The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-12-24

ed herself silently at her fathers side. If
ever features of stone made a miserable
attempt to look kind, Roger Flint's did
then. And when he spoke, there was
something very like tenderness in his graf
ing voice, absolutely.
| "Jessie," he said, shave you ever shot
of marrying ?''
eff have, father" answered she, with
slight blush, ''the thought has been so
speedily banished by determination never
to leave you, that it could hardly be called
thought at all.'
ga girls whim, and of no weight in the
plans have formed for your benefit All
your life 1 have kept before your eyes the
value of money and the utter worthless
ness OF everything else without it. There
fore, in choosing a husband for you, l
have cast aside all romantic and unpracti-
cable considerations, and secured for you
money ~
The girls face had grown as white as
death, and she sat staring at him with
wide open, frightened eyes.
''Simon Beggs," continued her father,
his voice growing dryer and harsher as he
proceeded, "is no very handsome object to
look at, l admit but he is rich and a
driveling old dotard, and the woman that
marries him can easily control both him and
his money, if she will.''
| Beggs grnned and chuckled as if he had
listened to the most glowing pauegyric
possible. The girl made no reply. Once
while he spoke, she turned her eyes toward
the clerk at his desk and then was notion
| less.
| "Come," said Flint, with a grim attempt
at jocularity, she has but half dozen
years in him at best, and then-a rich
young widow, eb, Jessie %
II would rather die, as my mother did
a thousand, Thousand times rather ~ said
Jessie, in low, choked veice, putting
both trembling hands upon his arm.
"Nonsense ~ retorted her father haIsh
| IL, shaking her off. "Once married, you
! will laugh at this folly, and thank me for
! disregarding it. Now go up stairs and
dry your eyes, for the matter is settled, l
tell you.''
| She arose, and looked fixedly at him a
| moment. Then, seeing the iron determi-
nation i'm bis face, she turned, and with a
| low sob left the room. When she was
gone, the clerk, who had been standing
near his desk with clencbcd hands and
| flushed couDtenance, hastily resumed his
| stool and worked away harder than ever.
"Don't seem 'ticklarly 'tacIied to me, do
she ?' groaned Begss.
The impatient reply upon Mr.. Flint's
| lips was interrupted by the opening of the
office door and the entrance of a young
lady, muffied and furred against the wealth
er. What a bright little creature she was!
What eyes nov sharp and sly as birds
how soft and gentle as it is possible for
woman's eyes to be. What firm little
! figure, carried with an air of dignity that
means just nothing at all What curls
| What lips Gracious,
GLOW do you do, Mr.. Jacobs ?'' she
said, addressing the clerk first of all, and
then bowing to Mr.. Flint. "And this is
| your friend ?'' she continued, looking
straight into Mr.. Beggs' face, as he wrig-
| gled to his feet to be introduced. 81 can't
say that am happy to know him. Any
relation to the Crow family? No, indeed
A very strong resemblance, then. Is Jes-
sic up stairs. Mr.. Flint? will go up and
see her, if you please" And with laugh
and a shake of the dark curls, she was out
of tie room-leaving Mr.. Beggs breath
less and crest-fallen.
81 don't like Mrs. Hayward, if that's
her name," he mumb bled, trying to recov-
er his composure. But she had so startled
and shaken him that presently he sham
bled off home.
When the door ratified behind him, the
| clerk got down from his stool and ap-
| preached his master with a bit of paper in
his hand.
"Will you write down the value of
soul ?'' he said, raising his eyes.
"The value Of a soul F! How should
| know the value of a soul?'
"Oh, don't you % returned the clerk,
still with his eyes doggedly cast down.
81 thought you must, because you sold
one Just now-your daughters"
Flint started forward as if he would have
struck him but he restrained himself and
cried, in a threatening voice
"Jacob Stirling, if J,u are fool, don't
make it so plain, or you will get into
trouble. Now, go to bed, you beggar
Be off, dye hear ?"
Jacob made no reply, but went slowly
away, looking more careworn and de-
,ressed than ever. And Mr.. Flint, stand
ing before the fire, with an expression of
doubt and satisfaction, strangely mixed,
upon his features, fell into a reverie.
A week rolled on, and one morning
Roger Flint entered his office, and in tones
which be vainlv endcavored to render as
harsh and stern as usual, said:
"Jacob, have you seen Jessie this morn
ing?''
Jacob answered "No."
lasn SnddenIV