Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-06-06
Continued on Fourth Paae.

oCIkdltOu T6dC0eU, uo Hdu lOb only
shown no preference for Dorothy,
but paid her less attention than, in
nay opinion, she had a right to ex-
pect; it annoyed me exceedingly to
become aware that l was an utter
stranger to my sons inner life.
Thought him more than usually
silent at dinner, but then I was con-
strained and heavy-hearted. As
soon as the servant was gone, Isaid:
Pray, Charles do you consider me
an inquisitive man p
"'Certainly not, he replied. No
man less so, I should say
"'Have I ever I demanded,
shown any distrust of you, or any
disposition to- hamper you by un-
necessary exercise of paternal author
TYP
No, sir, Ihave always felt, when
comparing my position with other
mems, that Twas singularly fortu-
nate in my father
That's we'll. I have the less
difficulty, then, in putting a question
to you. What's the meaning of a
letter addressed by you to Dorothy,
which, without blame being due to
ANYBODY, I saw this morning at
Crossford Post-Offce {?
Surprise, displeasure and a sort
of doggedness were in the counte-
nance; he turned away from me, and
some seconds-they seemed to me
minutes-passed before he SAID: 1T
would never have occurred to me
that there was anything out of the
way in my writing to her; we have
been brought up ike brother and sis
ter "'But why walk six miles to
post yonr letter ? Ishould not have
thought anything about seeing a let
ter from you to Dorothy on the Ia
BILE or in the bag, though I should
have reminded you that you could
not correspond with her with propri-
ETY.. You might, of course, have
written a casual note to her about. a
book, or some arrangement
Why infer, he asked, that the let
ter you have sent was not one of this
character?
In the first place, l replied, be
cause you took the trouble to post it
where it was in the highest degree
improbable that 1 should see it; and
lastly for your evasions.
Then there was a long pause, and l
thought he was determined not to
speak.
Charles, 1 said sternly, Dorothy
has been so much among us, that l
am responsible for whatever, involv-
ing her happiness or misery, is con-
nected with any of us. As your faith
er, and in place of her father, 1
demand what relation exists between
you and her, which leads you to
you writing to her clandestlnly. If 1
cannot elicit it from you, / shall
have an immediat explanation with
her.
He looked badgered, ill-tempered
even, and said hurriedly: 1 wrote to
Dorothy to ask her to marry me
some day.
Ask her to marry you'll 1 exclaim-
ed. / put aside your gross disre-
spect in ignoring me in SO important
a matter, and remind you that you
have not taken your degree, that
you are wholly dependent on me, and
that, during my lifetime, unless l as
sist you, you will, in all probability.
have nothing better than a country
curacy.
l suppose it was not unnatural to
expect that you would help me, sir,
as you are very fond of Dora.
This he said in tone which soft
ened me little. After all, thought
I, he isvery young. Pray what an
swer do you expect from her? 1 in
quired. was relieved to find that
she was innocent of aught that would
have lowered her in my eyes. She
was lost to me forever, whether she
accepted Charles or not, but she was
worthy of the place l had given her
in my heart, and would have given
her in my house. Without giving
him time to reply, 1 went on: 1
have too good an opinion of her to
believe that she will answer you
without consulting her mother.
begged her to say nothing to
to any one.
Then either, I rejoined, you are
more ignorant of the world than l
believed even a reading man could
be, or you have endeavored con-
sciously to lead her to act as a
modest girl should not. Pray what
reason did you give for such a re-
quest?
This: that, in the event of her tax
ing me, some years must elapse be-
fore [ could marry; and 1 should
dislike being pointed at as. an en-
gagged man all that time; and that
if she refused me, it was no business
of any one else. His cool selfish
ness exasperated me. got up and
walked about the room. Good
Heavens l calculated; and you are a
very young man, and my son.
Of course, l did not put it quite so
broadly as that, he observed, rather
apologetically; but you expect con-
fidence, and l am not man of many
words. l really took pains to write
a proper letter, and l think succeed
ed. l always had a notion that 1
should never marry. A college
life had been my object since 1 was
old enough to have one, and as rule,
| lind women bore; but Dorothy
is different from all other women l
Know-suits me, in fact. l thought
should like to make sure of her.
and would not mind waiting for her
You see, 1t could all 90 on Quietly
enough, l should see her here a great
deal.
set my son down as utterly alb
normal, and l think L disliked him
for minute, but l remembered his
poor mothers loving pride in him as
little child, and relented.
Have you any reason for expect
ing that Dorothy will accept you? 1