The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-29
le causes him to urge on this

| marrisge!"
.Is it ?" said Lowder dryly, and with q
strange smile full of sneering bitterness.
"My experience has been widely different
| from yours, Tressilisn. Did | ever tell you
of my father ?"
| mo. | took it for granted that he is
dead"
perhaps he is. l don't know" SAID Lowder,
with a reckless laugh. But if he is living,
he is scoundrel Don't start, Tressilian,
at my unfilial speech. Wait till you hear
my story am in desperate mood to-
night. This storm stirs up all the bad with
in me. As nearly as | can discover, my
father was the younger son of a proud old
county family"
"You do not know, then q asked Tressil-
ian, pressing his companions hand.
IL have no proofs of it. All positire!y
know is this. My mother WAS of humble
station, pretty. with blue eyes and an apple
| blossom face, and tender. sppeaiing ways.
She was the daughter Of wIcow, residing
at Brighton. The vidow, my Grandmother,
kept a lodging-souse, and my father, gay,
dashing yopag fellow, came to lodge with
her. A. might have been expected, he fell
in lore with his landlady's daughter. He
offered the young girl marriage, on condition
that the union should be kept secret until
his affairs frightened and he chose to
divulge it. The young girl loved him. Her
mother was ambitious and penurious. The
result was the lover had his way, and mar
ried the daughter of his landlady quietly,
almost secretly. Then he took his bride to
London, to cheap and obscure lodgings
where, year latter was born
The wind for moment drowned his voice
AS it presently lulled, be resumed reckless
ly, and with pass bitterness
"For years mother and lived in those
stuffy, obscure lodgings until her bloom had
faded, and she had grown thin and war
and nervous. My father visited US at stated
seasons, once or twice a week, but he never
brought any of his family to call upon US.
doubt if his aristocratic relatives even sus
pected the existence of the faded wife snC
son of whom he was secretly ashamed.
have good reason to believe that he had fine
lodgings at the west end, where he wal
supposed to be a bachelor, and that he wen
into fashionable society, while my poo
e mother and l lived obscurely. He was
protiigste and q roue, but he had an air o
fashion that awakened my boyish admira
, ton, and aroused my mothers sffectionat,
!, pride II him. She was always pleading II
be introduced TO his relatives, and to havt
her son publicly acknowledged. But u,
father always put her off, saying that he wa,
not yet ready. Worn out and dispairn z
my mother died when l was ten years old
Again the wind shrieked past, egsiI
the little vessel lurched, the sea sweeping
her deck.
The captain screamed his orders tt
his men, and for q few minutes disorder re
signed.
"a nasty bit of weather !" said Lowder
And bad sky y
"Yes, but I've seen as bad" returned
Tressiiinu. "We shall make port sill night
never fear. We must be we'll on toward the
Cape di Gallo. And its Only seven miles
from the Cape to Palermo
But the seven miles in this storm are
worse than seventy IN good weather. These
coasts are dangerous, Tressiian."
Lowder shuddered as he surveyed sea and
sky.
'Bu. about your fa Their, Jasper" said
Tressilian, who had become deeply interest
ed in his companions story. "Wbst did he
DO sitter your mothers DEATH"
II remained at the old lodgings with our
single ole servant month or more, my
father visiting me several times, and ex'
pressing anxiety as to what he should do
with me. A week after my mothers death
ne told me that his brother was dead. &
month later, his father was killed by being
thrown from his horse. Ny father came into
riches and honors by these deaths. At last
deciding to rid himself of me, he took me
down TO Brighton. 10 my old grandmother
Her sons we re dead; she had given up keep
ing dodgers, and was grown misery. lie
promised her five hundred pounds year &c
keep me, and to keep slso the secret CT my
+ paternity. solemnly promising TO ackno"l
edge me some dav as his son and heir. The
old woman agreed to carry out his wishes
She would have done anything for money
| never saw my father again. I went to
school, grew up, and at the sge of twenty
one came into my grandmother money, the
fruits of years OF saving, she died st that
time. My father had deliberately abandon
ed me. | did not know where to seek him
if | had wished to. | took my money aad
came abroad. | had been two years on tbs
Continent, aud had spent my little fortune
, when | met you. The rest you know"
IAN odd, romantic story But why did
your father abandon you ?"
"That he miab be freed of encumbrence
to make grand marriage. From what my
grandmother said at different times. | con
cluded that my father was in love with 4
titled lady before my mothers death. No
doubt he married this lady. If he lives, this
: lady's son may be his acknowledged heir
Ny father has utterly disowned the son Of
his hasty, il-starred marriage. l have 9
fancy that I shall meet him some day." and
Jasper's brow darkened to deeper black
7 rtap1 oh of op
receiving justice at his hands
"What is your fathers name, Jasper ?
asker Tressilian.
Lowders face darkened He bit his lily
savageiy.
"W hat I have told you about myself
, learned from my own observation. or from
. chance words of my parents and grand
mother. My mothers maiden name was
jeanette Lowder. At our London lod gings
my father bore the name of Lowder. / don
know his real name, but should know bis
face anywhere, although l have not seer
him in thirteen years. Ny mother was &C
tuslly married, Tressilian, but Inever heard
my fathers name. TIE clergyman who
married my mother was dead; the witnesses
also. When my grandmother was dying
she tried to tell me the story
she hRu put IL on TOO long. All tnA'
| could understand of her mumblings was
the name of Devereux. l shall never for
get that name-'DEvEREUxp Probably
that was my fathers name-my own right
full name. But as | should never find him
if ] sought him, and as he would repulse me
if / did find him, stand no chance of in.
heriting his property: He may be dead. He
may have other sons who have succeeded
him. 1t is all mystery, but the promiuen.
| truth is that am an outcsst, poor. disowned
and friendless'
He leaned over the bulwark, the spray
dashing over his face violently.
Iresslisns heart warmed to him.
My poor friend ~ he said. Must say
again you are not friendless while live
My father has influence enough TO obtain
for you government appointment. This
tangle may strsighten itself out some day