The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-07-14

and they saw it move as it was tried
from the other side, but the door was
still locked.
"Opcn, Lenore-it is ~ said a stern
voice from without; and the summons
was emphasized by a heavy blow on the
pannel of the door.
"Oh, Varrcl, 1 dare not disobeyw
said Lenore, in an agonized whisper.
d" Hide yourself behind the curtains (;
perhaps he may not know of your pres
cnce here; and when he shall have gone
to his own room we must plan your
escape. Hush! not Il word. Hide I!
hide!
"Why this foolery of locked doors ?"
said he who now came in. Am ! to
be barred out of my own rooms by Il
child like you?"
"The night was so dark, and-and l
felt so lonely, and-and-'
And--and you did not expect your
father back so soon?" he said, mimick-
ing her tone with a sneer. :" Is it not
so, you whitc-laced jade?"
"Indecd, papa, /" pleaded the
trembling Lcnore.
"Don't prcvaricate, girl !" he said,
with savage stamp Of the foot. "Come,
now, you will tell me next that you
have had no visitors-eh ?"
"Indccd, no, papa" said Lenore, with
painful eagCrncss.
"Bccn quite alone ever since [ left
home this aftcrnoon?"
"Quite alone, papa"
A faint dash of color was coming back
into her checks by this time; she began,
perhsps, to hope that after all this ques-
tioning his suspicious would be aliaycd,
and he would go to his own room. If
such were the case his next words must
have undcccivcd her terribly.
"You lie, girl-you lie!" he said, in
q voice whose stcrnncss was not without
tremble in it; and as he spoke he
touched Narrcl's hat contemptuously
with his foot, which up to that moment
had lain unhceded on the floor. "Oh,
that child of mine should ever live to
deceive me thus !" His clasped hands
and uptumed face seemed to appeal tC
Heaven against the falschood that had
lust been told him but the next instant
the look of anguish died from off his
face, and his features settled back into
more than their former harshness as he
strobe across the floor and flung back
the curtain, behind whose folds Narre
was concealed. Behold the proof! !!
he cried. "Behold the damning proof
| Oh, LcnOre!
For II moment the two men stood eye.
| ing each other in silence. Lenore, with
pitiful cry, fell at her fathers feet, but
he needed her no more than if she ha(
been a stone.
In the father of LenOre I beheld the
original of the picture over the drawing
room mantlepiece; only he seemed
older and moro grizzled, and his tca
lures more deeply marked with the cary
ing of Times chisel than in his portrait
| He had on a sort of military undrcS'
suit, with pair of heavy riding-boot:
and spurs, and Il short heavy whip il
his hand.
"This, Sir Derwcnt Narrcl, is an un
expected honor" said Colonel LomOnd
in Il tone of unconccalcd irony, rs he
made the baronet Il sweeping and core
monious bow. Pray-pray let me bes
of YOU to emerge from an obscurity st
uncongenial to one of your enterprisine
disposition. That is better, Lenorc
child; let us have little more light on
the sconc-it is a pleasure to look on th'
face of an honest man-and we may
perchancc, need it all before we have
done. More light, GIRL do you hear
And now, perhaps, Sir Derwent Narre
will favor Us with some explanation
amy, the most simple, will, of course, dc
for me-of how he came to be hidden
like Il common thief, behind the curtains
of my draWing-room."
Varcl's pale olive cheek flushed deep
ly at this little speech, and IL dangerous
light began to glitter in his eyes as h'
stepped out of his hiding-place, and al
vanccd into the room.
"Colonel Lomond shall have an OK
planation rs simple rs he desires" ht
said. Then he stopped to refresh hi
nerves with pinch Of snuff.
"YOu are aware, sir" he resumed
"that love your daughter; that sevcra
months ago | would fain have made he
my wife; and that your consent alone
was wanting to such union.
Precisely So" said Colonel LomonC
in the iciest of tones, aS he balanced tho
handle of his riding-whip between hi
thumb and finger.
"Nou might prevent our marriage
sir, but you could not keep us from low
ing one another" said Sir DerWcn
proudly.
"In other words, my daughter haC
still sufficient respect for me to rcfus'
to wed you without my consent; bu
you had not sufficient respect for he
to refrain from using your infiucnc,
over her weak girls will to induce he
TO deceive her father, and consent to noe
turnal designations with libertine lill
yourself. Love! The word is sullicC
by coming from such lips as yours. Nor
and /, Sir Derwent Narrel, had higl
words together six months ago, and
told you then that | would rather Sc
my daughter lying in her coffin thai
welded to such one rs you; and thos
words | repeat again Tonight. Com