Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-20
CHAPTER /.
TnN FATHRMn KNrNMM.

tom. Her chair Was drawn up before an open
boW-wind0w, aud she Haa looking out into the
depths OF an apple orchard. which was covered
( with bloom, with strangely intent gaze.
| One might have supposed her engaged la alb
Htruse calculations M 90 the probable weld q
the frait-troea, but a second glance OF her
deeply contracted broNa and troubled face
would have testified that heF thoughts LMd
deeper aud more nnquiet source.
she was q gaunt, grim woman OF middle age
and Of maacn inc appearance. nhe had hard
| face and o hard nature. hhc had lao tender
womanly ways, no gentle womaniy sympathles,
no sonllmentAAiy, as ehe loved to say-no
f0ndnrHH for @onknly eInplDgm6nia.
Redrulh Moor was not an eataiied estate,
and Miss R0dFuth had inherited IL from her
father. The present representative Of tho
prUud Old tRmly was Colonel Be1ruth, her
brother, an army uficeE who had spent Most
90 his life In India, and whose arrival she was
n0w momcntarsly expecting al her home, after
sn absence frOm BILE native land for many
yeaEH. There was more of dread than On JOY
ous anticipation in the manner of Mins Red
ruth, as the moment OF The Colonels appear
AAne drew near.
What can 1 say TO hiaaY~ she muttesod un-
easily. What will he Say 10 mo when he
knows ahG wish the nesting were over. An,
these hc eomea-
The carriage she had sent 20 STAFFORD 10
meet her brother was ~ fact at that moment
6eon returning Rt q swift pace along the dusty
rad IL turned In al the wide farm gaioa,
and came up the caETiAge-aMe3p toward the
porch Misc Relruth arose Afier a mnchAni-
cal fashion from her chair, and wens naowiy
out into she wide hall, advancing % the
tArcaholA TO meet her relative.
The open carriage came nearer. Upon the
back seat sat q gentleman. whose face flushed
u sight of hcr, and who took OF his hht ms
aad4rn Fnhh OF emotion sNcpt over his soul-
The carriage drew up ~ the porch, and the
gentleman sprAng lightly out and ran UP tie
''Jaoob Nv dear sister ." hs cried, in deep,
sgitAscd tones, embracing her. " loW have
not changed, At least, In she nine years since
NC parted T.
presented her right check 20 her hrcsbeF's
csrcss, baE she did not offer 10 kisa him. She
was superior 10 such small weaknesses.
81 am GLAD 90 soc y0a back In England.
George SHE exclaimed quietly. You have
changed, think bot, thea, your Life has not
she withdrew herself from hls arm and led
him into the low, quaint, pleasant drawing
guoHa-
Tha Colonel halted just within tho threshold
aud iooked about the rSom with an eager
cxpscEant gAKe.
fia wnn 4 handsome, MISUNDERSTANDING
man, nf sogne ltfty years, with o complexion
dsepiv hFunEud Nv IndlAn suns, with keen
dark rvca, a grand bead, and black hair a.
ready Strsakcd With gray. lie wore iron-gTay
we're of irun-gTay also. giving 10 his nohlt
conntcnAnnc d look ug stcgnnesn and corn
faand that well became him.
Where ~ IgHatia y" he asked. hia face sud-
denly clonding with disappointment. Why
se MOI my child here 10 welcome her f4thcT
She ahe Nv Rot tll p
oNo. Clc1rrp." answered Miss Redrrsh, with
embarrassment I" She does not know that VOC
aro expected to-day. thought u best mot 10
tel her aud aud ] sent her out tn her little
- aNga4ma
aintrndinr a Iet her find me here on hes
rysurn \" said the Colonel. his brow clearing
You E~ant 10 surpriee heFf wan abe Dc
back Rooa =
asst down, George, sAid Miss Rciruth, with
rerccpgihla unearince8- have something 10
Ten Won before IgnatiA cuncs. Did-did VOC
hear ANYTHING over at Sleafurdf Dad you mces
ant one YOU used 20 know =
Il I'D mot, said the Colonel wondcrtngly,
aeating hIEascH At q window commanding o
viow u che road. WAS there anything for
me "a hear = &c added, with a sudden change
of countenAnce. Tho child has not grown
dsforrned, nor had the smallpox, nor
" How old do you think the child j. Z" do
mandcd Miss Rcdgath grimly. =" You icft hcr
d little girl, and she eoctns but little gtrs 10
Won ssill But she il twenty years Old,
@1h yea.s airhed the Colonel. "she hAn
left hehind her her childhood, but she viii he
snmcthinR dcArcT and nearer 70 me than Mtn'
ply q child. She win be my companion, ms
h7cnd. She viii coneolc me IN part for The
loss of her mother. Does sho fulhli her ohjdiSl
promise OF beauty and grace
" she does. said Miss Redruth, setting hen
lips firmly together.
