The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-25

| chester, a child of mine must not be
ca led a jilt and dishonorable by the
world, and it would be dishonor on your
part to draw back now," Mr.. Kyrle an
swered pompously, In hard voice.
t'Then God help me, since you won't.
o, that might die before to-merrowV
she murmured, with heartfelt pathos.
| "HesterW
For once the "father" shone out Of the
steely gray eyes, and misty look came
over them. The sight touched her at
once.
"Forgive me for worrying you," she
pleaded. 81 suppose you are right, ana
that everything should be sacrificed to
honor. l will try and resign MYSELF"
and she turned quietly to go away.
Mr.. Kyrle stopped and pressed kiss
on her forehead. He was not Demon
strativeIman, and tue caress was so rare
that the girl looked up AZ him in aston
iShment.
"My poor child p he faltered.
"Are you sorry for me, father? 1t Is,
at any rate, comfort to know that you
pity me, il you Can not help me-" she
ended in sob.
When she was gone John Kyrle went
back to his char, and bent over an open
book; but the muscles around his mouth
twitched nerVOusiy, and he Drusned
away with snaky hand drop that
gittered on the page before him.
"Hester, you are late," Mrs. Kyrle re-
marked, IN peLulant voice, as she
swept into ner daughters room Oh the
morning OF the Wedding.
"HesLer' did mot seem TO be conscious
if she was late. Sne leant llstlessly
against he easement in loose white
wrapper; her long golden hair was un-
bound, ana her face was very pale and
wan. But 1T was her eyes tnat were
strange; they wore a scared look, and
ueep lustle shades underlined them.
IAN lr' was all she answered, with
out moving from her position; and tue
toue OF her voice struck muurnlully on
her mothers ear.
Mrs. X yrle-loolsh, frivolous, and un-
derDred Mrs. Kyrle-lad plumed her.
self on having achieved a stroke OF diplo-
macy; and the serious tone oil her
daughters voice depressed her exulta-
LIOn w an unpleasant Cegree. She hau
maneuvred aud managed with that won
derfuL skill that especially belongs to
cunning and Inscriptions feminine ma
ture to lorce Hester into a marriage ~
which her inclinatiOns were yi0lenty
opposed. And sne had ielIcltated her-
self immensely on the success oil her
scheme. Yet there were SPARKS OF ma
lernaI feeting lying at tne bottom Of her
neart, although they were incrusted in
a mass OF wUlidliness and SELF
Tue suffering that had been leslDlY WRIT
Ten ON lesters face during the latter
days mad brought u few qualns to her
conscience now aud then, and It all
the specIous arguments tnat esot sTn
finds W Justify ILseif 70 It's WORSHIP pers
could quICe smother the reprodcu oI me
still small voice that woulu assert ltsell.
81 am acting Tor her good, and she
will tnauk me- for it hereat. err" was the
sLereoLS ped phrase by which sue sought
TO save the whispers OF conscience.
'Turn, Hester, and let me see If you
are looking your best, as you are IN duLg
bound 10 do to-day"
There was no answer. The girl did
not heed, or even appear to hear the
words, but stood ,az,ng Vacantly upinto
tue blue sky, whele some feaLnery
clouds were floating slowly by.
alt 10 time that you We're dressing"
| Mrs. Kyrie went on, IN accents tuaL had
| 4rown sharper through HesGer's silence.
| YES" answered the Voice, but Lhe
figure never stirred.
| ''Leave her to me, Mrs. Kyrle@ and a
girl III bridesmaids gear eam5 forward
from the other end o. the room. Trust
to me that Hester shall be ready by the
| IT, me the clock sJnkes eleven"
| "fhanK YOU, Mauue. L Will leave you
| TO your task, anu ~ seems to ME tnaB
YOU will bnd H. dIfioult one." Ana
Mrs. Kyrle rustleu ansrily out of tHe
room.
chester, you must dressp and Maude
| Wymer threw her arm round The glrl
and tried TO draw her Found.
"Very well;" and tnls time the figure
did III, We. hester walked firmly across
the room, and delivered herself passive
~ INTO Tue maiu's and Mdude;s nands ;
land in a little while she stood arpayed
III her SATIN dress, with ii coronet OIL Or
| ange flowers crOWnlng her brow.
You look loVeiy, hester; just shade
100 whlLe perhaps, but beautiful az "a
dream. Does sue not, AuneP' cried
Muude, entuusiast stIeally.
"Miss X rle lUoNs lovely, but she is a
great deaI too whIte-sAe looks Just. like
u BRIDE of DEATH"
%, hush Anne! Hester, you had bet
ter sIG mere until 1T Is Time to go down.
| Il should like 10 go 70 the window )"
was tue quiet answer. "Please ia s. it,
Mauae; L leel stIH d."
| cit Is II dellclou, day; the air is SO
bright. L. Is IA happy brlue That the sun
SHINES on, you AnoM,' Ataude said, push.
ing the sasn up; tHen sue drew forward
Ian almcuair, INTO which Hester sank.
"You are crushing your dressl And
if you lean back like LnIL, you will spoil
your flowers and Val. ~
Tle briue-eleet looked up at the re.
monstrauce and gave hLtle wIstlul
9m,le.
| you can put me TO rights to-mnrrow
Maude; am 80 tired tO-lay," and sue
lwearlly closed her eyes.
Maude Wymer gazed at her in di-may
land surprise. Tuen sue went and Sd,
Edown II Ittle way oH. A thousand tri.
|hc,, hgat as air al the time, seemed 10
ner now as cOnhrm ton strong OF
doubts regarding t1ls marriage THAI had
occasionally ARISEN III ner mind. Sue
WAS an intelligent glrl, and in lew
m.nu es she reaEzed HesIer's' pitiable
couditlun. Hester was going mad at her