The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-01-20

you can't agree to this, we may as well
give up all our hopes"
"Wait until tomorrow, and I'll try and
answer then" Turning quickly to the
carriage behind them, she adds: "We
will go home now, and will think until
the morning. No, you mustn't talk to
mer' imperiously, as he commences to
speak. -,
Very charming she looks, with her lit
tie, naughty air, but very commanding,
and her lover very wisely leaves her to
the balancing of duty and inclination, OF
prudence and self-will, that is so sure to
turn in his favor. All through the even
ing and the next forenoon she is the
usual bright fairy that her father wor-
ships; but hardly has the carriage left
the door when she turns to Jimmie, who
is standing behind her, with the words
81 will go with you tomorrow!
Poor little ipsl How white they are.
and how they quiver! Jimmie GordoI
really loves her, and is very earnest in
| the ambition that first prompted him;
| but for q few moments he wavers in his
purpose. so cruel in its sacrifice of this
victim to a destiny so suncertsin. He
can hardly be blamed for the utter sell
| fishness of his plan when we think of the.
| to him, tremendous value of the prize,
| and the training that has never taught
him his intentions are wrong simply be-
cause it has never held up to him the
possibility of them; but still he cannot
| help feeling his responsibility in stealing
| a defenseless girl from her home, and
| doing it by means of systematic deceit
toward both her and her father. Only
for few moments does this last, and he
clasps in his arms this trembling frame
SO lovingly, even in its terror, clngine
| to the manliness that she sees in the
| fierce triumph shining out of his eyes.
The next day all the soft beauty has
gone out of Nature, and her sterner
mood seems aroused by the unnatural
betrayal of hospitality and deliberate
deception instead of being allayed by the
| happiness of the lovers. The water that
| forty-eight hours before spoke only of
the Skimpole side of life with its lazy ac-
cent, now lashes itself to wake to the
coming storm. The gentle tapping OF
the waves is changed to an uneasy rush
] and hoarse whisper; their bright diamond
points give way to dull, leaden hue
that is only harkened by the white cars
| cleaning with their continuous energ.
as far as the eye can reach. As our run
aways fly along on the railway tc Roches
ter, they see the storm-rack
"Come rolling in ragged and brown"
and in that sheet of spray and rain ant
| wind, each movement overtaking an
hiding another and another sail, the
think they see shadow of the darkness
living before them and forbidding
glimpse of their future.
Of this part of their story there is lit
to tell If we were to follow them we
would see them on the wedding tour,
happy in the present, and thinking little
of any trouble to come. Then came the
return of Mr.. Larton, his grief at his
daughters flight and anger at her hus-
band; his inquiries, too late, about Jim
mie by letters and even detectives, with
the reports of mortal turpitude and bad
reputation that the detectives feel boun6
to give him to justify their use and TIL;
pay; and finally comes the day whe
under the influence of these reports, O
his hurt pride and disappointed affection,
and spurred ON by his wife's cautious en-
couragement, he writes to Mr.. and Mrs.
Gordon, waiting for his answer in New
York, that they shall never enter his
house.
We will pass over the receipt of this
letter, with its message of sorrow to
Eta, of anger and bitter disappointment
to Jimmie; over the brief year after the
marriage, while they live modestly on a
few thousand dollars that Eta had in
her own bank account at the time of the
elopement; over the awful day when,
this giving out, letter begging pardon
and reconciliation is replied to with:
"DEAR s1R-Your favor of the 2sth received.
My letter to you of year since fully covers the
question upon which you touch. Please con-
siderour intercourse and correspondence closed.
''Yours truly, HENRY LARroN."
And the storm-rack closed down over
them, driving into their very souls the
mist and cold.
The little girl born few weeks before
this is their only child, and its babyhood
knows only hardship; but when, at five
years old, she begins to delight he1
father with miniature of Eta Larton
that trouble has so quieted and changed
into Eta Gordon, she has father who
is man, instead of the selfish, lazy
parasite the forgiveness by Mr.. Lartor
! would have made him. His old friend,
! Mr.. More, long before this had got him
start in a clerkship with very small
salary; but meeting one day Mrs. Pc
ters, who had always been fond of him
she persuades Mr. Peters to secure hin
another lift, by which he improves him
self; so that, six years after his marriage
day, he finds himself beyond the reach O
want, although still poor man. Al
{; the little family sit on this evening, &
t cheerful circle, though with the clouG
, that recollection still casts over them, ,
D visitor comes. So changed is he from
the Henry Larton of old, that Eft,
: pauses before she flies to his arms.
"My daughter" says this white-hairet
man, 81 am widower again, and hav
come to ask you if you will come back t.
me-"
80 papal I love you still, and pit,
you; but have a husband and a child.
j. "My DEAR" smiling, '1 don't want t,
separate you from them. Can't you brin.
them with you?"
excuse me, SIR" interposes Jimmie
'T cannot 'be taken by my wife now
and our struggles together have at leas
taught me that it is better to make M
own living than to live on any man
aims"
= = 'Mr. Gordon, I do not wish you t
: come for your sake, but for mine; and
9 the reports of your business capacity ar
; true, think I shall get the better of an
q bargain I can make with you. hav
:, learned, in short, that you have brains
: : as well as handsome face, and am pre-
: pared to be proud of my son-in-law.
= Let us leave them here. This, ou
= Jacob served his apprenticeship for onl
= six years, and that after he got hi
o Rachel; but it served him in good stead
and like Hopeful in the story book, b
u found his fortune when he had trul
: earned it.
u Wasted Opportunities.
4 "Do you not look back into the dil
vista of by-gone years with a feeling