Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-10-05

"You dare do that?"
"We always do it here, sir" L saic
I'VE try to find out whether tn
young lady is willingwe should spea
to her parents. and then"
But neighbor Werner stamped hi
foot furiously
Il am a German" he said an
daughter obeys me. She will nc
marry a poor man"
Il am poor yet," said, ~but I vii
make my fortune some day. l viii
indeed-I-"
He laughed.
you are not worth being angr,
with, boy he said. "All 1 will sa.
to you is that you can not hav'
Gretchen. 1 have other plans 70
her."
Then he turned his back upon me
and walked away among his tulips
leaving me angry and defiant.
Inever thought of giving Gretchen
up, however; and when for days th'
old man kept her from me, and dC
what / might l could catch no glimps,
of her, / vowed to punish him for hi
cruelty by running away with he
and marrying her against his will.
If she loves me, she will not bt
willing to be separated from me,
thought. and fancied her locked uT
in her own room, kept from meeting
me by force. / wandered about the
house OF old neighbor Werner like {
ghost, and almost determined t.
force an entrance; but at last sh,
came to me one sunny afternoon, anC
looked over the fence, with her arm,
folded upon it, as she used when she
was child
Gretchen" I cried and ran to hel
and put my arms about her. "Gretch
en-, my darling, you have come to me
at last"
She gave little sigh and drew
herself away from my embrace.
at is for the last time, Ezra she
said. Father told me / might bic
you good-by."
"Good-byl" faltered.
yes" she said; @must never talh
to you again."
"You have promised to be my
wife," said. "You have said you
loved me. What do you mean? He
has frightened you by locking you
up. You think that his power is alb
solute."
mo one locked me up" she said
quietly. Il have been told to stay
within doors out OF your sight, and ]
obeyed. 1t was wrong OF me tc
promise anything without fathers
leave. / thought it was different in
such a case, and / liked you so, but
know now how, unmaidenly it was
Father has told me-
"You stayed from me of your owr
free will, said. "You were not re.
strained. o, Gretcheni"
Father gave me his orders. One
must obey ones parents. 1t is God:
law" she said.
Easy to obey when you are will.
ling" said, bitterly. Parents could
not keep me from you il you wante.
me, Gretchen"
"Oh, Ezra, il you only knew" she
said. Il must obey
Then she drew the ring had giver
her from her finger.
Father says / must return this,
she said, and it seemed as though she
could not speak for weeping.
But 1 was cruel to her.
"Of your own free will, because you
do not care for me?" asked.
Il can not change my feelings" she
said. Perhaps they are wrong, bu1
/ must always like you better thar
any one else. But father says / must
not marry you. and that / must give
back the ring
i felt it drop into my palm. ]
clutched it fiercely. There was fiat
stone close by the fence, and drop.
ped the ring on that. and ground it tc
atoms beneath my heel. She only
sobbed the more.
Don't be angry with me, Ezra.
she said. at is not my fault"
But / would not listen to her.
turned from her and walked away
Judging by myself, she could moi
care for me if any thought of obedi.
ence could stand between us.
That night packed my portman,
teau, and left home. / could not stay
there so near her. and yet have moth.
ing moro to do with her.
I never forgot her for a moment
but did not talk of the past to any
one.
i had an uncle in Detroit, and ]
went to him. He was a farrier, and
taught me his business, and soon ]
was able to make money at it. But
money was nothing to me now. ex.
cept so far as it was needed to ena.
bic me to live from day to day.
sent it to my parents, and they, need.
ing nothing, put it away in the bank
with the little store they were saving
for my good.
"But we are glad to have such an
Industrious SON. said my mother
"and when you bring home some
pretty Canadian girl, you will be glat
to have a little nest egg to start
with"
/ had no thought Of any girl, how
ever pretty, for wife; but mother
could not guess how deeply hac
been wounded.
Day and night / kept thinking o.
Gretchen, and always 1 kept on my
bedroom window sill, in china pot
one of those pure white lilies, which
always reminded me Of her. But
never asked a question about her. anc
five years passed by-flve anniver.
saries OF our betrothal and did moi
know even whether she had married
or was yet Gretchen Werner.
1t was the sixth anniversary of that