Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-03

do as best we can; It's = dull day. pray
God it may be dark, dull night
IA nice thing to pray about" rejected
Ford, looking ct Miriam's pale, excited
face. 81 wish it was over, I am sure, she
said.
Miriam did not speak, and her hopes were
realized as regards the day. The weather
wind blew and dashed the heavy rain
against the window panea But Miriam
scarcely needed the storm outside. Her
heart, too, was tempest-tossed, torn be-
tween the past and the present; between
love and duty; between fear and certain
wild hope Of happiness in again being
clasped in Hugh Ferrars' arms
Once more, Ford, when she came to assist
Miriam to dress for dinner, urged her not to
attempt to 60.
'It's perfect storm outside, Miss
just blown off your feet, and the seas rag
ing; / would not try to 60 on such .
night"
"Yes, am going" answered Miriam.
She was very pale, but Ford saw BY the ex-
preston Of her face that she was resolved,
and that it would be useless to make any
further attempt to prevent her. Miriam
had indeed arranged everything fol- her
meeting with Hugh Ferrarx She had
placed the s200 which Sir James had given
her in a secure packet, and in a-small gold
locket she had put q curl of her shining
hair. She meant this as q parting gift to
Hugh Ferrars: token of their old love to
carry away with MIN into another land
And the unstaying hours passed on, until
the drawing room clock on the mantel
board chimed the half hour after ten, and
then the Colonel, as was his usual custom,
rose.
'I wish there may not be some loss at sea
tonight" he said. "You must not get
start, Miriam, if you hear the signal guns"
"Oh! hope we won't hear them, father"
she answered, and then she presently bade
her parents good night, and went to her own
room, where she found Ford awaiting ner.
cts fearful night, Miss Miriam" she
whispered. "Banks thinks there will be
some wrecks before the morning."
Its dark and stormy" answered Mir
lam, placing her lighted candle in the
window; $50 much the better; no one will
see us tonight"
1t was cold, and Ford's white teeth were
almost chattering in her head, partly
through fear 1t Wes such . terrible risk,
she thought risk not only to Miriam, but
also to herself For she knew that if this
meeting were discovered not only would
Miriam probably lose Sir James MacKen-
non, but that she, Ford, would certainly
lose her place. But Miriam never faltered
She placed the packet for Hugh Ferrars in
the bosom of her dress, and laid q dark
waterproof on the bed ready to wear Then
the two girls stood quite quiet, listening to
the sullen roar of the sea, and the gusts of
wind and rain that swept round the COM
mandant's house with unceasing violence.
They heard, too, Colonel Clyde and his wife
go upstairs; heard their bedroom door locked,
nd how nto6 n pth Tba
nearly conceive minutes more to wait
and then they must start downstairs, and
Miriam 60 out and face the bowling
storm.
And the minutes passed-passed slowly,
Miriam thought, as she stood ready with
her waterproof wrapped round her form and
head. She did not speak; she pointed with
her finger when the dial of the little jeweled
watch told the hour. Then Ford opened
the room door and they passed silently out,
Ford closing it behind them. Down the
stairs they glided in the darkness and
through the-unlit passages, until they came
to the back door of the house. This Ford
opened, and as she did so fierce gust of
wind swept in and nearly forced the door
out of Ford's strong hands.
'Oh, don't 60, Miss Miriam" " she whis-
pered.
81 must" answered Miriam, and the next
moment she was facing the storm.
1t was all she could do to bear up against
it. The wind blew hither and thither, her
waterproof tapped, the rain beat on her
face; but, with sort of desperate energy
she went on-on through the rain-soaked
garden, on to the roadway outside it. Here
the wind rose to a hurricane, and she had to
turn and cling to the garden rails to sup
port herself She was still clinging, unable
to proceed, when she heard q step behind
her, and the next moment someone put his
arm round her
'1s this really You, Miriam7" said Hugh
Ferrars' voice.
"Yes, Hugh. what fearful night" she
answered, breathlessly.
'Terriblel I never expected you to
come"
81 came, Hugh, because" said Miriam,
still breathlessly, s'because have brought
you the money to 90 away-it is here"
II will not take it. %
''Oh! you must, you must" cried Mi
riam, passionately, now clinging to his
arm. "Hugh, you are not safe here; can
not rest night nor day for thinking Of it;
and there is enough here to buy your dis
charge and for you to 60 away, right away
out of Englandi Hugh, this Is our last
meeting on earth-after this We must sec
each other no morep'
"And you think would take Sir James
MacKennon's money!" said Hugh Ferrars,
bitterly. 'You wish me to be out of his
way"
ooh! do not say so! I wish you to be safe;
I wish the-terrible memory of that night |
to be blotted OUT
"That will never be to me"
"You were not to blame-you thought your. |
self justifed-hut, Hugh, it is done, We can |
not recall the past; let Us try to live 1t |
down-to forget it; and this cannot be while |
you are in England, while you are here"
81 will! not take Sir James MacKennon's
money to go away, Miriam; if you loved me
you would not ask me to degrade myself
At this moment such a blast of wind |
swept over them that they were both nearly
carried off their feet Hugh Ferrars held
Mirianis arm fast, but it needed all his
strength to do so.
"What a nightP' she cried, pantin with |
her head upon his breast
"a fitting night for us to part" said
Hugh Ferrars; Gin storm and darkness-if
this is indeed our last parting, Miriam"
She made no answer; she clung to him
while the storm ragged round them and tho
sea roared below. Then suddenly through
the darkness came q flash and the boom of
heavy gun.
''Oh! what is that?" asked Miriam, in .
terrified whisper.
"a ship has struck on the rocksi It ID
The signal to call out the life-brigade Hark,
and you will hear the Queens ship in the
harbor answer it.
They listened, and from the harbor came
the answering gun.
'Oh! I must go!' cried Miriam; IT dare
not stay-the soldiers will be turning out to
help, perhaps my fatheri Hugh, as . last
request, take this pack et-there is some of