@i know that ehe is good. !" said the Indian
colder. with tender emphasis. rcinembos
wuL her loving, sensitive nature, her winning
wave her bright impctuuus spirit. She had
noble intellect-you do not mean, Jacob, that
she is not 40 cloar-headcd ns abe was ," he
added In sudden alarm.
'No, sho knows enough" was the reluctant
reply.
"AhI" sAid the Colonel, trying to smile.
"She has lover, then That is 10 be expect
"You should have come home sooner,
George" paid Miss Rodruth. People who
have children should stay with them and take
care OF thcm."
az conld not well come home earlier, Ja-
cob- naid the Colonel. My daughter IN an
hciress. and as such must take her place In
society III abe has an unworthy lover l viii
undertake to wean her heart from him.
Surely aho cannot resist her fathers loving
counseis."
Ut is too late fot counsels, said. Miss Red
ruth, with sort Of grim desperation. " ig-
malta Rntlruth ia beyond the reach OF advice.
You need not blame mo. George. IgnatiA her
acN win clear nv skirts OF blame. II is not
my fault az she has wrecked your hopes. and
made horsclF bed cf living c0ala to lio on
The ColOnela face grew suddenly pale The
griEEled mouatache on his upper lip trcubled
c1nvulsiyoly.
. What has she dope'- he asked, In hoArss
whisper.
81 Married iissolutc fellow
Married. Good Heavensl"
"Ttis 40, George, said MISS Bedruth "she
has bScn married nearly four ycars."
-Four yoarsp And you never told me
sho never wrote that she was married. -Four
years."
'Yes. Let me tell you how Il happened
About four years ago q regiment was stationed
within twenty miles OF VA, and It's officers were
TO be met ut all the bost houses In this part Of
the country. Ignatia was but q schoolgirl,
under a govcrnoSH, TO whom / icft the direc-
ton Of her pursuits and movements. IRnAtia
had a number OF girl-friends whom she was
often allowed 10 visit. AT tho houeo Of one OF
thcec friends sho met Captain DiRby Holm.
Hc vas handsome, after the style girls Like,
suppose, and became tho rage, as the phrase In.
He comes OF good family. but is dissoluta.
HE own father has dsowncd him. He liz thor
oughly bad, but has Epccions appearance. He
tell In love with 1gnaiia and she with him, and
ono day che precious pair came Into this very
room and asked my consent to their mar
dWeIlf" said the Colonel, his face Ehastly
white, his voice trembling
"0i course, refused my consent" said Miss
Redruth. "f sent Ignatia 10 her school
room, and after lecturing Captain Holm, ds-
missed hin, frarn the hnusc ' thonvht tibet
was the end OF tho matter, but IL seemed n
was not The upehot or the MISTER was, that
Captain Holm aud my neico were married
quietly without my knowledge, by special
license, nd SleAford, 10 which place Ignatia and
her governess had gone In the pony chaise, on
prctencc Of wishing 10 match Berlin wool, but
really 10 meet the fellow"
"But how could he procure q license 30
marry q child OF sixteon, without the consent
OF her rolatiyes?"
Captain Holm is not punctilious about |
speaking the truth" said Miss Redruth bitterly.
"He may have declared Ignatia 20 DO OF age.
Az any rate, he returned In the chaise with the
girl and her govorness, and announced himself
To mo Oh Ignatia's husband. did not know
what 10 do. dared not write 10 you."
"And this precious eon-n-law OF miDe-is no |
In the hcusef" demanded the Colonel sternly |
With lowering brCwg
mo; be lived hero with Ignatia tcr year or
more, for would not let my niece 90 from under |
my roof. He sold out his commission, and the !