Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-05-30
MICHAEL

had enjoyed veritable triumph.
Her face was flushed and smiling. and
she still held In her hands the great
bououet Of roses her favorite flower
which had been given her as she left
the platform. She was recalled to her
surroundings by the voice of her maid
Fanchon.
There is a telegram for madame on
the table" she said. Denise picked 1t
M; II was addressed to Mrs. Fielden. {"
which was unusual. She was known
70 the London world and her friends as
Madame Elena" She opened 1t sharp
ly. 1t was brief and to the point:
IT think 1t Ia right to let you know
that the boy is seriously in.-Michael I"
UnconscioOkly she crushed the mess
age In her hand. and her thoughts flew
20 the Lincolnshire village where It had
been written. She saw again the fiat
fen-land, the long stretches of empty
wastes, which she had grown to loathe.
almost to fear; all the grayness and bar
renness which were 20 antagonistic to
her gay, beauty loving nature. Then the
scent of the roses Smote her sharply,
she saw the luxury Of her own sur
roundings, the signs of taste and mon
ey everywhere, and turning to the maid,
she cried:
Bring me an A. r. c. and pack a
bag. l am going into the country"
Shall l attend, madameT
mo, l don't know how long shall be
i
as she thought of the fashionable
French maid in the bare manorhouse
with old Hannah for company.
II wonder II he Is really very liz"
she pondered. as she sat In the train
II think Michael would scarcely have
sent for me unless he were. The meet
ing will be as awkward and uncomfort-
able for him as for me. Poor little Mich
ael-what q name to give a child!--I
wonder what he lie like now? He was
not a pretty or interesting child. l re-
member he was always crying"
There was no one to meet her when
she arrived, but that she did not expect
though the village fy had been sent to
the station on the chance Of her com
ing.
After a drive OF nearly an hour she
recognized familiar gateway; she re-
membered the old coat-of-arms cut in
the stonework though she could not see
1t now, with the motto, II live! der
Yes, that was all the Fieldens had been
doing for generations. 1t was a decay
ing race, and they had not had the en-
ergy, or perhaps the power, to stop the
ruin that was creeping on them, and
the man who lived there now had grown
sour and bitter with his baked life.
Master s upstairs" old Hannah said
Instantly, in reply to Denise's greeting.
He. hoped you would excuse him COM
ing down, but the child is very restless
tonight, and can't we'll be left. If you
will please to sit down and take some
she opened the door of a room where q
frugal meal was lard.
II don't want anything, thank you"
Denise said, hastily. II will go up at
once If / may" and before Hannah
could raise any objection she was half
way up the stairs
She heard q murmur from the oak
bedroom, where the head of the house
was always born and where most Of
them had died, and tapping lightly on
the door she went In. No one had heard
her, and for an instant she stood as
great room It was! And how solitary
those two figures looked in 1t!
Il am sorry to trouble you" the man
said, getting up as she moved. Il am
afraid you have had long, firing jour
ney; but thought you ought to know"
You did quite right" she said, thick
~. What pitiful, little shrunken form
It was, looking almost lost In the vast
oak beOstead, of which 1t was a tradi-
ton that each successive Flelden should
carve a panel DO that 1t had always
seemed to Denise a weird resting-place,
belonging to the dead rather than the
living. She had woke up more than
once on a moonlight night fancying
ghostly fingers had come back to- finish
what here and there had been left in
complete.
oh. you poor little soul!' she cried,
sob in her voice, and the next mo-
ment her arms were over the bed, and
the little figure was gathered to her
breast, where she crooned over 1t, call
Ing her baby, her little Michael, whom
sne had treated 20 badly, approaching
herself and showering soft kisses on
the wan face in the same breath.
He is very weak; you must not ex-
La. fnnlA