At the Mercy of Tiberius

owly tearing into shreds the tear-stained letter, freighted with passionate prayers for pardon, and for succor. Rolling the strips into a ball, he threw it into the waste-paper basket under the t

s into two glasses, and as he raised one to

ur journey; let me insist

neither wish n

own here, and answer a few questi

ook he

xcuse me, I pr

ust beyond his reach. Instinctively she stooped to pick it up, and in restoring it, her fingers touched his. L

t I want a goo

ainty nails, and delicately rounded wrists with their violet tracery of veins. It cost her an effort, to abstain from wrenching herself f

ssed his face, a

ur role of pauper; and you don't look a probable outcome of destitution and hard work. Your han

e put them behind her, a

some time past, you have provided for your

lling drawings used for decorating china, and wallpaper. At one time, I had regular pay for singing in a choir, but

onish the world with a wonderful picture, which shall d

g western sky, where distant pine trees printed their silhouettes. Now her

distance the wolfish cares and woes that have hunted her, ever since she became a widow. A

dient child, is certainly entitled to no filial instincts; and some day the strain will te

y God eternall

old man drummed on the table, wi

ducate

ear f

e two of you. Wher

e he is, but I think in the far West; p

his bread? By daub

t is his own affair. We have not

herits the worthless

n his resemblance to you, sir; and to your

some child! I am not surpris

, and he is very handsome; not i

d a covert smile stirred the General's lips; but as he put

er me a dreadful,

de no

wer

ather, means so much to me, that it shall sh

Beggarly foreign professors wiped all that out of the minds of wealthy girls at boarding schools-

words; and I ended my mission by del

e as a vindic

great deal more; but now, like the Queen of Sheba,

is lion-like he

do. Shake h

thank

will not

efer not. I lo

s my only child, and an heiress; but you are ignorant probably of the fact that when she returned to boarding school for the last s

mother

ent ring, she forgot her promise to him, her duty to me, her lineage

rthy of any princess! Unless you can refer to him respe

hreatening fate, and her uplifted arm trem

are loyal to

ore. You could pay me

I started to bring my daughter home; but she ran away, a few hours before my arrival, and while, hoping to rescue Ellice, I was in pursuit of the precious pair, my wife relapsed and died-the victim of excitement brought on by her child's disgrace. I came back here to a desolate, silent house;-bereft of wife and daughter; and in the grave of her mother, I buried every atom of love and tenderness I ever entertained for Ellice. When the sun is suddenly blotted out at noon, and the world turns b

rd only of

ey was squandered befor

aris. I was old enough when it occurred, to remember ever afterward, the dismay an

rning her, and that was, that I might be able to forget her so completely, that if we should meet in the Last Judgment, I could not possibly know her. I assured her she need expect no

me to sit in judgm

provided liberally for her once; can you expect

ter's claim; but as a heart-broken sufferer, you cannot deny her th

embled, and Beryl covere

se with vines and flowers; so after a time, I married a gentle, pure hearted woman, who made the best of what was left of me. We had no children, but she had one son of a former marriage, who proved a noble trustworthy boy; and by degrees he crept into my heart, and raked together the cinders of my dead affections, and kindled a feeble flame that warmed my shivering old age. When I felt assured that I was not thawing another serpent to sting me for my pains, I

n a letter of my mother's returned unop

and that even at my death, she would receive no aid; and since that endorsement, I have returned or destroyed her letters unread. My Wi

its harsh excited tones. Just then, a muffled sound attracted his attention, and seizing

dne

that jarred the whole room; and came slowly back to t

at Ellice is now a miserable woman, I have no doubt; for truly: 'Quien se c

ranted that you intend some thrust at my

and you-being unluckily her daughter-will share the punishment. If 'fathers WILL eat sour grapes, the children's teeth MUST be set on edge.' I repudiate all claims on my parental treasury, save such as I have given to my son Prince. To every other draft I am bankrupt; but merely as a gentleman,

that I should come here. I could not summon my brother, because I have no idea where a letter would reach him; and with no friend-but the God of the friendless-I am before you. There is one thing I ought to tell you

t was never strong enough

e her restless, and I heard her sob. When I tried to relieve the suffering, she cried bitterly: 'It is not my poor body alone-it is the gnawing hunger to see father once more. He loved me so fondly once and

eyes shone, like silver lamps; and for a moment

l whom I love, I think, sir, that even you would pity me so heartily, that your hardened heart would melt into one last far

stabbed my pride, dragged my name through the gutters, broke her doting mother's heart; and now, I tell you, she is as dead to me as if she had lain twenty-three years in her grave. I have only one message. Tell her she is reaping the tare

ack tin box from the depths of the vault, carried it to the table, sat down, and opened it. Near the top, were numerous papers tied into packages with red tape, and two large envelopes carefully sealed with dark-green wax. In removing the bundles, to find something beneath them, these envelopes were laid on the table; and a

s. Here is the exact amount. Henceforth, leave me in peace. I

hing than the touch of his gold, and only the vision of a wan and woeful face in

pale cheeks a deep purplish crimson, and sh

n for my mother's benefit; and so help me God! I will not owe it to you one momen

ding to the library, but raising his

t. There is o

cushion, had darkened and turned very yellow, but time had robbed in no degree, the lustre of the magnificent sapphires coiled there; and the blue fires leaped out, as if rejoicing in the privilege of displaying their splendor. "This set of stones was intended as a gift to your mother, when she was graduated at boarding-school. The time fixed for the close of the session was only one month later tha

f his youth, and the lovely vision of their only child? His eagle eyes were dim with tears, and his

for her sake, I don't feel quite easy about leaving them to Prince's bride. Your mother never saw them, never knew of their existence. They are very valuable, and the amount they will bring must relieve a

