Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-03-09

hOn0r OF MI EV4rettS mana aitOgetnef
'Zounds" exclaimed The old gentle
man, what do yod mean!'
'Wha. say. iather.' replied Alice;
cannot marry Mr.. Everett. Away
dsiked him, and now his indelicacy il
urging his suit with you against IN,
wish, in treating me as mere puppet. II
be disposed Of a, the will Of others, with
out any reference to my own feelings
has increased thNdisIike to absolute alb
horreuce. Oh father, be mercful! anc
do not command me to marry him.
You cannot deliberately wish to make
your child wretched for the rest Of hel
life, little as you love her.
What nonsense is this!' cried Mr.
Gardner, almost gasping with amaze.
men, at the resistance offered to his i'm.
perious will, by the victim Of twenty
years systematic tyranny. Mr. Everett
Is in every respect a suitable husband for
daughter OF mine, and as he does you
the honor to continue his addresses, even
after the Insulting manner in which you
first received him, | order you to beha We
in a becoming manner. A. your peril
dlsobey me-
oh father father cried the poor
girl throwing herself on her knees at his
feet, and bursting into tears, have mercy
on mel Do not condemn me to such
misery! He is harsh and parsimonious,
and / cannot love him Give him the
money for which he desires to mary me.
would gladly sacrifice all TO escape
from being his wife. Let him have it,
and let me 90 away and earn my own
bread. | can teacn, and can work, and
anything would be preferable to being
the wife of man whom hate and loathe
from my very soul.
The fathers answer was an oath, ac.
companied by a blow which felled her to
the ground. She arose bewildered and
dizzy, with her hand pressed upon her
bursting heart, she toltered from the
room.
Go to your own room,' he roared after
her, 'and there you shall remain upon
bread and water till you come to your
senses
Alice had often before experienced this
mode of treatment for the recovery OF
her senses, so that the order did not pos
sess even the excitement Of novelty, but
it reused in her breast for the first time a
vigorous aud determined spiri, Of resist
ance. AS she went passlvely to her prs
on, she turned Tor one moment in.o a
room where some carpenters had been al
work, and hastily secre,ed screw.drve'
in fold of her dress. She had barely
time to do this. when she heard hei
fathers step coming up the stairs. Ht
followed deliberately to her bedroom
door, but before locking her up he de.
manded for the last time, whether she
chose to obey.
i cannot father was her reply: 'in-
deed | canno, marry Mr. Everett
With sneering laugh, Mr. Gar dne'
shu, the door, locked ii, and put the key
in his pocket.
When the sound of her fathers reced.
ing steps had died away, Alice produced
the tool from its place of concealment
and without making the slightest noise
tried if she could turn the screws that
held the lock upon the door; for the
house being Of rather ancient date, some
Of the upper rooms had. fortunately ior
her, escaped the modern improvement o
having the locks hid in the woodwork.
i wonder if | shall be strong enough
to do it,, she mut,ered. Yes despair
gives strength to the weakest. The
screws are all loosened, and carefully
turned back again, and then the precious
little implement is hidden in the darkest
recess OF large closet
Again Alice listens at the door. for old
experience has made her cautious and
suspicious. There is no sound IN the
passage. She hastens to take advantage
of what dayl'gh, remeins Qor she knows
that no candle will be allowed her i'll the
evening) 10 place i'll readiness a black
dress which hangs in the closet before
mentioned, together with a cloak. anc
bonnet, the remains Of a mourning sui,
long since discarded. Then she selected
a single change OF lnin. which she mad,
into a compact parcel and when al
these little preparations were completed
she safe by the open window. aud gazed
,hough,fully into the square, where tht
gasligh,s were beginning to glimmer.
There she remained I'LL late in tht
evening, when her father unlocked the
door, and let in the starche old house
keeper, who, in expectation OF a place II
his will as reward fer her faithful ser
vices, consented to be his ready tool il
all his acts of tyranny. She brough
Alice few slices Of bread and glass
of water, and went through the evening
ceremony of setting the room in order
wi,hou, u,terng a word. Mr. Gardner
who had remained as sentinel at th'
door, locked it and went away also ii
silence.
Alice had watched the whole proceed
ing with an air OF apathy, and wher
they were gone she sat near the door
and listened to the sounds in the house
which indicated that all were retiring II
bed.
For several hours Alice remained il
the same place, and in the same posture
only. when the clocks marked the hour
as they passed, she sighed and claspe'
her hands tighter.
One-two-three o'clock. She ros'
and took the screw,driver from its hidln:
place. The Screws were one by one re
moved. and the ears Of watch do!
would hardly have detected sound
The door stood open. She was almos