The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-05-31

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} know It now There's deception 81
: round; she has promised TO marry me
? pretended that she loves me GOOC
: heavens how can such an Arch-trai
, tress have grown up in your pure
} truthful atmosphere 2"
my boy, my Rupert 1 may bc
mistaken, | must be mistaken poor
! bewildered Mrs. BaIyon cried. "0ul
] Kathleen could never bring herself Il
cause such misery but, why wasn't
, told No, she can't have acted 90
basely, and I've wronged and mis-
judged the girl love as a daughter
it's just sisters love she's giving tC
Archie, aud perhaps he's in her Sc
: cret, and-Oh, my boy, don't fret r'
The mother was powerless to com
bat this grief, or 70 assusge it in any
degree. These sous had been her joy
, and comfort all their lives, and now
when trouble fell upon enc of them
for the first tIne, she could do nothing
to aid him to bear it, nothing to light
en- the burden to him Such trouble
too II it had been brought upon
him by any other man, she might
. have been able to counsel him how TO
bear IL. But to have fallen on him
through his brothers agency! Tney
were both her boys, and she loved
them both better than she did hel
life and now one could only be hsp-
py st the expense Of the other, il her
fears we're true.
/. If her fears were true! There was
still q doubt about it. She rose uI
from his side, and lifted his bowed
head on TO her bosom, aud bade him
4 take courage, and have faith in Kath-
lsen still. "rl go to her at once
Rupert, Iill tell her that my son
couldn't keep his foolish secret any
1 longer from his mother, and Archie
shall hear directly that he mustn't try
to eBgrOss his brothers bride be
hopeful my son !"
"YOu speak more hopefully than
you feel, mother; I've shut my eyes
to the danger, because it was toe
ghastly and mean a one for me to
bear TO contemplate it. But noS
you've seen it, and SPOKEN about it,
and know I've been betrayed ; but
Heaven knows it's not Archie that /
blanche knows nothing"
Mrs. BalyOn determined t. go to
Kathleen. She would not comprom-
ise her charge by implying, even to
Archie, that the girl had been less dis
Greet than it was well his brothers.
promised bride should be. So she
sought Kathleen, and found her in
her own roOmI doing nothing and
looking sad.
"You have come to scold me-" he
cried impetuously, jumping up and
putting her arms round Mrs. BAlyon's
neck; ''den't do it yet Pm 50 sorry,
I'm so frightened 90
"Wnat about? Make a clean breast
Of it, Kathleen Mrs. BalyOn said
softly. al may have to scold You
siterWard, but I'll hear what your
trouble is first"
you'll forgive me, whatever it is?''
"StOp moment, dear instead OF
scolding you or hearing your confess
sion, pll make everything easy for
you by telling you that Rupert has
! taken me into his confidence, and
that 1 congratulate my adopted daugn.
ter on the engagement to my eldest
son."
Mrs. Balyon tried to speak cheerful.
| ly, but her heart was beating thickly
With apprehension OF what she might
be called upon to hear.
The girl fidgeted and bIushed, and
finally asked +: .
"You say it as il you wouldn't have
congratulated me if you had heard of
my engagement to your youngest
son."
"Ah, Kathleen, remem Der they are
brothers they love each other SO
we'll"
"YOu do know-you do suspect
something more than Rupert has told
yOu," the girl said eagerly. "0h, love
me still, help me, am so unhappy ;
/ kept the secret as q Joke st first, and
then Archie came home, and-now l
dare not tell him.
"Then it is true he loves you toe" !"
that pye loved so, what have you
done? Heaven help them both my
sons deceived by you Why have
you stabbed me through them in this
way? Their happiness has been the
only thing good that I've had in my
life; couldn't you leave it to me ?"
! She had put away the girls cling
| ing, clasping arms as she spoke, but
Kathleen would not be repulsed. She
had worked mischief and misery for
want OF thought, not want Of heart,
and it CALLED her to the quick 10 be re-
proved and treated coldly.
"DOn't push me from you," she
pleaded. "Rupert would be kinder
than that, and it's for Rupert's sake
you hate me now you don't care for
Archie's psin he loves me too, and
be will have to lose me, and 1 have to
tell him the truth and teach him to
dispise me-and oh, no one will pity
mel"
81 will pity you, will try to help
you, Tiff you'll only be truthful, if
! you'll only try to mend the mischief
you must not see Archie again. 1
knew he couldn't have wronged his
brother knowingly. l knew he was
ignorant. My boys are gentlemen,
and they have always loved each 9TH
er and given each other their due.
Archie must be spared as much as
! possible, Kathleen, but not at the ex-
pense Of his brother; you are pledged
| to Rubert, and Archie must bear hIs
disappointment.
you'll teach him to hate me-" the
girl Interrupted "let me see him
once, ouly once, and tell him of my
fault myself; that will be punish ment
enough for me; let me see Archie
once again."
"My sons are gentlemen" the
mother repeated proudly, "there can
be no danger in what you ask they
will both renounce you II you go with
your heart to one, while you leave
! the promise of your hand with the
other what has made you do it,
child ? Why have you played at love
with natures so much finer than your
own, when 1t was only vanity aetu-
sting you ?''
"NO, no, no p' Kathleen cried, fall.
ing down on her knees, "not vanity
when Archie is concerned; 1 love
hia, and he will never know it-isn't
that hard enough You only feel for
Rupert"
"And you only for yourself" Mrs.
BalyOn said sternly there shall be
no dissessiOn made between my boys;
II Rupert can trust you after this. I'Il
not interfere, but Archie shall not see
you and be worked upon by you my
| son is but human, and though think
it impossible, you might teach him to
be untrue to his brother and bimself.
Leave him his honor, IL you have
robbed him OF his happiness"
"YOu have no care for me-" the girl
walled "I have loved you all so
much, and you'll all come to hate me,
and though I may deserve it, l shall
feel 1t hard all the same. 1 never
meant to do any harm. never knew
1t was real harm till to-day, when
Archie said q word or two that showed
me that the end had eomeI Kiss me
and forgive me, mother l may lose
you all, and the worst that may hap.
pen to you all is that you may lose
me, and as Pm such 8 doubtful bless.
ing, that may be the best thing that
could be-"
What could Mrs. BAlyOn do bui
kiss her and forgive her ?' "Evi
can't come through her," the too par
tiaI friend thought as she caressed the
girls bent head "but there must bt
, no more secrets, no more folly, dear,
she added aloud, and Kathleen, re
lieved from her fear of being further
reprehended just at present sprang tC
her feet joyfully, and gave every
: promise that was asked of her.
! "Rupert need never be troubled
, about Archie" she finished up. Gt