Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-11-23


years, The old man may die
The girl started from his arms witt
startled eyes.
"Shame on YOU, john" she cried
"What happiness could attend the unior
of two people who waited for death ant
falsehood to bring them together You
have said enough. Our bonds are broken
You are free"
A faint voice from the cottage called
"Janet."
II will never give you up" repeated
the lover vehemently, and snatching hei
again in his arms, he kissed her passion
a,ely and turned away.
Jane, looked after his retreating form
fer a moment, and then raising her
claspcd hands in mute appeal to heaven,
choked rising sob and answered her
mother call.
John Hallam, then clerk in the whole
sale store of Mink n Otter, first saw
Janet Dudley at the country house of a
cousin, where he was visiting one summer
holiday. She had graduated at the
normal college year or so before, and
being obliged to leave the city directly
afterward on account of her mothers fail
Ing health, had sought and obtained the
position of village schoolmistress at
strawberry Center.
They had fallen in love with each
other at first sight, he fascinated by her
pretty. girlish face, her graceful ways,
and quaint, precise speech, and she by
his handsome brown eyes, his gayety,
his fine tenor voice, and his gallant bear
ing; and before Johns holiday was over
she had promised to become at some not
far distant time his wife.
But u few months after they had
plishtcd troth, Johns Uncle Roger, who
had been the black sheep of his family,
returned from abroad like the famous
black sheep of Babyland, with three or
more bags full not of wool, however, but
money. No one knew how or where
these bags had been filled, and no one
seemed to care. That they were full APP
peared to be quite enough, for all doors
flew open to him at the first "baa.'
Among Others who renewed their ac-
quaintance with Mr.. Roger Vandergras,
now bleached to admirable whiteness,
was his nephew, whom he had not seen
since his childhood, and 10 whose mother
he had not sent one line for fifteen years
before her death The old man received
his young relative with great kindness,
and being so Immediately fascinated by
his handsome face (which he secretly
fattered himself rescmbled his own his
air, debonair, and fine tenor voice, de-
clared his intention of making him his
heir. commanded him to resign his situ-
alton at Mink 4 Otter's-a command
which the commanded lost no time in
obeying instslled him in elegan.
rooms adjoining his own in the St. Sky
Hotel
But when Uncle Roger came to hear Of
the pretty village school mistress, he was
exceedingly wroth, and svore with many
strange and terrible oaths, that If John
did net promise to remain bachelor for
at least five years, and when he did
change his state, to marry his-Uncle
Rogers choice, back to the world he
should go, and not penny from the
three or more bags full should he ever
have
Now this jolly, singing, fine-looking
Young fellow beneath careless exterior
concealed an intense longing for wealth
and all the comforts and luxuries wealth
could bring; besides which he was
troubled with constitutional lassitude,
as i certain fox once called it, though it
is better known to the world under
another name, also commencing with an
|. And to descend from his perch, as it
were, and mingle once more with the
grumbling work-a-day crowd, seemed to
him worse than death. But then ne
Loved, as well as such a selfish nature
could love, blue-eyed, golden-haired ia
net Dudley, and hated to give her up
almost as much as the elegant rooms at
the St. Sky. Here was coil, and
thinking how to unwind it cost him a
week of sleepless nights. The propo-
sition he at length made to his ''ladye
love-" as has been seen, she Indignantly
repelled; and swearing, 81 will never
give you up" he gave up the next day
as will be seen by the following letter:
"MY DARLING For, notwithstand-
ing your cruelty" Cher cruelty, poor
child J "my darling you are and ever
will be. The die is supposed to be cast.
have acceded to Uncle Rogers wishes,
as you would say, you prim, old fash
ioned little sweetheart, with mental
reservation. Be true to me, as shall be
to you, and / may yet lay fortune at
your feet" JOHN.
Only year had passed, and Mr.. Van
dergass, alreads weary Of his nephew's
fine tenor voice, handsome face, and air
debonair, suddenly bade him fare we'll
one cloudy morning (they were stopping
at hotel in Paris, gave him the smallest
bag of wool-money mean-and again
departed for parts unknown. To do
John Hallam justice, he also was tired of
the companionship, and at times had al
most regretted entering into compact with
the wicked old man. But on regaining
his liberty he congratulated himself on
the cleverness he had displayed, for
though the larger portion of the fortune
might be lost, he had seen the gayest