Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-20

II CoxCiUDeD.1

AS
now n wosEsp ArD HOW IT snDEp.
eya ooxolUDsD. :
oh, becauss nobody knows who
they ass, OF Whist they are.,> Il 10 said
u .vas . talow chaadlss, end had .
largo fortune left him. They have
Just that cut. He has taken large
house near ~. I don't know them,
you know. By the way, you doa't,
/ hopel'
mo, / don't know them.'
oh, that is right. That sort Of or
ig.Aal ways makes one suspicious.'
Quietly - Jessie bad disclsimed &C
.qaaintance with the Chessemans-
there was such . sudden tumult IN her
heart, and such . stingiug in her ears,
that for the next five minute she heard
not . word her companion said.
There goes my father!' suddenly
cried Richard. He 10 looking for you,
know. Let's follow him; you have
70 be introduced to such . lot Of peo-
pie. must be off too, or We shall
have the Romlcys falling foul Of the
Cheeseman's, and there will be blood
split. Come along
They fastened away to the lawn.
Everything wore gala air their
The visitors we're arriving fast; .
splendid collation. was laid out in one
Of the tents, and band of music was
playing under the mulberry trees
The forthcoming archery fete at Hale
Fields had been the talk of the neigh
borhood for days past.
Jessie was an object Uncomfortable
interest TO the guests. She was said
to be . sort of ward Of Mr.. Hale's,
and very rich; also there was some
mystery about her fortune. Had they
known that it was q half sovereign
lent, vsars ago, by Mr.. Halc's father to
Zsbedee Peck, the hop-picker boy,
that had laid the foundation Of this
came fortune, they would perhaps have
manifested less enthusiasm; but, being
ignorant of this prossic fact, several
persons were very eager for an intro
ductiou.
And now the festivities commenced.
Jessie was no archer, but she stood By
and watched the sports; we'll pleased
with her old friend Mary Hale, who
carried off the prize of the day.
Then followed the luncheon in the
tent, and Mr.. Hale's funny speech
when he presented the oak leaf crown
to his daughter.
After that came a dance upon the
lawn, when Jessie was his lordship's
partner, and when the band from Can
terbnry, under the influence of Mr.
Hale's home brewed, played such ex
hilerating quadrille, that lit was e.
nough to set the very cows in the
neighboring fields doing L 'ete aud La
Poule.
Blithe, however, the music sounded
to the merry-makers, there was one
ear, not far of, to whom it brought no
mirth.
On the lane leading to Hale Fields,
. solitary man was standing, with
stern, downcast face. 1t was Richard
Mallet who, for the last hour had psc-
ed backwards and forwards in the
lane. Six years had passed since he
had seen his daughter. During all
this time, he had kept to his resolu-
ton Of never interfering with her edu-
cation, and had never presented him
self before her eyes. He had q pur-
pose ever in view from which he had
never swerved.
He had come down to Canterbury
by coach overnight, and finding, as he
expected, that his daughter had that
day Quilted school, and gone over to
Hale Fields with her guardian, he had
followed them 10 order to carry out
the purpose he had so long medita-
tod.
It was only within the last hour that
his heart had failed him.
Though Richard Mallet looked old
or and sterner, he was much the same
man at heart. Time, however, had
wrought some changes in him Tho
still in the prime Of life his hair was
tinged with gray, and his face had q
harder look than of old. lie wore q
better coat now, and had black silk
neckerchief fastened loosely round his
throat.
The horns and bugles of the cspter
bury band swelled over the gardens,
and the wind carried the hum and
laughter of the guests to his ears.
For the twentieth time he stopped
before the gates. aud for the twentieth
time he turned away again.
At last, with an angry exclamation,
At his own irresolution, he opened the
gates and entered!
Mr.. Hale won't be able to see you
to-day, my man-he's engaged, and he
can't attend to business, called ont
the lodge keeper as he went through
the gate.
MY business Amt with Mr.. Hale
said Richard, looking At the man,
whose red face showed that he had ia
ken good care of himself in the gene
raj fcstivity.
oh, it's the back door you want, is
It! Take that first path, then, to the
right
The man spoke with An iusolent
cir.
But Richard kept in the broad walk
and wext on as before. Suddenly he
came to = stop. He had heard his
own name pronounced by some one
behind the high laurel-hedge at his
side.
40 Aalletl All, that's her name. Is