The Ottawa free trader., 1874-01-24

" "Why, father does not care about wealth; h
II would give all the gold that was ever coinc
d for one ounce OF good blood-an honorabl
2. name is his strongest passion"
: Annie shrank IA little from her lovcr-fe
v a little that he did not understand, perhap
- that he undervalued her; then, with litl
: quiver in her voice, which went to Bryan
i heart, she SAID, softly:
Was not my fathers IN honorable name
He was called Honest John Bell"
. Yes indeed, noble name; someting t
i be proud of. / shall tell my father tha
!, Annie"
f Robert Bell, well pleased with his sister
engagement, was strangely angry with he
!, for insisting on the postponement of the MAJ
, riage until Bryan Randolph could see hi
father, obtain his consent, and return.
obtain his consent" he said, with sneer
you talk as if that was certain; YOU know
little indeed of the pride of these Southeri
dons"
Annie grew little pale, but she answered
steadily:
The more danger there is of Mr.. Ran
dolphs refusal, the more necessity there IL
mat his son should not take his consent fol
granted"
Robert was silenced, but by no means paci
fled. He FASTENED to his wife, who was re
clning on couch in her dressing-room, rest
ing after round of visits
How have things gone to-day ?" she asked
quickly,
"Worse and worse. have had TO call in
everything we could get"
And Annle's one hundred thousand dol.
lars?"
swallowed up long ago, poor child That
is what makes me half mad at the idea of her
letting Bryan go home without her. He
would never miss that hundred thousand dol
lars he has more wealth now than he knows
what to do with-aS his wife, Annie would
have been splcndidly provided for and she
would have owed il TO me, so that If had
never been able TO pay her cent, | should
not have been troubled Now-wel, | can
not help II, could not command Fortune /;
| have done rs well tor her as have for my.
self"
rs it too late to make some provision for
her? The place at Newport is satc--you
bought that in my name. If this house
could only be secured to Annie"
Capital! I will see to it at once. To.mor
row everything may be discoved, and then it
will be too late. 1t is only four O'Clock. and
EmmOnds never leaves his office before five
Make an excuse for me if am late for din
ner"-and Robert Bell hurried away.
For months he had been living the f,yerish
life of one who knows that more than fortune.
reputation, his right to place among honor
able men, rested As much on chance As does
the stake which the desperate gambler has
Just thrown upon the fatal red or black. His
fathers fortune had long been sunk-his own
earnings had gone betOre-his wife's dover
had been expended in furnishing the house
at Newport, and the yet more expensIVely or.
ranged house in the city, Sarah had been
reared in luxury, and must not be asked 10
sacrifice her accustomed surroundings They
must live up 10 the income which her family
supposed them to possess-to be suspected Of
beng in any strait would be fatal. Expep
sive houses, rich furniiuTe-these were the
capital on which be traded-ihese gave con.
idcnce 10 depoSitors. And when losses fol
lowed losses and nothing that was properly
their own was lrft--what then: Whv, credit
was more than ever necessary 10 them-ani !
confidence makes CTedii-and 80 on 10 the |
bitter end Of ruin and shame Am
| skeiching a strange, ianciful piciu5et Isl
the picture not portrait the truth Of which |
every days experience may verify. Must II |
shah il be ever thus . mothers, 70 whose
hOnOre3 hands tie GiyeT Of life has commit !
ted the first guardianship, the first guidance
Of the future man will you not sacrifice y0Ur
little vanities to the grand possibilities of
your position; VIII you not become. as YOU
may, the regenera;ors Of society, By teaching
fOur children 10 prize unsUlllcd hOo0r above
Fealth ~ think The gaze and envy Of their
q poor exchange for . mind
Il peace, and heart on which rests tho sun.
light Of Gods favor: We speak 10 mothers
because we believe that II the nursery often
he mould has been cast that shapes the fu.
ure life: but We must not linger-the end Is I
lear.
For few weeks longer Robert Bell was
lble to staye off the coming ruin It's yhAd.
wv was upon him during all those weeks. and
perhaps none but the simple Annie, who had
een the deep depression of his lonely hours
md his reckless gaiety in society, could have
leen surprised when the last blow fell To
ler the surprise was utter. No dream, not
he taintest suspicion of the truth had ever
lawncd upon her. How could the daughter
IF Honest John Bell" suspect poverty, ruin,
where all the appliances Of luxury were seen:
Il was yet early. Annie had taken her break
asst alonc-by no means an unusual event in
hat selfindulgent household The French
maid of Mrs. Bell came to ask that MAIDEN.
,iscllc would have the b0nte to come 10 the {
chamber of madam" Annie found her sis. {
ern-law surrounded by trunks half packed,
While both bed and couch were covered with
aces, silks, and boxes of jewelry L
Sarah, where are you going?" exclaimed
hc astonished Annie.
"IIush-sh.sh, Annie close the door Il
'annot trust any of my servants except Fan.
,hCtte"
"And now the door is closed, what is The
natter where IS Roberto
THE matter is, Annie, that Robert has
allied. He and his partner have lost every
hing. They cannot even pay sixpencc on
dollar"
Cannot pay o, Sarah, what will become
# their creditorsn cried Annie.
at would be more sisteriy, think, TO ask
What will become OF ls--thc creditors must
axe care of themselves"
Annie did not answer as she might have
lonc-that it was too late for them to do that
'hc said
"Of course, Sarah, Rober, is my first
hought, and he knows, if you do not, that
III have will be his as much as mine"
"Hc deserves no less from you; for, in all
he anxieties of the last few days, he thought
# you, and secured this house and furniture