Middletown transcript., 1902-05-10
,TEPHEN. NJ BIighsl

- ?
/ mean Miriam, your cousin il you IKE.
tsMy cousin whether | like or not
mother. However, do not object to tn
relationship which is perhaps fortuna1
since it is something which cannot .
denied"
81 wish it might be ignored, Stephen.
81 suspected as much. But why9 l
she altogether impossibleT
.sShe is, / imagine, altogether impossl
BILE. She called this morning while Wa
out and left this, and Mrs. Bright HANDED
her son card bearing the penclle'
legend,
tMiss MIRIAM BRIGHT,
Stenographer for GRESHAM 4 GRESHAM
'T'm glad" continued the lady, THAT
since Billings took her message. she hat
the grace to seal the envelope. As t.
what she is like, Billings described he
as "A red-haired young woman wearing
blue shirt waist and black skirt Only
fancyp'
The young man looked amused as h'
replied,
billings description would seem tt
leave little to the Imagination, but red
haired'is comprehensive and may, from
Billings point OF view, include every
thing from blonde to auburn. The fac
that she wore blue shirt waist and
black skirt" the young man paused
smiling.
"Well," urged the lady.
ssWell," resumed her son, isn't that
the regular uniform of the Office girl? u
course she must consider the exigenciet
of life at Gresham & Gresham's; or her
dress may have been incidental to the
temperature; 1 think l might enjoy .
shirt waist myself to-day, or even ki-
mona and bare feet like the members OF
Stevenson's household among the Sa-
moans."
''Stephen, l find you tiresome. Depend
upon it, your fathers niece is q Vance.
She is a Vance, Stephen, instead of a
Bright. If she were right minded per-
son she would have consulted US about
her future instead of learning one Of
those dreadful machines and-and sitting
dayn to it in ridiculous shirt waist
under our very eyes!'
The lady spoke rapidly and with height
ened color. -
zone OF those-a-machines?" ques-
toned Mr.. Stephen Bright, pausing in
his task of cutting the leaves of quar-
terly, while smiles played around the
corners of his mouth in spite of his effort
to be in sympathy with his mother.
30, I seer' he continued, "she may
run typewriter also. But believe she
calls herself stenographer.
'It's quite the same thing as far as We
are concerned. She has vulgarized her
self and, as Mr. Bright's niece, her con-
duct compromises us. She has no rela-
tives but us and it will appear that We
have discarded her and that she is obliged
to earn her living. Then to come to us
with her business address, Are those
Greshams our Gresbams Of 0akhurst?'l
''They are"
"Another complication How will it
seem TO have Donald Gresham, your OK
ford classmate, telling you that Miss
Bright, your fathers niece, is an en-
ployee in their Officer"
Excuse me, dear mother, il l remind
you that the Greshams, father and son.
are gentlemen, and incapable of dis
courtesy toward either Miss Bright or
ourselves. But this discussion is to no
purpose. You doubtless know, mother,
what fathers wishes were concerning
Cousin Miriam, and think we should
try to carry them out. Don't your"
"She had made it impossible. Your
father intended to bring her here on her
graduation, to give her every social ad-
vantage and to settle her handsomely on
her marriage, if she married, or to give
her home. He had, believe, further
rather Quixotic plans for her, but, as l
say, she has chosen for herself and we
must make the best of it."
Mr.. Stephen Bright stood for moment .
irresolute, then saying, every well,
left the library, but presently
returned with hat and gloves in hand to
say:
81 shall be home to dinner and quite
it your service this evening, dear mother;
goodbye for an hour or two."
He left the house and went at once to
he office Of his fathers lawyer. :.
Stephen Bright had been at home but
wo weeks after an absence of six years. :,
on his graduation from a 4
Western college he had gone abroad to !,
Ike post graduate course at an English :,
niversity. Here his parents had visited !,
On several times, but on their return, .,
ow two years ago, his father was stricken y
ith paralysis and died after few days !,
total inconsistencies. Stephen was q,
by cable to attend the funeral, u
ut the message missed him, as lie had
0AVCO OH q tOui Va ttlC AllQ n,
ached him in company with second =
.blegram from the family lawyer, saving = !,
le funeral obsequies were over, the "
ouse closed and his mother gone for a = "
st in her cllildhood's home. He was -
lvised to finish his travels as his father ~
sd planned.
He returned to find himself stranger ~
many of the happenings in his own :"
,me. OF bis cousin Miriam, he knew :.
at she had been left penniless orphan y
fifteen years of age the year he went :.
road, that she had been placed in an =
lstern boarding school and later at a ~
ading Woman's College from which she
d been graduated but a couple of =
Onths previous to his return home. ~ ~
He knew she was considered brilliant q,
holar and that his father had been very "a
nd and proud of his only brother's ii,
ly child, and was surprised and pained tn
learn that his mother seemed to dislike
3 girl whom che seldom mentioned but le,