The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-12-29

comes back the drudgery, the hopeless
toll, the anxieties Of the wretched old
life. You picked me up at Baden, poor
adYenturer seeking to gain living by
teaching English, and the same destiny
fis open to me now"
Tressilian turned his handsome face up
on his companion in surprise and affec
| tionate reproach.
Jasper" he exclaimed, "you talk
strangely. Do you suppose have called
you friend and brother so long and loved
you 50 well, to lose you now ! I meant to
have written to my father concerning
you and your future, Jasper, but his sud
den recall, received yesterday, causes me
to return home without writing. I shall
telegraph from Marseilles that you will
come home with nae. And you will,
will you not ? You will not abandon me,
my friend will charge myself with
| your future. will see that you obtain
the position to which your talents enti-
| tie you. You have no ties to keep you
on the continent %
A strange expression passed over Jas
per Lowder's face.
Nc, I have no ties" he said huskily.
"And you will go home with me ?"
"Whst will your father say to my
coming?" demanded Lowder. He will
think your generosity Quixotic. He viii
dismiss from his house the hired COM
panion who dares to resemble his son"
A sudden lurch of the little vessel, a
wave sweeping over the deck, Interrupt
ed the sentence
/" You wrong my father said Tressili-
an, his blue eyes kindling, when the ves-
sci had righted. "He is the noblest man
In the world. He will welcome my
friends as his own. You will love him,
[ Jasper, as I do, when you know him."
He doesn't seem very affectionate."
remarked Lowder. You have been
away from your home for five years, and
he has bat just recalled you !"
Young Tressilian's cheeks flushed, as
Lowder saw in the lurid glow that mo.
mentarily lighted up the tempestuous
scene
"You know or can guess, the reason,
Jasper" he said, with something CT an
effort = My father has ward, the
daughter OF an old friend. All! hear
that wild shrek The gale is increasingly
Yes" assented Lowder. "And the
ward IS Miss Irby-the golden-haired
Blanche Of whom you have talked so
much, and with whom you have exchang-
ed letters?"
"Yes. My father formed project to
have me marry Blanche. He did not
wish us to grow up together, lest we
should learn to regard each other as
brother and sister When Blanche
came to live at the Court my father sent
me to Germany. The night before | left
home, he called me into his library and
told me all his hopes and plans for my
future, and entreated me to continue
worthy OF his innocent ward, and to keep
my heart pure for her. l have done so,
Jasper. / have never yet loved any
woman. And yesterday | received my
fathers summons to come home. He has
recalled me after five years of absence
l know the wish that lies nearest his
heart He wants me to return and mar
~ Blanche. l shrink from the proposed
marriage. dreao going home. And II
dread offending my dear father, whom |
love better than any woman. 1t is hard,
Jasper, to revolt against the hopes and
plans of kind and generous father,
whose very love for me causes him to
urge on this marriage !"
Is t?" said Lowder dryly, and with
a strange smile full of sneering bitterness.
My experience has been widely differ
ent from yours Tressilian. Did ever
tell you of my father ?"
No. took it for granted that he isl
dead"
Perhaps he is. l don't know" said
Lowder, with a reck less laugh. But i'll
he is living, he is scoundrel. Don't
start, Tressilian, at my unflial speech
Wait till you hear my story. l am in a
desperate mood tonight. This storm
stirs up all the bad within nae. AS near
ly as can discover, my father was che
younger son of a proud old country fam
ily"
!" You do not know, then ?" asked Tress-
llian, pressing his companions hani.
a have no proofs of it. All posi-
lively know is this. ny mother was of
humble station, pretty, with blue eyes
and an apple-blossom face, and tender,
appealing ways. She was the daughter
of widow, residing at Brighton The
widow, my grandmother, kept a lodging
house, and my father, gay, dashing
young fellow, came to lodge with her. |
AS might have been expected, he fell In /
love with his landlady's daughter. He
offered the young girl marriage, on con
dition that the union should be kept Sc
cret 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 married the daughter
of his landlady quietly, almost secretly
Then he took his bride to London, to
cheap and obscure lodgings, where, & year
later. WAS born"
The wind for a moment drowned his
voice As it presently lulled, he resumed