The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-01-12

going home. And / dread offending
my dear father, whom I love bettel
than any woman. 1t Is hard Jasper t.
trevolt against the hopes md plsns of !
kind aud generous father, whose very
love for mo causes him to urge on this
marriage"
us i,?' said Lowder dryly, and with
a strange smile Of full ofsne ring bitter.
ness. my experience has been wide.
ly different from yours, Tressilian.
ibid ever tell you ofsav father"
mo. took it for granted THAT he is
dead"
perhaps he is. 1 don't know, said
Lowder, with II reckless laugh. "But
If he is living, he is a scoundrel. Don't
start, Tressilian, at my unfllial speech.
Wait till you hear my story. I ann in a
desperate mood tonight. This storm
stirs up all the bad within me. AS
nearly as l can discover, my father
was the younger son of proud old
county family" rr -
You do not, know, them asked
Tressilian, pressing his companions
hand.
~ have 10 proofs Of it:A + positively
1 know is this. My mother was of hum
ble station, pretty, with blue eyes and
tender, appealing ways. She was the
daughter of widow, residing at
Brighton. The widow, my grand
mother, kept lodging house, and my
father, a 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 condition that
the union should be kept q secret until
his affairs frightened and he chose to
divulge 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 Lendon, to
cheap and obscure lodgings, where,
year later, I was born"
The wind for momen. dro wncd his
voice. AS it presently lulled. he re.
sumed recklessly and with passionate
! bitterness .e.+
"For years my mother and l lived in
these stuffy, obscure lodgings, until her
bloom had faded, and she had grown
thin, wan and nervous. My father WIS.,
tied us at stated seasons, once or twice
a week, but he never brought any of his
family to call upon US. ! doubt If his
aristot ratio relatives ever suspected the
existence of the faded wife and son of
whom lie was secretly ashamed.
have good reason to believe that he had
fine lodgings at tho West End, where
he was supposed to be bachelor, and
that he went into fashionable society,
while my poor mother and 1 lived OBJ
securely. He was profiigate and a roue
but he had an air of fashion which
awakened my boy ish admiration, and
in him. She was always pleading to be
introduced to his relatives, and to have
her son publicly acknowledged. But
my father always put her of, saying
that he was not ready. Worn out and
despairing, my mother died When was
ten years old"
Again the wind shrieked past, again
the little vessel lurched, the sea sweep
ing her deck.
The captain screamed his orders to-
his men, and for few minutes disorder
reigned.
"A nasty bit of weather. said Low
der. And bad sky"
Eyes, but I've seen az bad, returned |
Tressilian. ave shall make port all
right, never fear. We must be well on
toward the Capo di Gallo. And it's
only seven miles from the Cape to Paler-
no."
But the seven miles in this storm
are worse than seventy in good weather.
These coasts are dangerous, Tressilian."
T., wler shuddered as he surveyed sea
and sky.
But about your father, Jasper" said
Tessilian. who had become deeply inter.
ested in his companion story. "What
did he do after your mothers death:"
. ~ remained at the Old lodgings with
our single old servant a month or more,
my father visiting me several times, and |
expressing anxiety as to what be should
do with me. A week after my mothers
death, he told me that his brother was
dead. a month later, his father was
killed by being thrown from his horse
My father came into riches and honOrs /
by these deaths. At last deciding to rid
himself Of me, he took me down to
Brighton to my old grandmother. Her
SONS were dead she had given up keep
ing dodgers, and was grown misery. He /
promised her five hundred pounds O /
year to keep me, and to keep also the
secret of my paternity, solemnly prom
i.ing to acknowledge me some day as
his son and heir. The old woman agreed .
to carry out his wishes. She would .
have done anything for money. Inev-
er saw my father again. went to
school, grew up, and at the age of TWEEN.
ty-one came into my grandmother's |
money, the fruits Of years of saving, she !
dying at that time. My father had de-
liberately abandoned me. l did not
know where to seek him, if had wish !
ed to. l took my money and came |
abroad. l had been two years Oh tie !
Continent, and had spent my little for
fune when | met you. The rest you
know" |
An odd. romantic story! But why
did your father abandon youo"
THAT he might be freed of encum-
brance TO make grand marriage.
From what my grandmother said at !
Different times, | conclude that father