The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-07-30
JUDE CAxTON,s WORD.

l.
rich man, proud man-and he had
four beautiful daughters. At home and
abroad his integrity and his pride in it
was proverbial.
He had made large fortune, and he
had made it honestly, without tricks or
evasioEs; and it had given him q solidity
in the social as well as the shipping
world. He was well aware of twas
proud of it; and with, perhaps, pardon
able weakness, was notedly averse to
having any member of his family form
connections with any person not making
very near approach to perfection.
Not one. of his daughters had been al
lowed to marry, though, attracted by
their beauSy and charming style, many
suitors had sued and sued in vain. A
father or brother who was tricky or
knayish, a sot or gambler, would ban
the lover, even if his own hands were
Immaculate; and people said the pretty
Caxton girls, in spite of their prettiness,
would be old maids. And everyone agreed
that that would be pity.
Linda, Lucia and Cora were sparkling
brunettes; but Althea, the third daugh-
| ter, had sweet, oval face, full of cool,
| faint tints, pale brown hair, with q
CLEAN of gold in it, and deeply-fringed
dark gray eyes, beautiful beyond ex-
preston. She was slight and graceful,
while the others were buxom and bounc-
| ing, jolly, romping girls at heart under
the careful training of dignity. Althea
| was different, and i think she was lit
tie better in being gentler and tenderer.
At any rate, Vaughan Moxan thought
so, and was SO sure of it that he declared
to himself that he loved her with his
| whole heart and soul; and Althea knew
! it as well-thanks to his eloquent dark
eyes-as if he had declared it to her.
But-there is always a but IN tale of
true love Vaughan had a very disrepu-
table old father. He was a splendid
young fellow, but his father was any
thing but splendid. In fact, he was a
living disgrace to his son. Drink he
| would, and get drunk he would. He
| looked like sot, and he was sot; and
there were stories told of his getting a
great deal of money by some fraudulent
| proceeding when he was young, and
spending it all before he grew old, so
| that his children were forced to look out
| for themselves.
Vaughan had looked out for himself
| very well-earned his own education,
studied law and had been admitted to
the bar. He was not rich, but he was
going to be; and Jude Caxton, I think,
ought to have given him his daughter.
But Jude Caxton would not think of it,
on account of Vaughan's father.
If anything could be more pathetic
| than the fact of having such a father, 1T
was the patience with which Vaughan
| bore with his fathers faults. He was
| never disrespectful to him-never un-
kind. He paid respectable family
| who had known ssold Moxan," as he was
called, in his better days-to feed and
clothe his father, and keep him as much
as possible in his right mind.
The latter was not naturally an in
fsrior man, and was far from being an
| ignorant one. In his youth he had been
talented, brilliant, generous to fault.
You could see then where Vaughan
got his good sense and penetrating eyes;
and could not help puzzing over the
problem why this ruined man had not
done as well as he knew.
But there he was, an unalterable fact,
and everybody knew he would never be
any different or better, and that Vaughan
would bear with him to the end.
Althea knew it, and, sweet soul, she
was willing to help Vaughan bear this
burden, or share it with him. So, you
see, she dearly loved him and loved
him very hopelessly as to ever marry
ing him.
Vaughan thought so, with feeling
of profound detection, which no other
misfortune he had yet known had ever
shadowed with him. Every summer he
came home for few weeks-as he called
the town where he was born-and every
season Althea was lovelier and more
loveable.
They had been mutual friends. They
met and her blush answered the con-
fession of his eyes; both knew that
words were useless.
AHhea loved her father. She was his
favorite child, and something in her
nature made it impossible that she could
disobey him. Vaughan knew it, He
Althea deep afiiction.
He returned to Havenside-the pleas
ant old shipping town-the very summer
that Althea was twenty. The Caxton
barouche glittered by him as he came up
from the depot, and roseate face, with
dimpled chin and sweet eyes, bowed to
him from the cushions of amber satin
Althea!
His heart leaped; the blood rushed to
his cheek; but his face was grave enough
before he reached his hotel. How more
than beautiful the girl had grown! The
eyes of other men must see what was SO
evident. It.was not likely she would re-
main unwooed forever. Some one would
be successful in shifting the Caxton
pride, and she would be lost to him for
ever.
He was not in the best of humor, as he
dropped his valise into corner of the
chamber assigned him, and went down to-
H streets, to see his father. For
once old Moxan was quite sober, and
had been for several days. He sat in his
room examining box of papers, and re-
marked to his son that he should like to
go into business again, and thought he
should.
What did this portend? Nothing. He,
after this, entertained himself with
"reminiscences of his old speculations,
and hattered himself that he could re-
peat them. Vaughan sat moodily in an
easy chair, looking out of the window
You're not well, my boy" said his
father, suddenly.
Not particularly well in mind" an
swered Vaughan, moodily.
ssEh? What? Oh, these boys! There's |
q woman in the case, of course. Con-
fess now, isn't it so, Vaughan?"
It was odd that Vaughan should have
given his father his confidence. I know