True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-03-08

uom HAL, W uellOn' AICer CnaU, as
you know, he became one of your custom
ers. When they had become somewhat
reduced to poverty, through his liberal
patronage of you, you forbade my associa-
ting with Ina, urging as an excuse, that
she was rather beneath me. When l
heard you say those words, there was hate
enough in my heart to have crushed you
where you stood, and when I left you with
out uttering word, there was nothing but
fear kept me from asking you, who made
her so?
"You knew not that we ever met after
that, but many were the stolen interviews
we had, before you brought me here to
the city, and placed me with those whose
meanness despise.
"You thought | left without even bid
ding Ina goodbye; but you were mista-
ken; for the morning we left, while the
moon and stars were yet shining, stole
over to Mr.. Mason's, and quietly opening
the door entered without disturbing any
one. They had forgotten their troubles
for awhile, in almost deathiike slumber !;
but the hard stiAed breathing told that the
drunkard was sleeping his dull, heavy
sleep; and the thought came to me, that
my father was the cause of it.
81 passed on to Ina's little room, and
bending over her, could see by the faint
light that came in at her window, that
though she slept, she looked sad and un-
happy. As I kissed her, and whispered
her name, she awoke, much surprised to
find me there. She knew I was going to
leave, and we had many things to say to
each other. tried TO CONSOLE her, with
the thought that better days were in store
for her, now that the tcmptcr was about
leaving, for I had heard you say that you
had finished your business there; and it
was but this afternoon I learned that your
vile trade was yet carried on, not by you
personally, but through your agency"
"Well May, have you finished your in
teresting lecture, to your father? Really,
I did not know you were SO eloquent
Will you tell out Of what primer you lear
ned that pretty speech 2"
Il have not quite Finished" calmly re-
piled May, "but soon will. I have seen
Ina Mason-but how that happened, can
be a matter of no interest to you, I sup
pose-and learned much that I was not
prepared to hear; though it will be no
news to you, that her father sleeps in a
drunkard's grave, her mother died broken
hearted, you no better than robbed them
of their home, and the price of it-part
lies there" and she pointed to the spark
ling bracelet upon the table. "Think you
| will wear such prize? No, I never
will"
"May, always have been master of my
own house, and intend to be still so you
need not tell what you will, or will not do;
for as long as you call this your home, you
will obey my commands. again tell you
to put on that bracelet and be ready when
I return. If you do not obey me, you
know the result; no one lives in my house
that does not own ME as its master"
May stood for moment in deep thought;
and then as her mind was made up to one
purpose, she hastened to execute it; and
when after few moments Mr.. Vernon
came back, she was not there; she had
left the place called her home, and her
unfeeling parent, alone with his wealth.
1t was no longer home to her, and she left
it without a regret, but that her father
should be SO blind to every thing good.
Mr.. Vernon did not expect this. He
supposed that of course she would yield
as-she always had done; but for once, he
was mistaken. When he became fully
convinced that she had gone, there was an
unpleasant weight settled upon his spirits,
that he tried in vain to drive away. Ht
dismissed the carriage and spent the eve
ming at home, and alone but he was moi
willing to own he had done wrong. HI
was proud of his daughter, and justly so
but too selfish to own her as his equal, aut
had never treated her kindly; but hi
pride was such that he wished her Il
outdo all of her acquaintances in dress AMI
appearance, and have all the credit fall OIL
himself. As day after day passed by, an,
he heard nothing from May, he bccom
more gloomy than ever. The bracele
which had been the cause of tue separs