niver hear'n
tell o. the loikes ov. this therible thing, that
eooms 70 oil ov lem that's born under the
curse. Thin faces whats turned away
froRa We, Ma'am, Is ov thin ez has bin ban
lshed from the house. They hsv 10 bsar il,
me Leddy, Cor there's not ony thing 10
sthand forninst, am Iaany's the prayer for
marcy an forgiveness ez has COON from
broken AeS.rts within these walls, an pivo<
been listened to, uaythGr''
Now, with TIE birsh OF her daughter il al
Came back so painfully and vividly, that 10
her suparsensitive soul il seemed that the
trio Of reversed facse on uae wall of the
gallery gazrd down IN sitylng sorrow on
the L2Ie form so dear 40 Der mothers
heart
And Sir Rupert walked the corridors ST.
lent and glum, little thinking that the del
icate iiowG- 81 "a wife knew of the trouble
entaIled By the birth Of the daughter. His
only comfsrt lay IN the thought that she
was blsstuly ignorant Of It I'll IS lie paced
up and Down il as ailnicss march. But the
bitterness of the wormwOOd he had hoped
- keep from her cup had been put TO her
lips through his reticencs in the rudest and
most thOUghtless manner.
The SEASON of gloom ushered in by Miri-
ANS advent gradually becaIDe dispelled.
and the sunlight OF happy content shoQe
from Lady Porclyal's sweet eyes and Id
mined the Ylsageof Sir Rupert the child
grew, beautiful, bright, and above all else,
Z aGectlon@te.
1t was then that hope sprang 1p Ia the
boSoI2 of The mother.
She would watch 20 the child grew;
watch szr6 palliate any dislizes, smooth down
any differences which might spriag up be-
tween the two she loved
She, with he great wealth of affection,
wouIS avert, or at least mOIlIfy, any trouble
threatening IN estrGngumeut
To this hops Lady Perciyal clungas Miri-
am developed into beautiful childhood.
Sir Rupert seemed very fond Of his
bright little daughter, and spent many
hours with her after she was old enough 10
prattle her childish witticjsms to his
paternal ear. He seemed TO have forgotten
the ancestral aDathema. as he amused the
child oy the hour, driving or strolling about
for her pleasure Perhaps he was trying
II cease4ess enoeaVor, 70 foil the evil in
fluence lowering over the lame, aud with
father S love break its spell N this genera
tOn- Thus the fond mother argued, not
dreaming that deep N the heart of her hus-
band there lurked q terrible dread of the
day when the happy days should have an
ending, darker and more sorrowful than
death He wRs certain the evil days would
fall, and he was right --r
The clouds ok fate We're already In the
horizon OF the fair heavens, although the
fair mother, trusting and ever hopeful, per-
seived not their baleful gathering.
Asd 50 II happened InaJ the gay arrived
s.ln Of Frr1
came between the sun and the dial, and all
their lives were halceforth shadowsS by
the storm-cloud WITHOUT silver lining.
They were walking in the park, all three
IN the lovely weather and Miriam, running
on before her parents, was to all appear
ances the very embodiment Of beauty and
Affection Her bright curls flying in the
SOFT sweet air, and her tiny red boots twink
ling ovor theclose-cut sward as she sported
among the trees, delighted the eyes of the
mother. She looked up with = word of af-
fecuOnate admiration on her lips, only TO
see such = strange, ysarning look on the face
of her husband that she forgot her remark
in the chill OF apprehensive terror which
seized her. Such an expression of deep
emotion on the countenance OF Sir Rupert
could never be forgotten. Ahi what could
it meant Why should she, of all others,
askl - a la Ea
Her heart refused its usual boating. and
husbands faoe she saw as one sees faces in
q troubled dream
Then she put her trembling hand on his
arm and looked shs wretchsd question she
did not dare TO put into words.
Sir Rupert started a. if from g terrible
dream, and looked down into the face of
pale, frightened inquiry moment as II try
ingts read her thoGghts. sTshe is older in
heart than in years" he replied, slowly.
with = dzsh o< lsaenest pain in his vuica as
his troubled visisn turned toward the child
she Is getting old enough tO-hate me, and
1t Wal fsil, how or vYhoz know not, but OF
one thing 1 am certain, and that Is the com
ing esJrengemsnt. have felt a strange
prese ntimest preseIH with me- fer weeks.
and .-.
He stopped short, as II alarmed st having
made this confession, snd had not Lady Per-
cival understood, through previous infor-
nation, his words would have been mean
ingless riddle. As IL was, too wei she
knew TO what ne referred.
Miriam at this moment came rushing
back TO them, shouting in childish Rloss
and Sir Rupert caught her in his arms
ksscd her fondly and then strodeof across
the park, leaving his WIFE and daughter to
return 70 the hall without him
How the coming eyl goaSsd him no ono
ever knew, bat the pain and haunting
dread, visible on his whIte, drawn face, in
deXed struggle against decree.
Miriam looked after her father in a be-
wlldered manner, thsn turning TO her moth
er asked, with strange, impetuous air:
, ''What ais my fatherlr
Oh! how the heart of Lad Y Psrcival went
down in the depths of agonized sorrow at
the question she dare not answer. She
sank helple,sly On the sward and drew the
surprised child into her arms with prayer
such as she never yet had uttered.
And curious inquisitiveness had taken
possession of Miriam Pointing after the
retrsating figure OF her father, who had
gone OF TO fight his battle with fate alone,