The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-07-23
Misreuanp.
HOW SHE PAID HER DEB T.

before her brother in close, crampeo room winch
constituted her sole home.
Charley Wayland, handsome, dissipatsd losk.
ing youth of two or three and twenty, with bold
black eyes, and a merry mouth that seemed made
only to smile. stood opposite her, looking halt
repentant, half defiant, rs she spoke. Lilly,
couldn't help it. / tell you was hard up a
fellow must have money. You women don't
know nyth,ng about the temptations and ne
csssities of the world"
"But. Charlie, she faltered. do you know how
this same world, you call it. looks at the deed
you have lust committed: Oh. Charley" and
her voice grew low and tremuleus, 'it is for
gerry
"Nensense, Lii. It's borrowing part of cid
Glencross unused riches to aid my needs
wrote and asked him for cash, and he the I'M
mannerly lout, refused. Well, what could he
expect after this, but that should help myself:"
Lilias wrung her slender hands. "How dare You,
Charley? That q Wsyland should come to
this" she walled.
Dare" he echoed, recklessly. 1T was but .
stroke of the pen, after all and old Glencross
would be paltier miser than take him to be,
if he makes fuss about matter of a hundred
pounds"
at is the right and the Justice of the thing"
cried Lilias almost frantcally. IF We could pay
him in any way ; but have sold everything
that remained OF our former wealth. See,"-
and she looked around the miserable apartment
-'see how live. Last night sat up until
midnight sewing, to have little money to pay
the rent. I have not jewel left, nor ticket"
"Oh, bother, ILL., Ii old Glencross cuts up
rough, it's only taking run across the water. I
know lots Of sea captains that would stow me
away in their holds, almost any moonlight
night.
Lilias locked dcspsiringly at him. Was it,
then, impossible to comprehend the moral obi.
putty of the deed he had just committed "But
1 can't stay tooling here" observed the young
man, with toss of his black curls. II must be
off about my business. Goodbye, Lii. Give M
kiss, my girl. Except that you're uncommon
fond Of lecturing fellow, you're not bad ais.
ter in the MAN,.
After he had gone, Lilias sat down to try and
realize the situation in which she and her broth
er were placed. All now depended upon the
spirit in which Paul Glencross should receive
this new encroachment upon his purse and
patience
Lilly had never seen this distant relation, vet
she had formed an opinion of him in her mind,
as we all are apt to do of unseen persons whom
we hear great deal about and whenever she
thought of Mr.. Glencross, the image Of hook.
nosed old man, yellow-skinned and cadaverous,
engaged in sorting piles of mortgages or counting
bags of gold, suggested itself to her mental eye.
'But he must be human, at least" thought
LII, in the agony of her distress. "If 20 to
him myself and tell him just what poor Char.
ley's necessities are, and how good.hearted he
really is, in spite of all his faults and thought.
lessness-if | say frankly to him that have no
= HeHey OF jewels to reimburse him, until have
discharged the horrible debt, surely, oh, surely
he cannot have the heart to refuse. l can do .
great many things. can sew and embroider,
and could make good bread and cake, and poor
mamma always said l was good housekeeper
and if Mr.. Gleneross is really 30 misery as Char
ley thinks, he would look at the economy Of tho
thing. At least it is worth trying"
SO favorably did Lilias Wayland regard this
idea, preached in her sore extremity, that in
two days from the evening on which she had bid.
den goodbye to her handsome, reckless brother,
she stepped from the train at the Victoria station
dressed in sober brown suit, that made her look
like shrinking little mouse. with her carpet
bag in her hand. ..-.
A little inquiry sufiiced to bring her to the
West End street where Mr.. Glencross resided
street lined on either side with palaces. the
like of which Lilly had never seen in the palmer
country town where she had been born and bred.
Her heart sank within her ~ she stood leaning
on the broad steps leading up to the front door,
Then coloring at her own cowardly tremuous-
ness and utter lack Of resolution and enterprise,
she rang the BELL to settle the matter at once and
definitely. as Mr. Glencross at homer" abe
asked OF the maid.servant who answered the
summons.
Yes, Mr. Glencross was at home; would the
young lady enter2 And Lilias was shown into
an apartment curtained with heavy folds Of pur.
pie satin, and carpeted with velvet of the same
color-an apartment whose dusky splendor made
her think OF the stories she had read of enchant-
ed palaces in the realms Of fairy.land.
AS Lias sat on the silken sofa, waiting with
throbbing heart for the appearance of her un.
known cousin, the thought stole into her mind
that he was not much Of ''miser" after all and
then came a sick sort of misgiving that her m,s.
sion was in vain. F..
"For surely" shs thought, glsnoing tremulous.
ly around the elegant apartment, "he viii not
want any one to look after the kitchen expsndi.
lures! wish-oh, I wish that was Sats at
home again"
The thought had scarcely framed ITSELF in her
mind, when door at the farther end Of the
room was opened, and tall, handsome man,
scarcely thirty years of age, entered. ell beg
but wished to see Mr.. Glen,ross"
II am Mr. Glencross"
You" Lilly rose up and sat down again,
co!oring vivid scarlet. This. then, was their
''far OFF, cousin, and how widely different from
her dreams and fancies!
Apparently the gentleman Jaw and ptied
her painful confusioD for he said politely, ''may
ask IN what manner can he useful TO you T"
~ am Lilias Wayland," she answered, in = tone
that was scarcely audible.
"Wayland."
shadow, faint, yet distinctly perceptible,
overspread his face at that word, and Lilias saw
It, with failing heart. She forgot the labored
speech OF paliation and excuse she had prepared
She forgot that he was no silver-haired patriarch
out handsome young man, surrounded with
fhn a1t -