National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-08-11

Oh, what shall dol what will become of
mel"
She had sat down on the upper step of the
winding stairs, aud now rising abruptly, she
went into her own room and closed the door.
Shortly afterwards Mrs. Loser knocked
TREMENDOUSLY at her daughters door and asked
to be admitted.
There was slight stir within, and falter.
ing voice replied
II had rather not SEQ any ono just yet,
mamma. Give mo time TO battle my eyes
and get calm, and l will see and talk with
you. o If you love mo. leave me alone now ~
To this passionate adjuration Mrs. Loser re.
piled:
81 must see you at once Kate. have
something that is most important to say TO
you. Something that you ought TO know, as
il may help you TO a decision as TO what Is
right for you to do
After slight delay the door was unlocked,
and Kate, with swollen eyes aud q pathetic
expression of helplossnoss upon her face,
looked with trembling dread upon the mother
who, she knew, had come TO throw some adj
ditional load upon her young shoulders, heavy
as was the one she already had to bear.
Tho apartment of Kate was simply but TASTE
fully furnished. In IL were found the few
books she claimed as bor own, her guitar, her
portfolios of dried plants, aud many little
nick-nacks such as young girls like to collect
The walls were covered with pencil sketches
made by herself, faucifuly framed with au-
tumn leaves. Among them WAS found the
shadOwy outline of alyoung mans head, so
lightly drawn that the fair artist seemed afraid
to make it too distinct lest 1t might DO recog-
nized. A wreath of wild flowers hung over it,
and concealed the words family traced be-
Meath" My IDEAL"
Tho head was certainly a very noble and
handsome one, and Kate deserved credit If she
had drawn ID from her own concept ion Of
what Is grand and true in man.
Her mother glanced around us she came in,
unwilling to look straight at her daug liter
and see in her face the signs of the bitter
struggle she knew she had been passing
through. Her eyes fell on the phantom head,
and she said:
This is something new have not seen 1t
before. Have you taken to drawing ghosts,
Kate? for this seems nothing more"
THAT is tho ghost of my happiness, NAM
ma" said the girl, YEARLY, land 1t will soon
20 to the grave that is being dug for it,"
What stuff! 1 see now that it is highly
idealized sketch of Harry Conrad's head, aud
you have placed it there as shrine, su ppose,
before which to offer your silly alteration. 1
do declare Kate, that you arc a most absurd
young woman"
Absurd "a may DO, mamma, until to-day
you seemed to sanction my attachment to
Harry. 1t is cruel-cruel to expect me to tear
my heart from him at moments warming. l
know what you have como to say, but would
rather not hear it, All the persuasions self
interest may prompt you to utter will be
powerless to change my feelings toward Mr..
Conrad"
You dreadful girl is that the way you
brave me to my very face2 You cannot-you
shall not-marry Harry Conrad. Have | not
given you to understand that such union is
N,,t nr ion . hat oil hrtn Ia-
struction on all you are bound to care for in
this world ?"
Kate grew pale, but she quietly said:
my refusal to sell myself for gold can only
affect myself, mamma. Your fate and that of
Edna cannot in any way BIO controlled by my
discarded lover"
"Can it not? when he owns the very roof
that covers us-the soil from which our scanty
living is drawn2 1t is true, Kate. He holds
mortgage on the place for money advanced
to Luis, and my dover right in this poverty
stricken home is all that stands between us
and starvation. This is what l came to tell
you, and this is what you must consider be-
fore you anger, by refusal, tho man who GER
tainly has the first claim on you"
Kate fell back rs IL she had been shot, and
the courage she had battled so hard to sustain
deserted her. Her breath came in low, gasp
ing sobs, and after a long interval of silence,
which her mother thought would never end,
she family said
81 understand that my fate Is settled, then.
shall BIO allowed no choice. Oh! l know too
we'll that shall be forced to submit my will
to yours, and struggle as | may, the net will
close around me and compel me to give my
hand to one man while my whole heart is in
the possession of another. Oh mother mother,
how could you have suffered things to come to
such pass rs this2 Paupets! dependent ON
Richard Staunton for the very bread we have
eaten, he will demand his payment of me- and
dare not refuse 1t! know the kind Of man
he is-he would set us adrift penniless, home
less, to beg. or starve, should prove false to
that silly pledge given in childish thoughtless-
ness and oh so bitterly repented of sincew
Her voice sunk into low, sobbing murmurs,
and her mothers pity for her was mingled
with exultation that she seemed to yield at
once to the necessities of hor position, and
accept the fate it was so much to the interest
of the whole family that she should not re.
fuse.
A week passed away and nothing was heard
of the expected lover from California although
he had written that he should not be many
days behind his letter, and at last rumors came
that the AlbatroSS, on which he had left San
Francisco, had been wrecked, and that many
lives had been lost.
Kate had been struck down by brain foyer,
and for days she lay vibrating between life
L
then moaning over the cruel fate which gave
her heart to one lover and forced her to yield
her hand to another.
Mrs Loser WAS fond and proud of her lovely
daughter, yet the deepest dread in her heart
ut this dreary crisis was that in the death of
Kate the prospect Of wealth must pass from
them all.
Edna watched unwearicdly by the sick.
couch of her sister, and Mr.. Loser devoted
himself to her assistance. He was great
help to her, for he had studied medicine in
his youth, and he undertook the management
of the case HIMSELF declaring that he could
bring Kate safely through all the phases of
| this torturing illness, He had given her u
potion which would not only break the fever,
| but so affect her brain that for time she
would have but little recollection OF recent
events, and so would not be apt to say any.
thing to Staunton about her lover, Harry
Conrad
A few hours aftor Loser had administered
the dangerous potion to Kate, Stanton sud
denly arrived. He was man six feet in
height magnifcently proportional, aud might
indeed have passed rs a demi-god among men
of lesser mould, for his head was massive and
handsome as the marble bust of Napoleon.
His eyes were dark hazel, we'll set and eX.
pressive, but with CLEAN in them which
showed that If things went wrong with him
u temper might be aroused which it would DO
difficult to quoll.
1 nsar who had warmed HE yyifo aud ELM