Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-01-03


the vessel had righted. .sHe Is the
noblest man In the world. He will
welcome my friends ~ his own. You
will love him, Jasper, as I do, when
you know him." F sHI g.fla.
"He doesn't seem very afectionate, "
remarked Lowder. ''You have been
away from your homo for five years,
and he has but just recalled You !"
Young Tressilian's cheeks flushed,
as Lowder saw In the luria glow that
momentarily lighted up the tempestu-
Gus scene. $50,
'sYou know, or can guess, the rea-
son, Jasper" he said, with something
of an effort. my father has ward,
the daughter of an old friend. All
hear that wind shrek! Tho 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 ex-
changed letters?" -
"Yes. My father formed a 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 BE-
fore 1 left home, ne 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. 1 have done so, Jasper. have
never vet loved any woman. And
yesterday received my fathers sum-
mons to come home. He has recalled
me after five years Of absence. lknow
the wish that lies nearest his heart.
He wants me To return and marry
Blanche. shrink from the proposed
marriage. l dread going home. And
dread offending my dear hther,
whom love better than any woman.
1t is hard, Jasper, to revolt against
the hopes and plans Of kind and gen.
erous father, whose very love for me
causes him to urge on this marriage ~
s.Is it?" said Lowder .dryly, and
with strange smile full Of sneering
bitterness. "My experience has been
widely different from yours, Tressilian.
Did 1 ever tell you Of my father?"
'.No. Itookit for granted that he
Is dead" 10 ....o-..
s'Perhaps he Is. Idon't know" said
Lowder, with reckless laugh. ''But
If he Is living, he Is q scoundrel. Don't
start, Tressiiian, at my untilial speech.
Wait till you hear my story. am III
desperate mood tonight. This storm
stirs up all the bad within me. AS
nearly rs can discover, my father was
the younger son of proud old coun-
try family" ,
"You do not know, then?" asked
Tressilian, pressing his companions
hand. "s
~ have no proofs of it. AS posi-
lively know Is this. My mother was
of humble station, pretty, with blue
ewes and an apple-blossom face, and
tender, appealing ways. She was the
daughter of a widow, residing at
Brighton. The widow, my grand
mother, kept q lodging-house, and my
father, a gay, dasliing 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 condition that
the union should Be kept secret until
his affairs frightened and he chose to
diyulge it. The young girl loved him.
Her mother was ambitious and penu-
rious. 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, a
year later, was born"
The wind for moment..drowned his
voice. As it presently lulled, he re-
sumed recklessly, and with passionate
bitterness: l. a-'
s.For years my mother and l lived
in those stuffy, obscure lodgings until
her bloom had faded, and she had
grown thin and wan and nervous. My
father visited Us at stated seasons, once
or twice week, but he never brought
any Of his family to call upon us. l
doubt if his aristocratic relatives even
suspected the existence Of the faded
wife and son Of whom he was secretly
ashamed. l have good reason to be-
lieye that he had fine lodgings at the
West End, where he was supposed to
be a bachelor, and that he went into
fashionable society, while poor mother
and lived obscurely. He was profi-
gate and roue, but he had an air OF
fashion that awakened my boyish ad-
miration, and aroused my mothers af-
fectionate pride in him. She was al
ways pleading to be introduced to his
relatives, and to have her son publicly
acknowledged. But my father always
put her off, saying that he was not yet
ready. Worn out and despairing. my
mother died when l was ten years
old"
Again the wind shrleked past, again
the little vessel lurched, the sea sweep
ing her deck.
The captain screamed his orders to
his men, and for a few minutes dis
order reigned. g.
"a nasty bit Of weather" }" said Low
der. "And bad sky"
"Yes, but I've seen as bad" re-
turned Tressilian. ave shall make
port all right, never fear. We must
be well OH toward the Cape di Gallo.
And it's only seven miles from the
Cape to Palermo" - E
"But the seven miles In this storm
are worse than seventy In good weather,
These coasts are dangerous, Tres
silian."
Lowder shuddered as he surveyed
sea and sky.
"But about your father, Jasper ?'
said Tressilian, who had become deep.
ly Interested In his companions story
''what did he do after your mothers
death ?" g. ~ --.E.---
~ remained at the old lodgings with
our single old servant month ol
more, my father visiting me several
times, and expressing anxiety as t
what he should do with me-. A week
after my mothers death, he told mt
that his brother was dead. A month
later, his father was killed by beinl
thrown from his horse. My fathel
came into riches and honors by thest
deaths. At last, deciding to rid him
self Of me, he took me down tc
Brighton, to my old grandmother
Her sous were dead she had given uI
keeping dodgers, aud was grown mis-
erly. He promised her five hundred
pounds year to keep ME, and to keel
also the secret Of my paternity, solemn
ly promising to acknowledge me SOME