The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-03-21

A-CNslt-g anu TSzu III CiSeEs nOOulatcu
tones:
"ApriI Is, Is.
This is the last letter shall Indlct 70 q
relatiEei even now / talking 20 one who
can make no response. by these few lines I
am saying farewell TO my blessed desd-aIl 1
have left TO talk 70. Mother, have been At
Heatherleigh for The last time, think: gloom
iy-desolaied Heatterle gh! l imagine up in
The shining courts Of your beautiful home you
may stll remember II, but certainly not for
. any good.
Il have forfeited all right 70 its doors.
mother, as you dreaded 1 would before you
passed away, and the respect OF its master, M
father. has gone with IL. In ali this have nor
si.ned, as God IS ny tIdgeI
The condemnation have 70 bear have
not meritsd by word or deed nevertheless /
have II 10 bear. Oh! that could have died
with thee; then the heart aches and tears
would have been unknown that now III my
bitter cup 20 The br.La-
lean return 20 the Hall mother Il beg for
forgiveness and ask pardon for the course
saw 1t 20 take. but !, too, am a Percival, and
VIII never humble myself enough to ask for
E.veEess OF one OF ny own kin simply 70 IN
Lu.ge thai hated austerity that curses my
house.
"A few hours ago bade them all goodbye,
aad looked my last on the patcrnal face full of
furious pride and naughty severity Now lam
here, mother, beside the tomb OF my Gncss-
tors; hero where you arc resting Blu. I shall
not have the privilege Of lying with you when
the shadows fall across my sun, Tor even the
repose OF my dead kindred is denied me. Nv
loi has fallen with the disinherited, and brand
ed as Cain seek the strangers home IN a
stRnr ge land
Rest yei darling mother. The boom OF the
seas VIII 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 andlov and pity me from The gates to
which trust 10 shortly come. Yet mother IL
is weu. MIRIAM PrRcTyAI, F.TRF1x;,
The sexton had finished reading the
strange, weird epistle, and in such place
1t seemed entirely in keeping with the sad,
sout-conmunion with the dead.
Sir Rupert who had kept his eyes
riveted ON the lips of the reader from the
beginning, with wild, unearthIy stare
and shrek staggered back into the arms of
the white-faced coachman and lay quite
still for some moments, giving but little
sign OF consciousness.
The frightened John held his master
tepderly IN his arms, as II he had been n
sleeping child, while the sexton chafed the
withered hands and face to hasten return
ing animation.
81 expected this" he said to the fearful
servant. 81 looked for him TO find that let
ter. Yes" he went on, as John shot an in
quiring glance At him, II knew Il was
here. You see Mrs. Fairfax visited Oak
lawn last spring, and she desired NE to ac-
company her IN the grounds as she left the
boy outside with the carriage.
Il accompanied her, of course, wondering
why she wanted me, but after 1 saw her
write that letter there on the railing and
deposit II in the bolt-casing why. under
stood You see she wanted me TO know
It was there and 20 look after it, which
have done never read II until today,
though, but / had an idea Il was some
thing awful-like, because she looked like
death itself and said, lo~ and solemn
like, shaft for shaft and 1 kinder
thought she was driven AZ revenge on
him. mOtioning 10 Sir Rupert, who now
began 70 revive.
Presently Sir Rupert opened his eyes
with 7 pitenus, appealing look in them, and
asked in whispered accents: 'Vhere is tha:
letterl Give 1t 10 me! II is al I have left OF
her-of Miriam"
They gave him the fatal note, and he ca
ressed II with kiss, and put il in his inner
coat
"Now take me home, to that desolate
Heatherleigh," " he said, wearily. 'sAnd when
1 come again shall not know aught of
earth and its hard, hard waysF'
The men exchanged significant glances
and helped him 10 the carriage. It was
with d-fdcUlLy that they managed TO get him
safely among its cushions, and when they
had accomplished Il he was so exhausted
n 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, but you must be as quick as you can
under the circumstances, or-or ven have
him 20 bring back here by tomorrow"
They turned away from Oalzlawn 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
recOlleCting something quite forgotten, he
drew from his pocket the fatal missive.
Folding and unfolding the scrap Of paper,
as one might n dream, he murmured in a
vague, desperate way: "All have left, all
have left of happiness Is death
Miriam Is gOne-gOne-gonei i had
thought tO-Jo make amends, but il is too
late; too later' And bowling his head upon
his trembling hands, he sobbed Ike child
in his great grief.
The autumn breezes came softly over the
sleepy world snd gently famed the silky,
gray hair on the aged crown; the sunset
fire famed low On the hills, and, stealing