The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-09
A ConIEDY IN TWO ACTS.
By MRS. s. A. WEISS

sionp" ,..,la ..i, ~
Honor, father, forbids any other"
stDo you mean to say, sir, that you
are engaged TO The grip" |i' P =
'sNot exactly. I await her. deci-
sion." .raiaa -l.-
"Then you've proposed?"
s;I have, asir!2TA9IlGU1 N,3E
"And you are resolved TO marry
Miss Cameron, and not Miss Dash
wood2p rai,rsi;i =, @ r.
eff Miss Cameron, will accept me. =
every well, sir-yery WE'LL This is
your gratitude this your filiaI duty,
you seH-wiIled, ungrateful dog, in
return for the trouble I've had with
you-the efforts I've made to secure
for you the best match in the conn
try. Here is a fine, handsome, dash
ing young woman, rich and belong
ing to one of the first families of the
country, whom you throw aside for
the sake of a pale-faoed chit of q
clergyman'sed edaughter---" 81
s'Father!" iRIic5S Ta>-r
ssDon't father me, sir--don't in
terrupt me don't speak to me again!
Get out Of my sight but remem-
Der! the day on which you marry
Lena Cameron you will cease to be o
son Of mines I'll disown you, I'll
disinherit. you cir, and leave all I
have to the new Orphan Asylum.
Such was the scene enacting in
Squire Chester's parlor-a scene fre-
quently presented upon the stage to
sympathizing and delighted crowds
an irate father, portly, red-faced
and loud-voiced, with hands beneath
coat-tails, a Ia Pickwick, and eyes
glaring wrathfullys through gold-rim-
med spectacles upon handsome and
undutiful son, bent upon wedding the
object of his souls idolatry against
irate fathers wishes. Yet in this in
stanceiitJwasino mere acting, but on
the part of each serious and resoiute
earnest. - .'r ..~ Yer "i
To add to the dramatic effect, at
the. moment in which the squire's
last'words were spoken, fair, deli
cate-looling girl,, who was about en-
tering the room, catching the sound
of the angry voice, paused an instant,
with her hand on the:door- knob, as
if hesitating whether to. enter. And
thus it happe pened that Nshe heard her
own name coupled with the threat
already mentioned. y
She turned then, and glided swiftly
up the stairs to her own room.
Locking the door, she threw herself
on couch, and, burying her face in
the pillows, remained o long time
quite motionless. She did not weep,
but when she at length, arose, her
face was very very pale, and her
sweet blue eyes had haggard look
of suffering, painful to witness in one
so young ars3' -a
Seating herself at table, she drew
toward her o writing-desk, and wrote
as follows:
':DEAR COUSIN PHILIP: Since our
interview of yesterday, I have
thought the matter over, and come
to the conclusion that it will be best
that we should not marry. Do not
blame =, me-do not question me,
even. nLhaye reasons which I cannot
explain; but act as I think will be
best for us both. @ - - LENA"
"Where is Miss Cameron?" ques.
tion Philip of the servant who hand
ed him the note. i
"Gone over to Elmwood, sir, to
her amt, Mrs. Page. I heard her
say she should stay there until her
return to the city in few days"
An hour after, Philip Chester was
on his way to Elmwood. The path
was lonely, leading through seques-
tered wood, and he was consequently
little surprised when, at an abrupt
turning, he came suddenly face to
face with q young lady-very tall,
very handsome, and attired in rich
riding-habit and floating plume.
Philip lifted his hat respectfully,
and would have passed on, but the
lady paused full in the path before
him. or ~. =
=, Excuse me-you are Mr.. Philip
Chester"
He bowed. .gfr
"And I am Josephine Dashwood. ,
In his surprise, he scarcely knew
what to say. s.I did not know
was not aware Of Mics Dashwood's
being in the neighborhood."
dare say not. You were ex
pecting, perhaps, you and ,youl
honored father, 10 behold me for the
first time at the residence Of nv. re-
auantad uuoIa and e,napd;a,, cI;v,S,,1,,