The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-09-10

ha'f melancholy philosophy; "but !
will do something. When you want me
you can send for mo; but until am sent
for slnll not trouble you with mypres.
ence again"
And with this he tcft Tho old home and
went u, ~ lohdon-that maclstrom OF
youthful hope and energy qnd ipcm,ur;>
ty and despair-to sec how S,tst he could
mako his Gr.tI with never 4 trade nor n
profession Mt his fingers ends, and in u
world where competition ia IN f,pfte and
workers 30 much IN need of work. 1t
had to Iva done. II he were worth ANY,
thing he must show that he was
able for his life's work-that he
had strength and energy enough
to carry out this plan, and to justify his
action of ability by his maintaining his
ground. He told Deborah to hep up
both heart eu', fa'thy to believe in him
and IN inNe him; to resist all temptations
that would be offered her-temptations
of wealth if she would abandon him, of
doubt in his sincerity, or belief N his
death. She wBs to be steadfast in every
thing, anil IN the end all would be well.
He wn'tM he faithful and she must be
firm, and together they would conquer
love and the world.
To all OF which pretty Deborah Bald
Yes, weeping in her lovers arms and
feeling that her heart must break--it
could not beaf ND much despair and not
give WY. But hearts do not break, in
spite Of all that poets say and lovers feel;
md the two poor young people parted,
and went on living and eating and sleep
ing much the same as usual, only very
unhappy and feeling very desolate.
OF course James Scambler, Deborah s
father, was against the match. He was
n fine, sensible, faithful, kind of man,
who had no false ideas in any direction.
Like to like" he said when Juliah
spoke to him on the NATTER she was
dead against all unequal pairings in IMAM
or beast. Joe Williams the senior game
keeper, was to his mind the man for
Debby. aud she would be better off in
everything but money if she took him
instead Of the young squire, for whom
she was not fit"
He set his face like Il rock against the
match, but what could he do? Debby
was of age and must marry whom she
had h mind. He would only forbid all
intercourse with the young squire, by
letter or by word of mouth alike, while
she was under his roof; and for the rest
he was rs powerless us the great folks ut
the hall itself
All this he said to Julian himself and
repeated to the squire and his lady; and
MS they were fair-minded people they
confessed that they had no case against
him, and that he was as little to be
blamed and as much to be pitied rs them.
selves
They took his word for it that no would
keep Debby close; and they did not dis
miss him from their service, as at first
they thought they would have DONE
When they thought it over more calmly
they considered it would be better policy
to keep him on. They would have him
more under their own eye, IA it were,
and would know Debby's mode of life
and movements.
To ali of which Clarence gave ms as-
sent. Ever revolving his plan in his own
mind, he took no one Mt the hall into his
confidence M to what that plan was.
One day, not long after Julian's de-
parture, James Scambler received let
ter, telling him that M old uncle of his,
who lived ut M unpronounceable place
somewhere i'll the heart of the Welsh
mountains, had died and left him his
farm, and that he WAS to go down ut
once and take possession. Surely it was
Providence, he said with thankfuluess
and Joy. 1t was the way marked out for
him by heaven itself to take him and his
out of danger and position that had
become irksome to him. Proud and up
right, it was terrible thing for him to
be the father of the girl whom the
young squire fancied, and to feel in some
measure responsible for all the grief and
perplexity that had come ON his masters
at the Hall through that fancy for his
girl. He was glad of this order of re-
lease; and bidding Deborah mind the
house and keep indoors during his alb
sence, he set off for this place with the
unpronounceablc name to take up his
inheritance and prepare for new life
which would, he hoped, set all difficulties
Mt rest.
II was wild autumn night when
james Scambler left his home and
Debby, for the first time in her life felt
afraid to he alone. The wind raved
among the trees, and the rain poured in
torrents on the roof; but she fastened
the door M well as she was nble-they
were honest folks in those parts, and
fastenings were not very secure-and
then she went upstairs, and, all dressed
IN she was, laid herself on her bed,
feeling somehow more ut home in her
own little room than she did down in the
larger, darker kitchen below. She could
not sleep. How the wind hOwled and
reared! 10 was like heavy weight
pressing against the walls, and seemed
as if it would have carried the little
house clean away. She felt as if every
thing must he swept off like so much
.lust and chaff, while the rain threatened
to swamp NIL that the wind left standing.
Between the two, with the sense OF
| loneliness and sorrow in addition, she
WA wretched enough, poor, sweet Debby
Scambler, whose only sill was III her
beauty, and tears, OF which she was
ashamed but which she could not re-
the pillow below. How lonely it all
was? What n terrifying night! How
much she wished that father had not
gone away, and that he was there in his
own room, with just the little passage
between his strength and her desire for
protection.
Hark! what il that?
Through the bowling of the wind and
the splashing of the rain Debby heard
the garden gate clink and swing; then u
heavy step came NJ the little paved in
closure that led from the gate to the
front door; and then she heard the front
door tried, soon to be broken in with
sounding crash of broken iron and
shattered timber, while the wind tore in
like troop of demons, and shook the
whole place to its foundations. And
then she heard that same slow heavy
step come up the stairs-nearer, nearer,
step by step, till it halted ut her room
door. And the hall room door opened
and q man came in.
He was tall, broadly built man
dressed in q kind of loose Overcoat, which
hid all details Of his figure, and with a
black mask covering the whole of hi
face. He was rs completely disguise Il
az if he had been one of the Misericor(lia
of Italy; but he was evidently power
full, and one would have instinctively
said brutal man as well, more than a
match for slight young creature like
Debby--paralyzed by terror as she was,
unable to ecl cam, or make even the
least attempt mt defending herself.
The masked man came up to the side
J of the bed, grim, terrible, silent as the
grave. Before she had fully realized her
fearful fate he had bound a handkerchief
round her mouth no that she could not