Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-03-27

there to make II barter for his daughter.
Il hope this will cure you Of looking for a
wife in plebeian family. son Edward,
observed Lady Sophia, Your brothers have
both married woman of title nd | am sick
of advising you 10 do the same Il would
not have been convenient to them to receive
Miss Charming as a sister.in law Who
are these Channings No body. He was
nothing but country parson; it is only
since he got this chapel that even their name
has been heard of
But Miss Claiming will surely have
money, SIR demonstrated Captain llolre
passing over his mothers remarks without
| comment.
Whether she will have thousand
pounds, or whether she will have fifty
thousand, is nothing to us, was Colonel
IIoares reply. You cannot marry her upon
the uncertainty. | should never give my
consent. | tell you-indeed told you
before-that my only inducement was the
hope that she might be q large fortune --
You must give her up
'Well--it there's no help for it. don't
feel inclined to marry the best girl that ever
stepped. unless she can bring grist to the
mill
There's plenty of time for you to think
of marrying, cried Lady Sophia. Il cannot
imagine what put such thin, in Your
head. Pray forget this nonscnscal episode
of romance, Edward
Il suppose must, said the young officer
to himself. But she WIS a dcuce1 nice
girl and took it for granted the old parson
would give her lots of tin
So, little wonder that Captain Iloarc was
late. When he entered, the evening was
drawing to a close. Miss Claiming was
waltzing, in exuberant spirits-so far as
anything appeared to the contrary. lie
came up to her when she was rec. She
was standing in the recess of the how-winiow
which opened on a small terrace filed with
exotics-a London apology for ghrdcn.-
At the moment no one was there hut her
self, so they were comparatively alone.
Captain Hoare took her hand in silence
Il thought you told me you should be
here early = she exclaimed
Il did mean to be. But as things have
turned out-I doubted whether ought to
have appeared at all, and lnst time delib-
Grating. Then an irresistible impulse
seized me to come and bid you last fare
well. And why not Nobody here knows
what has passed, or will be the wiser
Had he spoken in Hebrew his words could
not have been much more unintelligible to
Miss Charming.
not understand. Is your regiment ordered
abroad =
Neither did Captain lloare understand.
Perhaps you have not seen DR.. Claiming =
he exclaimed, after a pause, as IL sudden
idea occurred to him.
Il have not seen papa since the middle of
the day
You are not ignorant dear Miss Chan
ming, that | had set my heart and mind up
on you, he rejoined. gently retaining her
| hand, and lowering his voice to IA whisper.
| 81 do not think You could hav" '"i-taL"n
my sentiments although they were only i'm
Piled
Her blushing cheek and downcast eye told
| that she had not.
And now to have these delightful hopes
knocked on the head by two Grabbed old
fathers is almost more than mortal ought
to stand. can only hope you will not feel
as do
A cold shiver of dismay ran through the
heart of Margaret Charming. Il am not
quite sure what 1t is you mean she tal.
tered
What blessing if there were no such
thing as money In the world My father
called on DR.. Claiming ii is afternoon to
open negotiations. and the two must get
differing about the base-metal part of the
transaction. 50 he came hnma, land his
embargo on me, and ordered me to consign
you to the regions of furgcttuness. You
will, no doubt, receive the same command,
as to me, from DR.. Claiming. The unnat-
urally hard stuff that fathers are made of =
She could not entirely prevent the ex-
preston of her wounded feelings strug-
Cling to her face. Captain lloare Jaw il
paleness and spoke with more feeling than
he had hitherto displayed
Dear Miss Claiming, am deeply sorry
for this termination to our valued friend
ship | should have been proud and happy
to call you my wife, and that may not do
so is, believe me, no inuit..of mine. We may
not act against circumstances, but shall
regret this day to the last hour of my life
And now | will say farewell it j. painful
to me to lnger here, as it must he painful
you
!, He wrung her hand and quilted the rooms
and Margaret Channing's spirit sank with
} in her. Confused visions of the true heart
she had thrown away for nothing rose be-
fore her in bitter mockery On came W
and claimed her for the dance she did MOI
know what she answered sIYe TINT 1t WA
an abrupt refusal. She sank down il
q sort of apathy, and presently she dis
cerued her father making his way towar'
her.
suppose you are not ready to 60 home
Margaret =
, 'Oh yes | am, papa. My head aches witt
the heat, as it did yesterday in church.
t shall be glad to go.
Then say good night to Mrs Godingham
t and come.
e Thankfully she muttered to herself
r Anything to be alone
4 ITptI tbau ,vara nasrlv at home DIR
: Claiming was silent, leaning back in hi
n corner of the carriage. 1t was in sigh
p when he raised himself to speak.
= "A pretty sort of high and mighty fr
e low that Colonel Hoare is Do you KIN =
d what he wanted
n No was Margaret,s answer.
Wanted me to undertake to give 20
d twenty thousand pounds down on your We
!, ding day, condescendingy intimating thu
e it might be settled upon you, | told HIM
should not do it that what would come
10 you would come at my DEATH and not b.
fore
And then, repeated Margaret. in Low
IS apathetic sort of voice, what did he say
Then he sttfy rose, said the proposal
le had hoped to make on behalf of his 81
1t must remain unmade, and So marched ou
Id They are proud, stuck-up set, Margaret
er We are better off without them
Yes. Perhaps we are
n, You do not regret it, childl' he added,
% shade of anxiety visible in his voice
= Papa, do not regret Captain lionro.
IS do not really care for him
70 H.
he 1t was foggy day in November, sixte
no CT seventeen months subsequent to the
10 bove events. The dusk of evening W
drawing on, and Margaret Claiming sat
n front of large fire, her eyes fixed dreami
no on the red GOALS. What did she see
he theml Was she tracing out the fatal IN
take shehad madel She had b,en II sadt
mt and wiser girl since then.
Never but once since had she seen Adj
el. Granger; and that was at the house of
ii l. 4 e,I l.,p in