The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-09-28

with all the luxury That wealth could
command. Its two occupants, a lovely
girl, and Il elderly man, noble in form,
but dark and stern in face, stood under
the full blaze Of the great antique lamp
swinging above their heads. They were
discussing a long disputed question
Old Mr.. Lydell, flaming with passion at
the girls last words, burst out vehe-
mently:
!" You are not my slave, forsooth!
Nevertheless, my naughty young lady,
You are are under heavy debt to me.
Tell me what you are-who you are?
Tell me that, if you can"
The girl did not answer She put her
hand up to her brow as if pain were
there. lie resumed:
You are called Edna Ivesly Hay
but what do you know of yourself be-
You'd that? Answer me. Have / not
been the making of you? Did | not
take you from-fr om-yes, almost from
the cutters, and transform you into what
you are? You are accomplished. Whose
money rendered you so? Whose but
mine, ungratelul girl! You are grace
full as a fairy Whose money paid the
master that drilled you? Mine again.
You are beautiful in your silks, Jewels
and dainty laces. Whose money pur-
chascs for you those desirable things?
Mine, and mine only And wherefore
have / done all this? Did | not take
you as mine own child, hoping and ex-
pecting you would repay me with atfec-
tion and gratitude? What sort of a
recampense is this that you are giving
meW
Edna Hay put up her hands deprecat-
lngIy. IT was all true. Grateful, deep
~ grateful to him she was; but she
could not repay him in the manner he
wished
My son, " resumed Mr.. Lydell, "my
only son, whom l idolize, has set his
heart upon your baby loneliness, and
crowned you with the honor of choosing
you for his wife. Think you, then that
| can allow you to bring misery upon
this house from your childish whims. If
50, think it no longer. If you have not
already learned what the sin of ingrati-
tude is, learn it now. My sons will is
my law-the love / bear him my only
religion! Do you understand? Do you
understand that | mean you shall be-
come his wife"
81 do not like him" She gaspingly in
terposed
With or without your consent, you
shall become his wife, simply because it
Is his will. Theodore loves you-there-
fore, Theodore's you shall be! To-mor-
row he comes home. Be wise, and re-
ceiye him is your future husbandw
There was a dark threat in the old
mans eyes, as he concluded, that sent
an involuntary shiver through the girls
slender frame. But a determination
equal to his own marked both words and
tone as she answered respectfully.
8 II is true that | am indebted to you
fer all that | possess of worldly good, and
| am, heaven knows, truly and deeply
grateful. You babe me look upon you
IS father, and | have striven, as in
heavens sight, to give you all a daugh-
ter's duty. But, as | said before, ! am
not your slave. Theodore Lydell | will
not, cannot, marry. Oh, don't you see
that he is not a good man?-handsome,
gifted though he is, [ could not love
him"
"Doy you wish to be cast out? "
Cast me out" she answered in agi-
tation. 4" would rather die than link
my fate with his. Let me 90 out with
the world and battle against the poverty
from which you rescued me"
Enough" Numbered the old man.
| will listen to no moro folly. My son
shall have the bride of his choice! And
there shall be no dalay. Next week
next week, bark yOu-you shall be his
wife. Your wedding-dress is already
ordered. Now go"
Striding to the door he flung it wide,
adding in deep tones, as Edna passed
shiveriug, into the hall: Go! and re-
member that for the insubordinate there
are means to compel submission.
\ swift change passed over the girls
face as the door closed behind her, and
it was with fleet foot and painting breath
that she sped up the stairs and to her
chamber.
What can he mean? What will he
do? she gasped shudderingly, as she
dropped into a chair before the blazing
fire. VIII they force me to marry
him? He Is 50 willful, so powerful; and
Theodore is deep, and unscrupulous as
sin. Heaven help me.
1t was a trying position. The girl,
left an orphan when little more than an
infant, had been taken to by this very
distant and rich relative, John Ivdeli.
aud brought up rs a daughter of his
own. OF course she owed him all graft
tude for it; she wished to be humble
and obedient, and to repay him if she
could by loving care; but she could not
marry his son. She had always disliked
the selfish, oyerbearing Theodore. who
was ten years her senior. and she had
heard the whispers of the servants about
his evil ways. She had said 10 his father
that Theodore was not a good man; she
might have gone further into truth and
said he was an essentially bad one. No:
never, never could she marry him.
And there was Malcomb Payne in the
way besides; and Ednas bushes came
fast as she thought of him. Mr. Lydel
was in the habit of calling him that
beggarly secl etary," and would not
encourage him at his house. Poor he
might be, as compared to the riches OF
the old man; but Edna felt sure he loveC
her; and only few days ago, when they
had met at dance, he whispered to her
when holding her to him in the whirlinc
waltz that his salary was already quite
enough for comfort, if she could only
think it so, and that it would rise higher
year by year. She did not know very
much about this Mr.. Payne; and they
had not met many times-but it does not
take many meetings for love to grow.