The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-27

looking with vacant stare into the
| fire. For a minute or more she sat
and gazed at him in silence; then, alb
ruptly-and her voice had strange
sound as itstruck on the silence-she
said
Fatheri we cannot bear this. We
must do something. Can we not go?'
He started, and looked up nervous
."Gol What d ye mean? Go
where?'' he said. -.s-,''....-..'f.... .-s'.t.
'Anywherel What does it mat
ter" she anwered, passionately.
"Out of the country if you like. Any
where-out of the reach of that man. =
But can't Pris," he said, with a
tremulous whisper" he d follow me !;
he'd find US out in tn ends o. the
earth!" 4s8a av ai s1e.I
He might not" she answered,
through her set teeth. TRY, father!
Let US go. Why shouldn't we go to-
night? Let us get the start of him,
and thered be chance at least Fa-
Their, she cried, and she struck her
ciasped hands on her knees, for God
sake let us gol''
I cant, | can't" he only moaned
again. IT'S easy for We, Pris; ye're
strong and young, but L m misera-
BILE old man: / d die upon the road.
And how could / go and leave all /
have, We fool? He'd be after us like
a bloodhound, and traek~us DOWN.
1t nd be better to die here. if we must
die. Lord! Lord it I'D be better to
die here" -a.a
She sat rigid as. he moaned and
rocked himself. Something must be
done. That one thing alone.was clear
to her through her misery. She sat
still and erect, and it was he who left
Off his wretched moan first, and spoke
to her. He looked up slowly in her
face, with spark of stealthy cunning
in his bleared eyes, and he said, sud-
"What are ye SO wild to go for?
Ye could save US if We liked by a word
O. yer mouth
She turned upon him sharp, as he
spoke. ~ - 81
by what word?" she said.
q There was something IN, her face SO
wild, startling, and terrible, that his
own fell cowed before it, Instead of
speaking at once he began to fawn up
on her, stretching forward and paw
ing her dress, and laying his withered
hand upon her knees.-,a ass s =
''Ye know, Pris, ye know what il
is; We know what he wants. nv lass"
he said, presently. He tried again to
look into her face, but second time
he WINGED before the aspect of it. and,
shrinking down. could only twitch her
drosS md 1waxx- L.~-~Ip 4. L
as he muttered his AFFECTED prayer.
Pris,. yell do. it to save yer old
father? lis little thing to save a
life7a very little thing. o, PrisI
vel. say yes, will we not, my CELL?
He ii tire O. We presently, and leave
ye free; yell not be troubled with
him long. o, my lass, yell say yes,
and save me! Yell never see yer old
father hanged for the want O. word
o yer mouth 2"
He hung about her, whining and
moaning. every finger of the hand
with which he grasped her knee,
shaking with eagerness.
She had sat, still as any stone. She
let him clutch and fawn upon her,
and never moved; her rigid face was
Ikea dead mask, nothing in it bear
ing the look of life except the dark
agony of her eyes. When she spoke.
her words had as hard tone of mis-
cry In them as ever rang in living
voice
You want me to marry him that l
may save you; to marry him, is that
it?' she said. And would that do
it? Has he ever said sop
Said SO! he's said it a hundred |
timesp the old man answered, with |
fearful eagerness. There's nothin'
elsell do it. He's mad for you, Pris.
Moneys nothin'! he'd take all have
and ask for more afore he'd got it
in s pocket But he wants ye, Pris.
And yell say yes to him?" he cried,
himself over her again,
with his old craven whine. 30, my
lass yell not leave yer old father to
be hanged?" 9
For Gods sake, hushr" she only
cried.
She gathered herself together, bow
ing down her face upon her clenched
hands. There was a long silence
tor I'VE minutes or more, only broken
by the old man. murmurs as he sat
looking at her. Then, at the end of
that time, he began like a coward to
try nirouse her by reproaches.
lis because I've said hard word
to We now and then that We won't do
it, he said we've got a cold, un-
forgivin' heart, Pris. Some day, per-
haps, yell stand yerself as I'm stand
in now, and yell know what trouble
is; and, if We do. may We have CELL
o. yer own to treat ye as ye're treatin'
mel Yer own father, and ye won't
keep him from tn gallows. O, my
ASST he cried CHANGING hack 70 a