Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-11-20

would see him and there would be a
quarrel, for another she replied. He
is bad man. Ii you angered him he
would kill you if he could
Who p
My father. He insists upon my leav-
ing you, and returning to France with
him, where he has been for the past FIVE
years. she went on. 'He has sold me !
Sold you?'
He has gambled me away to my cous-
in, a son of bis brother. Though un-
principled, be is strictly honest about his
gambling debts, and he has promised that
fellow that l shall be his wife. He told
me this one night about three months
ago, surprising me in the garden for that
purpose, and | bribed him with my watch
to allow me to stay few weeks longer.
AS he did not appear at the appointed
time, | had begun to hope that l should
not see him again, bat tonight he has re-
turned, and | must go with him.
| laughed scornfully.
Don't you know that he cannot force
you to this marriage ? said.
ALLEN Wharton, you do not know my
father. | never knew him to fail in do
ing thing he had set his heart on in my
life. He is exceedingly bold, unprinci-
pied, and possessed Of an iron will. l
am but straw in his grasp. As truly
as you live and | am unmarried to-mor-
row night, he will have me on board
steamer bound for France
'But you can choose me as your legal
guardian, and | can prevent it,
He would laugh in our faces, he has
mocked the law all his life. He would
outwit you were you to place me under
a thousand locks and keys. Even if you
evade him for a few months, it would be
all you could do. l am almost Of age.
See here: what can hope from the
owner of that 2
She took a small miniature case from
her pocket, and handed it to me. Itcon-
tanned the face of bad man, indeed.
Bold, evil, dark, and unfinching. The
eyes were like those of devil. The
mouth seemed jeering, even in its repose.
Your cousin
is thief liar, gambler, libertine
and a coward ?
/ turned from her, and commenced |
pacing the foor-my old habit when
troubled. Suddenly my foot struck
against my brothers cap, which had fal-
len from the sofa. stopped and picked
it up.
Lucy said l, stepping before her,
you said if you were unmarried to-mor-
row night your father would have you in
his power. Will you not marry Leslie
you know that he loves you
DO you advise this ? she asked look
ing at me earnestly.
l hesita.ed. Why did l? The mar
riage of my children, as l called them,
had been my fayorite plan year before.
What was l thinking Of as stood there
looking at her-my heart beating like a
weight of lead? was slowly realizing
hat it would kill me TO see Lucy married
to my brother.
No do not advise you to marry him,
unless you love him. If you dol
could go no further.
But do not my dear guardian; and Z
will never wrong him by becoming his
wife
She said this firmly. The motive q
which induced me to utter my next words 1
was incomprehensble to myself, 1
But you acknowledge it to be your Y
,nly choice. 1t is the better evil of the +
wo. You cannot be unhappy as Leslie's u
wife, for -
ALLEN Wharton p she exclaimed, i'm.
,eriously, you do not know what you i,
re saying Then, almost transfguring
lersef by her manner, she cried, How v
an y0u urge me to this? 0, how can P
ou? f
Her glorious face intoxicated me, for
read her heart in it. thought at that
loment | could, and would, have annihi- II
lted heaven, if it had been between her b
nd me. caught her to my breast with W
lid, passionate kisses. There was no -
hame for herself, or fear for me, in the
yes | looked into. She dared to say to 9
le-I love you, Allen, before | had U
,oken a word. She was mine, mine ic
would have torn the mans heart from
is breast who dared dispute it.
There was a quiet marriage ceremony !"
the dear old library by the gray morn as
g light. A pale sunbeam stole in at th
e window, and glorifed the white brow w
my Lucy, as the words-'I pronounce f.
1u husband and wife, echoed through y
e silent room. A moment after, bull
t whizzed past my face, and shattered iC
q glass door Of my cabinet. We OF
rang to the open window through which =,
had nassed. bnt there was no one in =