Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-10-19

delicious ~ u u my poor Iatief VIII
never give his consent to our marriage,
and without II | could not be happy
"YOu have given yourself needless
pain, my poor child"
~ only know too we'll that there n
cause for all the anxiety leel, You
are the only sOn II q friend when lala
Low, Il and honored with the love ho Was
once capable Of, aud he believes y
would he an unparlOnable sin 10 permit
your union with me-ihe daughter II q
murderer y ~.
"lint, Emily, you know this II all
folly your fathers control over yoll
ought 10 cease, or yOn, too, VIII very
soon become infected with hla mad
anciea,"
oDon't speRk 30. Edmund, please"
~ beg your pardon Int, my dear
drl, wo must iace facts ~ they afe,
Your fathers diseased fancy makes hlm
appear to himself q great criminal,
though any court Of justice would do
clare him perfectly innocent aud IN re'
fusing TO me his daughter the only
woman In the world that loyo-he ima'
ginoa that ho " doing mo u great kind
ness In saving mo irom future disgrace,
We hay0 loved each other londly and
faithfully ever since We were clildrcn,
and II IL q sin TO allow this whim Of
your fathers TO separate ~"
"Oh. Edmund, papa N not 40 40 IN
sane ~ you think, lle loves me more
than ever, aud roproaches himself con,
stantly for the unhappincss he hascNuscd
me, ] cannot marry You without his
blessing ho would 6o 10 lonely, too, II
! left him." and Emily covered hcr face
with her hands,
Az Edmund Kennedy watched tho
girls tears tricklc over the diamond he
had placed on her finger, nm inpatient
light flushed in his dark eyes, and he
asked, hastily
as il In human power TO make yonr
father change his mind, Emily
~ am afraid not, | found him yes
terday praying in the monks cell, and
thinking tho occasion favorable, hcR'
ged him again --oh, how often ! have
made tho same petition before to
spare me the pain OF n separation from
you"
"And his answer"
"He claspcd his hands above his
head and said, with n look Of utter des-
pair in his eyes, While the curse OF
murder hangs over our heads, We must
live apart from the rest of the world"
always haiping on the same string"
muttered Edmund,
"But the conclusion Of his sentence
was still morc hopeless to me-
"What was it?'
"He said in tones that were impress
sive in spite of their lack of meaning,
Only when the lifeless figure Of Fra
Giacomo arises and comes forth from
his cell to absolyc me will feel myself
a free man again, Is not his agony of
mind heart rending?
"That hideous bundle of rags in the
dark room is doing more than anything
else to destroy your fathers reason. !
will make another attempt to dispose of
the ghastly creature. Fra Giacomo's
skull should repose with the remainder
of his bones instead Of haunting the
living with its unwelcome presence. The
room is astonisllingly difficult Of access,
and / am not sure Of succeeding, but !
shall do my best to have the remains Of
Fra Giacomo properly gathered TO his
fathers"
at will only be labor lost, Edmund,
| advise you not to make the attempt,
Excitement of that kind would make
papa more unreasonable than ever, and
it could only injure our cause"
$50 we are to be allowed to marry
each other when the stuffed image Of
Fra Giacomo arises and gives us his
blessing, and in the meantime are to
bear our separation with patience and
resignation" said Edmund, with an
ironical laugh.
But suddenly n look, as of IL happy
inspiration, cleaned i'll his eyes.
"What is it, Edmund? Your face
tells of some thought that you are hid
ing from me-" said Emily, stealing her
hand into his.
HN opened his lips us if to speak, but
on second thoughts murmured only to
himself -
"Tt is better that keep my counsel
while success is so uncertain
A servant announcing breakfast re-
lieved him from the necessity of reply
ing to Emily's question, and for the mo-
ment the unwelcome subject of Fra
Giacomo was dropped.
Capt Kennedy paced to and fro in his
room in evident excitement. An hour
before the order had reached him to
follow his regiment without delay to a
post in India, to disregard which meant
q sacrifice of his military career which
had been hitherto so auspicious, leaving
him without occupation and interest for
the future.
But Emily-he could not leave his
hearts darling behind to pine her youth
and happiness away in her fathers
gloomy companionship, and yet her
foolishly tender conscience seemed like
ly to wreck the happiness of them both.
No, it should not be the time had
come for the experiment he had resolved
to make, and Edmund declared that he
would not allow himself to be disheart-
ened. He stepped through the long
window opening on the court, and,
following a path winding through thriv-
ing fields, soon found himself ut Richie
mont.
Emily, the object of his search, was
engaged in filling basket with tea
roses, but she paused in her graceful
occupation to welcome her lover with
the mode of greeting that all the world
approves. ,
"Sit down, Emily, have important
news for you," he said, drawing her
down beside him on rustic seat. while
one arm stole, as if by the merest
chance, about her slight waist.
"What is it, dear? am all attention" ="
she said, fastening an exquisite rosebud
in Edmund's button-hole. "Therc, [
have given you the first refine margot
that has blossomed in the garden this
year. Francois will think it great
sacrilege."
Capt. Kennedy gazed regretfully in
the girls bright eyes, and then, in a
few but concise words, told her of his
Indian appointment, and the worldly ad-
vantage it would be to him,