Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-23


The rest Of that day passed like dream to
Blanche; she. felt the sinister toreb9diqgs
of what was to happen; she knew the oni-
inous meaning Of city rttmors. On the fol-
lowing morning she rose late, and was silr-
prised to find that her father had left the
house. This surprise, however, gave way
when she happened to glance 9t the morn
ing paper, which lay open ON the breakfast
table. Right there, in thefront of the pa
per, in sickening prominence, We're the
words: "Failure of Millionaire! Enor-
nous Liabilities! Flight of the Markhams
Father and Sonw L.'
Poor Blanche could read no more; her
head grew dizzy; the paper slipped from
her fingers; she was only conscious of the
voices of the. servants in the room, and was
carried to herown room in swOon.
For weeks her father sat mOOdily at his
own table, speaking only occasionally to
his son. He was annoyed to find that the
unhappy eclatrotssemem had produced such
an effect upon his daughter; he wasindig-
nant chat she loved Charles Markham now
-nOU, that he was beggar, and even fel-
on in the eyes of the world. The proud,
brich man looked upon his daughters abne-,
J. CATION Of her. love as a necessary conse-
quence of the failure, and, he felt that TO
| persist in loving poor man was setting at
naught his parental authority. Harry
Egerton said little about the great financial
crash, except that he could not believe his
| friend was as bad as he was painted. q ~
| And Harry was right. IN the course of a
| few weeks letters of old Mr.. Markhams
were found which entirely exculpated his
son from any share in the catastrophe, and
proved that when he went to Albany he
| did so without the slightest knowledge of
the true position of the firm. He had gone
at the instance of his father, who, in his
/ letters, confessed himself unable to disclose
| to his only boy the real state of affairs, and
| therefore wanted to get him out of the way.
| When. Mr.. Egerton heard this, he ex-
pressed himself eoldly. At any rate, he
! said to his son, as they sat mt the dinner
| table together, young Markham is now a
beggar. Besides, what had become of him?
| Why did he not show himself? His keep
| ing out of the way did not look very, We'll
Mr.. Egerton thought. aUzs a,.. -s...,-.,f,
| Slowly Blanche Egerton grew better
| from the crushing blow which had come
| upon her the day after her lovers depart
ure. Her organization was delicate. the
doctors said, and she required very careful
treatment. In short time she was able to
be about the house; but she seemed no
| longer the same light-hearted, happy girl.
| The pleasant musical laugh, which used TO
| thrill through the house at a passing jest.
] had changed to an ominous cough. She
went from room to room, apparently with
out an object. Indeed, poor Blanche was
crushed to the eartf by the weight of this
cruel blow. Her greatest happiness, the
love of Charles-that happiness by the side
| of which all otherappeared tritling and in
significant-had been suddenly taken from
| her. and she now seemed to herself to live
i a purposeless life. #
| 1t would have been better had she con-
\ tinued to believe that the world Thought
| Charles Markham scoundrel; but her
! brother glad to give her some little COM
| fort, told her how his character had been
cleared, This, poor girl, added the most
| poignant regret to her already crushing
i anxiety. She sat for hours together, think
! ing of her lOver-trying to imagine where
| he could be-what he was doing-whether
/ he still loved her. At such times she would
burst into bitter tears, and lay her beauti-
full head down in an agony of grief. Thus
did her life pass for weary months-her
bright color was almost gone--and still her
father spoke of Charles Markham as u beg
| gar. ."" I'D ...' p J.'
| One afternoon, shortly before the dinner
hour, Blanche was sitting alone in the din
| ing room-they were to dine alone chat day
looking pensively into the garden through
the window. Her father had just arrived
and was engaged in his dressing ROOM
when the door bell rang. Time was when
she would have started up, flushed with
pleasant eagerness, at that sound; but now
it had no interest for her. She did not look
up, therefore, until the door of the dining
room opened and then it was that she saw
Charles Markham, who, relying on his
former intimacy, had persuaded the SER
want to conduct him to the room where
Blanche was, unannounced.
His face was very pale and thin; he look.
ed haggard and weary. All this Blanche
saw at glance; but it was Charles-her
Charles-and, with a joyful exclamation,
she sank sobbing into her lovers arms.
''My own dear Blanche" he said, caress-
ing her beautiful glossy hair-"my dearest
IBlanchew $50.
1t was as well that he said thus little, for
ljust at that moment Mr.. Egerton's heavy
footsteps were heard on the stairs, and in
moment more he stood, pale and aghast
at the door.
Blanche chung closer to her lover as she
heard her father but spoke not. She only
sobbed the more heavily.
''Release my daughter instantly, sirH
were Mr.. Egerton's words when he hat
recovered the use of his sspeech, temporarily
| Idhcll away NY JllC SuuuCulCSo VI young
Markham's appearance.
"Mr. Egerton,r replied the young man
II exerciseno restraint upon your daughter
A few months ago she was betrothed to me
by your consent. To-day she, of her own
free will, renews to me by this act, the
promise of her love" I'5" '' ''.''
Mr. Egerton was paralyzed with indig-
nation and astonishment,, He did not
command his daughter to leave young
Markham; he turned all his wrath upon
the young man.
"Do yo1 dare to aspire to my daughter
hand, after what has passed, sir?" hC
asked. H IuF1t RIA no. vol 9-a-
-7'I do" calmly answered Markham; ''bu
| / donot upon the same terms as before
My position is'changed, it is true bu
the time may come when | can earn on,
for myself Until then / am content to
wait, and Ibelieve Blancheis too.n tf,
Alffesh embrace, adeeper sob, were he
only responses. sHt hns uaiIMa-rlb
l"Never ~ cried the old man, passionately
and with an oath. ''Leave my house, in
stantly, or ---l1"o 10 70 yadu' tol 5eg' 10
He did not finish the sentence, TO
Charles interrupted himJ8dl ss3i Al fai2V
J"I will leave your house, sir,H he said
81 have not misjudged youf0character,1--
4 looking stefnly at the hard features of thC
! -oldman-''noryours dear Blanche 'sgentlS
raising her head and heading her to tn,
sofa. ST go now, but doubt not that shall
! return ."0f tp .'rpF1 9hj lis 1a-..,..,.,.
He gently raised her hand to his lips
and as gently returned it. She appeared
perfectly passive, but her sobs were loude
| II ,aod. 1,