Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-21

his head away with an absolute groan. H
went to the window and stood starin
blankly at the drawn blind. Miriam KEEP
sobbing on, and at last he once more ap
preached her.
''Try to compose yourself" he sal
hoarsely, and as he spoke she turned roun
and caught him by the hand.
"Oh, James, l am 80 miserableiso so utterly
miserable, "she cried raising her tear-stainec
face, and looking with her dark eyes up tt
his. But he made no response. He though
she was miserable because she was parted
alike from her sister and the man she
loved! But Miriam was not il
truth thinking of Hugh Farrars
1t was her husbands hardness ant
seeming indifference that cut so deeply
in her heart. He dropped her hand from
his nerveless grasp; once more be turned
away, but as he did so Mrs Clyde raped al
the room door and entered it to summon
him to follow Joan Conray to the grave.
She too was crying bitterly, and Sir
James, after saying few brief words o.
coincidence, hurried from the presence OF
the weeping women. Downstairs every
thing was equally sad. The gray-haired
General with his bent head and stony face,
and Colonel Clyde, and Sir James were the
only mourners This was by the especial
desire OF General Conray. And thus unos.
tentatiously Joan was borne away from her
husbands house, leaving behind her g
broken hearted man.
|
| To the extreme surprise of both Colonel
and Mrs. Clyde. after the funeral was over
Sir James announced his intention of i'm
mediately proceeding to town. He was
Obliged to go, he said.
''But how can you leave Miriam in such
distress?" asked Mrs Clyde.
81 have no choice, must CO." answered
| Sir James with reserve in his tone that
Mrs. Clyde by no means approved Of He
had in fact made up his mind it was impos-
sible for him to stay. He could not now,
alter he had seen Miriam's bitter grief for
her sister, inf1ct any fresh pang on her
knowledge OF Dare's suicide reaching her
ears by chance. She might, perhaps, never
hear it; at all events he could not tell her,
and so two hours alter his arrival at Tye-
ford he went away.
He saw Miriam for few moments to say
gcodby before he did so, and fonnd her
completely broken down by her heavy sor-
row.
81 will write,' he said briefly, in great
agitation, and after he was gone, with a
moan Miriam turned her head upon her
pillow, feeling that all his love for her was
indeed gone tor ever
"And for poor Hugh's sake I must still
keep silence" she thought; "Joan is at
rest, but he is living still"
And the next few days were more miser-
able ones alike for Miriam and Sir James
Mrs. Clyde could not conceal her anxiety
from her daughter to learn the cause of Sir
James sudden departure from Tyeford, and
this added to Miriam's pain on the subject.
And in the meanwhile, Sir James heard
from Scotland that the deceased soldier
Dare, had been identified by the Captain OF
his company-Captain Escourt. The ad-
journed inquiry before the procurator-fscal
had been held, and the details were in the
public papers. Would Miriam see them?
Would her father tell her of Dare's death,
of which he was sure to be now aware, Sir
James anxiouslv asked himself. But the
third day after he had left Tyeford, these
questions were answered, for he received
an imperative summons from Mrs. Clyde to
come to Miriam's sick-bed.
"Come at once" the telegram ran,
''Miriam is seriously i'll; do not DELAY"
This left Sir James no choice He must
either go to his wife, or announce to her
parents that he had parted from her. He
meant to exchange into regiment on SER
vice in India, and leave Miriam behind
him, and thus with as little pain and scandal
as possible to Colonel and Mrs CIvde, he
intended to separate from his wife. And he
understood the cause OF her illness only too
we'll, he now told himself She had seen
the account of Dare's death in the papers,
and the blow had been too heavy for her to
bear But still he went to her; there were
many arrangements to make with her be-
fore he could start for India, regarding her
future life aud maintenance, and it was bet
ter that these should be done personally.
Perhaps, too, he wished to see her; wished
TO learn the truth of the early story that
had ended so tragicallv in the Glen of
Strathloe. At all events, he started for
Tyetord half an hour after he had received
during the evening. Mrs. Clyde met him
as he entered the hall. and the expression
on her lace was very grave.
81 telegraphed tor you by Miriam's ex-
press DESIRE" she said. "She has been
very ill, and is most anxious to see you the
nom ent you arrive"
Il will see her," answered Sir James
with agitation, and he at once followed
Mrs. Clyde to his wife's room. Miriam was
in bed, propped up with pillows, as he en-
tered the room, and she put out wan
hand to greet him.
You have been ill?" taltered Sir James.
VINO was snockeu at tne cnange In Mlrlams
face
"Yes," she answered, family. 'Mother, |
will you leave US? she went on. II wish |
to see him alone
And as Mrs. CLYDE quilted the room |
Miriam once more put out her trembling |
hand.
James," she said, "is it trUe-true what |
I read in the papers here" and she drew a |
newspaper from beneath her pillows as she |
spoke, ''that Hugh Ferrars-Hugh Ferrars,
W HON You knew as Dare-was found dead |
In the Glen OF Strathloe after I lett Scot
land?"
is true"
Sand you knew this when you came to
Joan's funeral? He was dead then ?''
'Yes."
"1hen, now you shall know the TRUTH"
continued Miriam, excitedly. raising her
self up in bed, and fixing her sunken eyes
on her husbands face, 'the truth of the
dark and bitter secret of my life"
Sir James did not speak.
There is no need for silence now, at
least to you," said Miriam, with increasing
excitement "They both are dead-Joan
and Hugh Ferrars-the truth cannot hurt
hem now.'
"But what was this man to your sister?"
asked Sir James, sternly, for he thought
Miriam was trying to deceive him. "Atter
what saw with my own eyes"
"Hugh Ferrars was nothing to JOAN"
Miriam, eagerly; ''nothing-he
was my lover, as you know; the lover of
ny young girlhood, from whom I was
parted by terrible act.
What was it?"
Il will tell you, I must 60 back to the
lime when L was Young girl of II inst |
rom school, when 1 went to pay nv first