The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-01-05


l viii charge myself with your futuf6
I will see that you obtain the position
to which your talents entitle you.
You have no ties 70 keep you on the
COntinent2'' "
A strange expression passed over
Jasper LOwder's face.
"No, 1 have no sies, ?, he said huski-
ly.s IA
tAnd yon viii go home with me 9'I
"What will your. father say to my
coming T' demanded Lowder. "He
will think your generosity Quixotie..
He viii dismiss fruTn his house the
hired companies who dares 10 reselu
bic his, SON
A sudden lurch Of the vessel, a wave
sweeping over the deck, interrupted
the sentence. f
"You wrong my father" said Tres
silian, his blue eyes kindling, when
the vessel had Tighted. "He is. the
nOblest man in the world. He will
welcome tny friends as his own. You
Will leve him, Jasper, as I do, when
you know him. .,--
5HHe doesn't seem very aIectionate, :,
remarked LOwder. "You have been
away from your home for five years,
and he has just recalled you p atl
Young TFessilian's cheeks flushed,
as Lowder saw in the Iurid glow that
nomentarily lighted up the teinpes-,
tuous scene.
"You know, or can guess, the rea-
son, Jasper" he said; with something
Of an effort. f'My father, has q p ward.
the daughter of an old frlend.-Ah /!
hear that wind shrek The gale is
increasing -
"Yes," assented Lowder. 4'And
the ward is Miss IFby-the golden
haired Blanche Of whom you have
talked 50 much. andwith whom you
have exchanged letters P''
eyes. Ny father formed project
to have me marry Blanche. He did
notWish US to grow up together, lest.
we should learn to regard each other.
IS brother and sister. When Blanche
came to live at the Court my father
sent me to Germany. The night be-
fore ] left home, he called me into his
library and told me 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. I have done 80, Jasper. have
never loved any woman. And yestpr-
day l received my fathers summons
to come home. He had recalled me
after five years Of absence. 1 know
the wish that lies nearest his heart
He wants me 10 return and marry
Blanche. l shrink from the proposed
marriage. / dread going home. And
l dread offending my dear fatheF5
Whom Iyl0vs better than any woman.
1t is hard, Jasper, to revolt g. afnst
the hopes and plans Of a kind and
generous father, whose very love for
me causes him to urge on this mar.
riage p
"It is?7 said Lowder dryIy, with
a strange smile, full Of sneerfag bitter
ness. "My experience has been wide
ly different from yours, TreSsilian.-
Did 1 ever tell you Of bly father?"
"No. took It for granted that he
is dead"
sPerhaps he is. I don't know, (" said
LOwder, with a reckless laugh
'But if he is living, he is a scOundreL
Don't start, Tressilian, at my until
ial SPEECH. Wait till you hear my
story. ! am in a desperate mood to-
night. This storm stirs up all the bad
within me. As nearly as l can dis
cover, my father was the youngest
son of proud old country family"
"You do not know, then?' asked
Fressilian, pressing his companions
hand.
81 have no proofs of It. All I posi-
itively know is this. Ny mother was
Of humble station, pretty, with blue
eyes and an spple-blOssom face, and
tender, appealing ways. She was the
daughter Of a widow, residing at
The widow, my grand
mother, kept lOdging-house, and my
father, gay, dashing young fellow.
came to lodge with her. AS mighrt
have been expected, he fell in IovPI
with his Iandlady's daughter. Hel
offered the young girl marriage, on
that the union should bel
kept secret until his Affairs frightened
and he chose to divulge it. The
young girl loved him. Her mother
was ambitious and Penurious. Thsa
result was the lover had his way, aud
the daughter Of the landlady
quietly, almost secretly. Then hr1
took his bride to London, to cheap and !
obscure lodgings, where, a year later,
l was born" N
The wind for a moment drowned I
his voice. As it presently lulIed, hpI
Tecklessly, and with passion
ate bitterness: ...
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 a week, but he never
brought any of his family to call upon
US. l doubt if his aristOcratic relative
even suspected the existence of a faded
wife and son of whom he was secretly
1 have good reason to be
lieve that he had fine lodgings at tn
West End, where he was supposed t.
be bachelor, and that he went int,
society, while my poo
mother and I lived obscurely. 81,
was a prodigate and a TOue, but hLl
had an air of fashion that awakened
my boyish admiration, and aroused
my mothers affectiOnate pride in him
She was always pleading to be intro
duced to his relatives, and to hsv,
her son publicly acknowledged. Blu
my father always put her of, sayinS
that he was not ready. Worn on
and despairing, my mother died Whel
l was ten years old" r...-.
Again the wind shTieked past
again the little vessel Iurched, the SCI
sweeping her deck.
The Captain screamed his orders t,
his men, and for few minutes disOT
der reigned.
ga nasty bit of weather ~ said
Lowder. ''And a bad sky :"
eyes, but I've seen as bad, :" returnef
Tressilian. awe shall make port al
right, never fear. We must be vel
on toward the Cape do Gallo. AM