The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-11

If q pretty Thames side villa near Hamp-
ton Court. She was looking up the dusty
,.bire road. shading her eyes from the
clare of the August son ami expecting
Esr father She wondered whether he
n,,,d come in fly from the station or
Xix She would have gone TO meet the
rain but il would have been no use as
.,e would have had to so alone, her aunt
hing 100 busy putting the house in order
n accompany here.
and if Miriam Heston had gone alone
70 the station she would have been terri
h,,. confused. She would either have had
- call out as the train came in, IF you
.,sase I am Miriam" or she would have
b,a 70 address all the middle-aged pas
e.rqers one by one to inquire which of
Them was Mr.. John Heiston
She was a charming picture of fresh,
innocent English grlhood as she stood
IN the sunshine in her pretty white dress
and large straw hat, her fair face wreath
"a with expectant smiles. and the dreamy
exnression which was habitual in her deep
Nine "cornfower' eyes intensified by the
grange thoughts and fancies with which
her brain was teeming at that moment,
What would he be like this father of
hers who had gone away when she was
two years old, and was coming back now
she was 1S-this father of whom no por-
trait existed, and who, though he had
sent her many a tender message through
the long years of separation. had never
written to her?
Miriam, as soon as she was old enough
10 know hat she had father in some
vague place far away, had written child
Ish letters ard given them to her aunt
D5rcas 30 send to Papa" When she grew
I'D and understood things better she still
wrote gentle. affecuonate letters, but they
had always to be handed TO her aunt, who
exnafned that she enclosed them. To
these letters there was always a reply,
but it was given her by word of mouth
BY her aunt No entreaty of Miriams
could induce Miss Helston to show her
niece her fathers handwriting.
Have you had a letter from papa,
auutie?" Miriam would say, and if the an
swsr was in the affirmative she would ask
hundred eager questions as to the mes
sAges for herself. They were always low
patient face, would take Miriam's hands
in hers and kiss her and say: your papa
sends me word that he has had your dear
letter and it has cheered him in his lone
liness and made him very happy, and he
sends you these kisses"
Then Aunt Dorcas would take Miriam
to her arms and kiss her tenderly, and
sometimes her eyes would fill with tears.
Her Aunt Dorcas was the only relative
that Miriam had ever known. Her faith
er she understood, had gone to some dis
tant place when she was quite a tiny
child, and her mother had died soon aft
erwards, and Aunt Dorcas. taking pity
on the poor little orphan had treated her
as her own daughter ever since.
They had not always been as well OFF
as they were now Miriam's earliest rec
elections were of lodging in noisy Lon
den by-street. and she had gone to a
school in the neighborhood where many
of the children were strange and rough
and most Of them very poor. But when
Miriam was about 10 a great change had
taken place 10 her aunt's circumstances.
They had moved into a pretty little house
which was all her own and they kept
servant and Miriam went to new school,
where the girls were all young ladies',
and she had new dresses and hats, and
her aunt seemed never to be troubled about
money as she was in the old days.
And now Miriam was IS, tall, beauh-
full young Englishwoman, and she was
waiting for the father whose features
were unknown to her to come back to
them and live with them, and be always
happy with them.
A woman of about 40, with a grave,
but pleasant face and dark hair, turning
gray, came quietly down the garden path
and stood beside the girl
Oh auntie!' cried Miriam, don't you
-o w ir,I- %
the station? Perhaps papa will expect US
to be there"
No. dear I'm sure your father would
rather meet you for the first time here
Il wonder will you know him, auntie?
You haven't seen him all these years,
have you?"
Yes, l have seen him once or twice
since he left US"
And you never told me! When was il?
Not lately, because if you had gone abroad
il would have taken long time, and you
have never been away more than few
days ever since l can remember.
Aunt Dorcas turned the conversation.
she evidently did not want to go into eX-
anations.
How pleased your father will be to see
YOU dear, and to find the little child be
left grown up into a beautiful young Wo-
man-for you are beautiful
Don't tell me that, Annie; you'll make
me vain. l don't care what am ;"
long as papa loves me-
Aunt Dorcas looked at her niece sadly,
but tenderly for a moment, and then with
al little sigh went back to the house aud
busted herself with the preparations for
the comfort of the returning wanderer
which she was personally experimenting.
And Miriam remained watching the long
white road IS eagerly as Sister Anne when
she strained her eyes through the dis
lance for the coming of the brothers of
L-ueoeards unhappy wife.
Presently a tail. square-built man of
about 49, came along, walking quickly in
tic direction of the villa From the first
moment that she caught sight of the mans
figure in the distance Miriam had an in
s'ntiye idea that it was her father, and
Sic watched him come nearer and nearer
\" In feversh anxiety. She had thought
ii's meeting out day after day and pre-
...- 1881. d. :.