Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-21
CLEvELAND WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER q, 1859.


odly, that Lord Oakton wheeled sharply round
10 his walk and looked at him.
"i don't know how the devil it will be done,
then | suppose you won't proceed to harsh
measures, and bring hornets nest about my
head"
There iu one way in which your lordship
can pay it," resumed the merchant, in a low
voice, "and it will not cost you a shilling
"Ah!" laughed the earl, "hows that"
Mr.. Grubb rose from his seat in a sort of
nervous agitation, and approached the earl -
give mc your daughter, my lord" no STAN
mcred IL will take her in lieu Of ALL"
The peer was considerably startled, and the
proud Chenevix blood rose, and dyel his fore.
head crimson. HIS daughter become one with
this city man, descend from her own order, and
unite herself with trader! The two stood
looking at each other, neither speaking and the
carl began to revolve in his mind the pros Of
the matter, as well as the cons Lady Grace
was no longer young--his thoughts had rever-
ted TO the eldest of his five daughters-sho
was growing ugly and very cross, for she had
been before tie manageable world forten years.
with no result. Would it be 90 bad match
for her :
The N,therleigh property must be mine
| eventually" said MIR. Grubb ~ will settle il
upon her, besides an ample income for pin mon.
ey. And your unpaid bonds for all the smaller
sums-there are many of them, my lord-I
will return into your hands Thus your debt
to me will be cancelled. and so far as / am con
oerned, you are free man again "
| "Egad, Grubb's generous fellow" cogitateJ
| the earl "and it will be a famous thing for
Grace. Have you ever spoken to her of this?
| he asked aloud.
"To your daughterl"
"Do you think Grace likes yculm
"Gracel" echoed Mr. Grubb.
Has she an inkling of thisw Is there any
private understanding between you and Grace!"
81 am not speaking of Lady Grace, return,
ed the merchant.
"Nol' repeated the earl, opening his eyes
wider than usual. "of which theul"
"Lldy Adela.'
If the Earl of Oakton was startled Mt the
first hint Of this proposed alliance, when he
jumped to the conclusion that its object was
Lady Grace, he was considerably more startled
now. Adela young, beautiful and hau ghty-
she would never have him. His first impulse
was to Indignantly reject the proposition; his
second thought, that he was ttammelod and
dared not.
al cannot force Adea's inclinations," he
said, after an awkward pause
"Noilher would take a wife whose incIinas
tions requir' to bo iorcrd," answered the
merchant in his turn.
"My Lord cried servant, entering the Ii,
brary, "her ladyship wishes to know how long
she is to wait dinnerl1
"DinneI!" exclaimed the carl "By Jove! it's
a quarter past six, Grub. Will you ioin us,
sans eCremontc?'
1t was not the first time, by many, that the
merchant had dined there. lie followed the
earl into the drawing room. Lady Oakton was
in it, little woman, all fire and Impotence
especially Just now, for ii one thing put he,
out moro than another, it was that of beipp
kept waiting for her meals. The five dauch,
tcrs were there; they need not be described =
Lady Grace, plain ia appearance, and oip ht and
twenty, was the eldest; Lady Adcla, yer,
flower of beauty, and twcnty.onc, was the
youngest,
Heres the grub again." whispered Oh,
girls amongst themselves, when they sa ~ hin
! enter with their father -Four of them stepped
forward and greeted him; Lady Adela, indo
lent and selfindulgod, did not conle4 cend I,
do either.
MIR. Grubb had gone to the uppor end of III,
room, and was speaking with the young ladies'
! ! and the earl leaned over the back of HIS wifer
chair and began to whisper to her.
Lady Oakton, the strangcst thing Grubl
wants to marry one of the girls"
"Absurd - responded the wrathful it'll,
countess.
i 80 u uoes appear, AZ the hrst blush. Bu
when we come {, look at the advanrag es--nov
do listen reasonably ior moment" broke of
the earl--''you are as much Interested ia Thu
as ] am, He will settle the Notherleigh estate
and other moneys, on her, and cancel all my
debts to him"
did he say sol' quickly cried the countess
putting off her anger to n less interested mo
ment.
"lIe did. Iwant to get couple Of thousand
out of him, toe ii will be easy enough, il W,
!, don't thwart him in this II do, you shall hav,
five hundred of il for that cursed importuninl
mIlliner woman, which will enable you all q
get new rig out" concluded the willy carl
conscious that if his self wiltd betLer-half Sc
her temper against the match, the Arclibisho
' of Canterbury himself could mover tic it int
. one,
(which of them does he wantl" ina uirad tll
! countess, snappshly, if wishing TO intimut
that though she mil ght have to say Yes it shoul
be done with an i'll grace. "IIe's talking nov
+ with-whioh Is itl-Mary."
= 81 thought it was Grace, began tho carl /
! ! a depreoitory tone; ~ took that for gr anted-
= "Dinner, my LADY," interrupted a servant
, J throwing open the folding.dOors And the ca,
started up, and said not other word II
i thought it well that his ls1 y wife should diRe.
), The news so far, before proceeding further Wit
"; Inc countess, "a hor part underst jod thS
a an was 'oid' an' that the asked. for bride wa
Lady Grace
, TT. H.