The Lake County star., 1877-05-31

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have had your opportunity and abuset
1t wickedly. You must take the con
sequences"
thornley, was trembling, and couls
hardly stand. Esl
"Mr. Lyle" he said huSkily. I'd
you know how old ami lam nine
teen, sir, and never touched farthinl
that was not my own, before"
"It Is time tn end this" Mr.. Lyle
said, rising and approaching the bell
"Wait, one moment, SIR" Frank
said, passing between him and hil
bell pull; and his desperate anguishet
look stayed Mr.. Lyle an instant
"Shall / tell you who tempted me tC
do this-whose beautiful face came be
tween me aud right. and lure9 pe or
SsreSst %S steH I'll, ,TsSgrS mel eip Hsst how
came to fall, and then refuse To bs
merclful IL you can."
! HI am willing to listen." said ths
merchant.
"I never saw London until tive
ryean ago, and y6hT0 Yourself compli.
inented ME Tor Withstanding its temp
tatiOns. You know sir, that neither
drink nor gamble. The smallness oi
the amount have taken must prove
that your money was not spent In that
way You havesh1Gxzp)eased to be
very kind to ml O. ~ yeu remem.
Der urging on me the AeCepkAnce Of an
to q party Giveq by your
daughter? 1 was' sui1c( kpt. but I went,
and from that hour my nfe has been
Ie6aied. 1.-THE nlost fascinating, as wei!
as the most heaktless Of .Coquettes, did
not Bcorr1 to Get her s1eresl FOR me, e
dazzle me- with her. lovoljoem, and lure
me With her smiles. There II no invl,
'lation Ike the first 1ove of yQuth, sir;
don't you know thatf There is no
frenzy Mke that i11spired by . woman
who makes you love her. Twas made
on accOhnt OF this woman whom ]
loved, and who seemed to 1oye me, and
I incurred q debt for her-a adebt which
in a wild moment, o. rhOment'wh !
had just been scornfuily cast of by her
Il paid with your money.
'sWhat was the cause Of your debt?''
Mr. Lyle asked. briefly.
ut was q ring"
"a ring with diamond set In q clus-
ter of rubies?n the merchant. asked
with q flash of remembrance. naal
= eyes, sir" Thornley, replied reluct-
The merchant sat down, and mo-
ltioning Thornley, to q seat, remained
some moments thoughtful, and with
his face averted. d.-TOuching the bell
he waited, while Frank Thornley, COW
cred his face with his hands.
"Tell Miss Roxie I wish to see her
here" he said to the servant who an
swered his summons,
1 Roxie was just going 0ut; and she
came dressed as she was for the party.
Fleecy white floating about her like
cloud wreathes, her lips red, her
cheelss aglow and her eyes sparkling.
6heAreddened somewhat at sight OF
Frank Thorley's face.
"Did you send for nae, papa ?" she
asked Of her father, who sat with his
face In shadow.
For reply he reached and took her
ungloved handin his. IL was q dainty
hand, small and white, glittering with
rings. He put his finger on, one, a
small diamond surrounded by rubies,
and lifted his glance to hers.
fRcxie shrank a little, and looked as
though she was going to cry.
Turning toward Frank Thorley Mr..
Lyle said: sH.nn -
Upon one condition 1 will forgive
you. Repeat what you have just said
to nae, In the presence OF this misguid-
Poor Frank Thorley! Perhaps he
thought even exposure would be pre-
ferable to such humiliation before her
whom he loved. Perhaps second
thought of his mother came and nerved
him. He hesitated only q moment
and told the story with half desper-
ate, sarcastic eloquence, that took the
color out of Roxie's face, and left 1t
white and scared. i,5.,
's'aWon't you forgiv We me Frank ?" she
cried, and she clung to her father with
"Will You forgive her, Frank Thor
ley, or not?" demanded Mr.. Lyle.
f'Heavens kfiowsI forgive her, sir,
as hope to be forgiven"
"Thank you, sir. / think that she
has wronged you more than you have
wronged me, and I will show you,
young man, how I can forgive to-mor:-,
row." u ''''
But when the morrow came, Frank
Thorley had left London, with his
mother and vain were all Mr.. Lyle's
efforts to discover him. Yg
Years passed. There came q fnan-
cial crash and though everybody SUPP
posed Lyle, & Co. toabe established on
tvo firm q basis to be shaken. they
were not able to outride the storm.
Scrupulously honest now as ever,
Mr.. Lyle gave up everything; made
no effort to save as much as Roxie's
piano from going under the hammer.
"Never mind, papa she said softly
to him the last night before the sale ;
1--WE will have each other, nd am
young. Perhaps may fnd some use
for those accomplishments you have
lavished upon me 80 freely. You
didn't think" she added, with an at
tempt at gaiety, that you were spend-
ing 1t on me, did you ?' !a2.
"Heaven knows what Ii to become
Of us!" moaned the unhappy merchant,
Tomorrow at this time we shall have
no right even to the roof that shelters
our heads. But heaven bless you, my
child, for this sweet courage. 1t Is
something to have SO brave a child.
You have been used to such freedom
from care, though Roxie--I. wish you
had married, dear, you would have
had q home now" -,
.ii"Ih have got you, papa, and there's
nobody / like better" pr O. a.
Nobody, Roxie ?" ..m,
The soft cheek flushed q little, and
the red Bps trembled.t
. Don't ask me, papa; there's nO1
body now" she said, hiding her face
on his shoulder. -rfo sa -,
WAS Il some one who went ntAwAy?"
ia Yes, ~ faintly.,, ia, .,..e,.a t,..
III thought 90. dear It's like you
women to love the mah' yow have
wronged the most" ,.s, ,-,r...,.,
The two hid away sin' the remotest
corner of the house while the auction
was going on next day, and Roxie ex-
erted herself Incredibly to sustain her
fathers heavy heart. He grew old
fart In those few hours. This losing
bis house seemed to hurt him cruelty.
The sale was over, and they still sat
there alone, waiting, perhaps, TO see II
some friend would not speak D worfef
counsel or comfort I'm this trying hour.
3 There WA q hesitating knock at the
door presently, and . gentleman came
IN. Mr.. Lyle, seeing that It was y
stranger, said "You are. perhaps tho