Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-16
AButIer,s Daughter.

1t was an ordinary family dinner
that day, but their nephew Neigh
happened to be present. just as
they were sitting down Mrs. Don
castle said to her husband: "Why
have you not told me of the wedding
tomorrow? Or don't you know any
thing about it?
Wedding? said Mr.. Domestic.
Lord Mountclere is to be married to
Mrs. Petherwin quite privately.
Good God! said some person. Mr..
Domestic did not speak the words;
they were not spoken by Neigh;
they seemed to float over the roO9I
the walls, as if originating in some
spiritualistic source. Yet Mrs. Dor
castle, remembering the symptoms
of attachment between Ethelberta
and her nephew which had appeared
during the summer, looked towards
Neigh instantly as if she thought
the words must have come from him
after all; but Neigh's face was per-
fectly calm. He, together with her
husband, was sitting with his eyes
fixed in the direction of the side
board, and turning to the same spot,
she beheld Chickerel standing pale
as death, his lips being parted as if
be did not know where he was.
Didayou speak? said Mrs. Don
castle, looking with astonishment at
the butler. s5r
Chickerel, what's the matter-are
you ill? slid Mr.. Doncatle, simultane-
ously.
Was it you who said that?
l did, sir, said ChickereI, in a
husky voice, scacely above a whisper.
/ could not help it.
Why?
She is my daughter, and 1t shall
be known at once
Vino is your daughter?
He paused few moments nerv-
ously.
Mrs. Petherwin, he said.
Upon this announcement Neigh
looked at poor Chickerel as if he
saw through him into the wall. Mrs.
Domestic uttered faint exclama-
tion and leant back in her chair; the
bare possibility of the truth of
ChickerePs claims to such paternity
shook her to pieces when she view
ed her intimacies with Ethelberta
during the past season-tbe court
she had paid her, the arrangements
she had entered into to please her,
above all, the dinner party which
she had coutrived and carried out
solely to crafty Lord Mountelere
and bring him into personal com
munication with the general favorite,
thus making herself probably the
chief though unconscious instrument
IN promoting match by which her
butler was to become father-in-law
to a peer she delighted to honor.
The crowd of perceptions almost
took away her life; she closed her
eyes in white shiver.
DO you mean to say that the lady
who sat here at dinner at the same
time that Lord Mountclere was pre-
sent is your daughter? asked Don
castle.
Yes, sir, said Chickerel respect
fully.
How did she come to be your
daughter?
IWell, she is my daughter, sir.
Did you educate her?
Not altogether, sir. She was a
very clever child. Lady Petherwin
took deal of trouble about her ed
ucation.
They were both left widows about
the same time, the son died, then the
father. My daughter was only
seventeen then. But though she's
older now, her marriage with Lord
Mountelere means misery. He ought
to marry another woman.
1 1t is very extraordinary, Mr.. Don
castle murmured. If you are i'll you
had better go and rest yourself,
Chickerel. Send in Thomas.
Chickerel, who seemed to be much
disturbed, then very gladly left the
room, and dinner proceeded. But
such was the popularity of the case,
that though there was in it neither
murder, robbery, illness, accident,
fire, nor any other of the tragic and