The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-30
HER MOTHERS PRIVATE SECRETARY.

HER MOTHERS PRIVATE SECRETARY.
''Miriam,'' said Mrs. Old6eld,
"there is just one more letter to write.
1 have left it till the last because it
will let you into family secret; a
very happy one, dear"
The mother smiled fondly at her
handsome daughter, who sat in a low
chair at her side. The girls face
flushed, she bent her head over a note
book which lay in her lap, and turn
ed a pencil nervously between her
fingers. The soft autumn breeze
from the open window blew her brown
hair into tendrills, and it clustered
softly about her white neck. The
mother sat for moment, watching a
rosy flush ebb up to the white fore
head.
rs there no chance for Arthur,
Miriam 7" she asked gently.
The girl lifted her head with an
naughty gesture it was an odd
movement which characterized her
as a child. The mother had often
laughed at it in the little girl; now
the pose seemed to belong superbly to
the tall, splendid woman. Miriam
looked into the loving eyes bent upon
her and shook her head with perfect
decision. Mrs. Oldfeld smiled.
"Well | to the letter, DEAR" she
said. address it to Robinson w.
Hawley, Esq, 242 St. James Build
ing, New York"
Miriam's fingers moved quivering-
ly across the paper.
My Dear Mr.. Hawley."
Mrs. Oldfeld paused and put her
hand across her eyes as if she were
thinking.
"This is not an easy letter to write,
Miriam. 1t is hard to give away one
of your own, no matter how much
you trust a man,"
The girl sat gazing into the sum
shiny garden.
1t is just like one OF mothers S
droll, original little tricks to break
the news to me in this fashion," she
thought. Mother never does any
thing as one would expect her to-"
A smile lowered about her lips while
she put into rapid shorthand charac-
tiers her mothers dictation.
II can assure you, my dear Mr..
Hawley, of the complete surprise
your letter brought to me. Of course,
1 say yes, since the happiness of one
so near and so dear to me is bound up
in such an answer. No one so we'll
as I can tell you how wisely you have
chosen a wife. The loss in our home
of one who is so dearly loved I can
not yet realize, but know that when
/ give you my sister Elizabeth, T."
Miriam dropped her pencil and gaz-
ed at her mother with whitening
face. She sprang suddenly to her
feet. The notebook fell to the floor.
Mother p she cried, with long,
sobbing breath, "do you mean Eliza
beth-our Elizabeth"
Yes, DEAR" said Mrs. Oldfeld,
"hadn't you guessed it?"
"My-aunt = Elizabeth 7" The
girls question was piteous whisper.
"My daughter !" cried the mother,
whats the matter ''
Miriam had sunk upon the low
chair. The mother drew her gently
to her arms as if she were a child
again and caressed the ripping brown
hair.
Doesn't it make you happy, Mi
riam? - she asked. II think it
would, dear, if you knew him as well
as we do"
"He is-he is not worthy of Aunt
Elizabeth !" cried the girl passion
ately.
Miriam, what do you know about
Mr.. Hawley! You have never met
him."
81 know-but nobody is good
enough for Aunt Elizabeth. Mother,
please excuse your private secretary.
I'm going for a tramp. I've got to
be used to be left alone in the fam
ily."
Mrs. Oldfeld sat gazing down the
country road after the retreating fig.
ure of her daughter. Miriam was a
creature of moods, occasionally
thoughtful, but oftener merry and
radiating sunshine. "Was it jeal-
ousy?" thought the mother wonder
ingly. Her sister Elizabeth, who
was only two years older than hel
own daughter, had come into hel
| home at their mothers death and the
children had grown up together with
such bond of affection as exists be-
tween few sisters. Mrs. Oldheld had
rare wisdom in the training of chill
dren. In Elizabeth she found one
temperament. The child cared fol
nothing but music. So every advan'
tage had been given her. Her own
daughter had shown such wonder
full love of housekeeping that in hel
training the mother carried out some
thoroughly original ideas. AS soor
as the little girl learned to write in.
telligently she had proudly taken the
place of her mothers private secre