than the proceeds of their sale could bring comfort. I would not

, if I am spared in future all reminders of the past. Put them in your

except my bask

pet near the library door, and

eserve far better parents than fell to your lot. Before

I could not pos

er meet again. Good

ll only give me just one gentle, fo

eeth, and sh

, I hope God will be more merciful to your poor soul,

ed pro

of the door, when he poin

gh that rear entrance, and close the glass door after you. A side path leads to t

rtain had been looped back, her last view of the gaunt, tall figure within, showed him leaning on his stick,

ding emotions. Recollecting that these spice censers of Autumn were her mother's favorite flowers, she stooped and broke several lovely clusters of orange a

e apron and running toward her; but at that moment his steps were arrested by the sudden, loud and rapid ringing of a bell

per air. Under the elms, swift southern twilight was already filling the arches with purple gloom, and when the heavy iron gate closed with a sullen clang behind her, Beryl drew a long deep breath of relief. On the sultry atmosphere broke the gurgling and

epart until 7.15, she was beguiled by the brilliance of the sky into the belief that she had ample time, to comply with her mother's farewell request. Mrs. Brentano

the "branch" border, and hurried on to the cemetery. When she reached the entrance, the gate was locked, but unwilling to return without having

istled with lance-like points, between the dust, of her ancestors and herself. In one corner rose a beautif

skirt away, she ran to the wall, climbed over, after some delay, and finding herself once more in the open road, darted on as fast as possible through the dusk, heedless of appearances, fearful only of missing the train. How the houses multiplied, and what interminable

re the reflector of the headlight, and another, who whistled merrily, burnished the brass and copper plati

is it?" c

-forty

l me I have mis

ehind time on account of hot boxes, but rolled out just twenty minutes ago.

e, but having no watch, I was forced to gues

ee the old

r, and after a mome

ngton's nick-name al

he next trai

til 3:0

lly studied the railway schedule, was with feverish anxiety expecting her return by the train, now many miles away;

e, she resolved to allay all apprehensio

ph," and approaching the operator, Beryl asked for a blank form,

elay. All will be satisfacto

at afternoon, only thirty-eight cents. Where could she spend the next seven hours? Interpreting the

blocks off, where you ca

r to rem

eight, and re-open at half-past two, which gives p

ations by leaving the wa

pt the Night Train Despatcher, and the switch watchman. Still if it will oblige you, miss, I will not lock up, and you can doze away th

uch. Where can I

ountably hot tonight, and I never knew anything like it in Oc

d away; the engineer stepped upon the locomotive; a piercing whistle broke suddenly on the silence settling down over the whilom busy precincts, and as the rhythmic measure of the engine bell rang farewell chimes, a pyramid of sparks leape

essages passed to other stations, and only the switch watchman was visible, sitting on

ducted her toward the suburbs. She knew that a full moon had climbed above the horizon, and some malign Morgana lured her on, with visions of cool pine glades paved with silver mosaics, and balmy with breath of balsam; where through vast forest naves echoed the melodious monody chanted by the red

wo cows toward town, stared at her; then a wagon drawn by four horses rattled along, bearing homeward a gay picnic party of young people, who made the woods ring with the echoes of "Hold the Fort." The grandeur of towering pines, the mysterious dimness of illimitable ar

of a locust; and she intended, after resting for a few moments, to return to the station-house; but unexpected drowsiness overpowered her. Suddenly aroused from a sound sleep, she heard the clatter of galloping hoofs, and as she sprang up, the horse, startled by her movement, shied and rear

a stranger. Have

, s

afternoon at 'Elm Bluff,' I thought

on her faultless features, he thought she looked the inc

dly away in the direction of the town, carrying an indel

the tempest had risen, and before its breath the shreds of cloud flew like avant couriers of disaster. Already the lurid glare of incessant sheet lightning fought with the moon for supremacy, and from a leaden wall along the southeastern sky, came the long reverberating growl of thunder, that told where the electri

lashed fitfully, and finally vanished, as the blackening cloud swept over the face of earth and sky. The watchman dozed on his post of observation; a porter slept on a baggage truck under the awning, and as Beryl peeped into the telegraph office, she heard the snoring of the operator, whose head rested upon the table close to the silent instru

pass; while the lightning glared almost continuously, and the roar of the thunder was uninterrupted. Now and then a vivid zig-zag flash gored the intense darkness with its baleful blue death-light, followed by a crash, appalling as if the battlements of heaven had been shattered. Once the whole air seemed ab

a gentle shower droned on the roof, and lulled by its cadence Beryl fell asleep, sti

purple fruited grape vines, and Bertie was crushing a luscious cluster against her thir

ll daylight, 'cepting it

is tha

it don't stop here; it goes on to the water

is the

down the track, afte

tion buildings. The rain had ceased, but drops still pattered from the tin roof, and a few stars peeped over the ragged ravelled edge of slowly drifting clouds. By the light of a gas lamp, she saw an old negro man limping away, who held a stick

ie! B

g from cross tie to cross tie to avoid the water, but when she ca

from her, and while she stood irresolute, puzzling over the problem, the through freight train dashed by the station and left a trail of sparks and cinders. To avoid it she sprang on a pile of cross ties beside the track, and when the fiery serpent wo

time i

well have locked up as usual, for

I d

her susp

old tea, thinking you might relish it, but you were

ked about outside. Wh

l. Were you exposed

I was

e another; passengers collected in the waiting-room, carriages and omnibuses dashed about; then at 2:50 the long train of north bound cars swept in. With her shawl and basket in one hand, and the odorous bunches of chrysanthemums clasped in the other, Beryl stepped upon the platform. She found a

t her eyes, rejoicing in the belief that her mission to