Louisiana capitolian., 1881-05-12
BRAVELY WON.

the neighborhood of the pretty English
village of Chaplain, The good old lady
was what most people would consider
comfortably off but she, who had once
known all the Injuries that wealth can
bestow, regarded herself as one of the
unfortunates who merited as much pity
as the wretched pauper who crawls into
the workhouse for % nights shelter.
Poor Maud sylvesters life was rend.
cred pefeCt misery to her. Lord
Waistrilfs son almost lived at the quite
little villa, and worst of oil, Mrs. Sylves-
ter encouraged him.
Lord Waistrill had told falsehoods suf-
ficient about his precious ne'er-do-well
to raise Mrs. Sylvesters hopes of So
cial aggrandizement for herself and her
daughters prospects to insure my lords
persistence in his sons behalf
But his son needed no urging on. He
was madly in love with Maud. The
more she showed her dislike the more
affectionate he was. In vain she assured
him she could not care for him.
To make matters worse, her mother
entirely changed in her demeanor
toward her. With all her vanity, sell
fishness and absurdities, Mrs. Sylvester
had hitherto been atfectionate toward
her daughter.
But now o change had taken place in
her demeanor She threatened that she
would leave her penniless when she died,
let her make her own living as she could,
if she did not consent to the marriage.
1t grieved Maud deeply to see her
mother stoop to falsehood in her wild
desire to bring about this marriage.
Now Arthur Chambers and Maud Syl-
vester had so far;kept their engagement
o secret from every one excepting her
friend Lucy.
Of course poor Mand took every oppor-
tunity to visit her friends in Bayswater
as frequently as she could, and to her
contidante Lucy she revealed her trou-
bles. ...
"You must come as often as you can
to Clapham,' pleaded Maud, "and save
me from the prosecutions of the objection
able creature to whom mamma would
have me sacrifice myself" .--
Of course Lucy did come as often as
she could; but ere long her visits were
put to stop by the positive rudeness of
Mrs. Sylvester, who. for the sake. Of her
own wishes, desired to sever Maud's
connections with her Bayswater friends.
Lucy, dearly as she loved Maud, could
not continne to visit at a house where
she was openly snubbed and insuited,
Not satisfied with having driven her
daughters dearest friend from her doors,
Mrs. Sylvester at last objected to Maud's
going to Bayswater. "
Maud rebelled Indignantly against
this. .a#......
"Why," she Justly asked, twas she to
give up her dearest friend ? What had
she, Lucy, or any member Of her family
ever done to merit any such nnheard-of
treatment |" ..... .v...
"Never mind what they have DONE"
answered Mrs. Sylvester "that has
nothing to do with the matter. 1t is my
desire that you should not visit them for
the present at least, and you must sub
NIT to my ORDERS" .....
81 am sorry answered Maud, ~ can
not in this instance obey you"
"But you must and shall, cried her
mother, furlously. ..
Maud did not answer her.
"Do you hear me ?" cried Mrs. Syl-
yesteT.
81 hear YOU" answered Maud.
"And you must obey Or" ..
COR what !" questioned Maud.
COR / will turn you out of the house."
cried Mrs. Sylvester
"You need not do that" answered
Maud, with considerable emotion-"I
can 60 very easily, without being turned
out"
She rose as she concluded speaking.
Mrs: Sylvester looked up at her. Har-
dened through she had of late become
with this one hideous nightmare of So
cial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT engrossing her
whole consideration, she still had
spark of better feeling left when the
pathetic tone of her daughters voice
reached her ears.
"Of course" she said, pettshly, ~
don't mean that exactly but it's your
duty to obey me Maud, in all things"
"In all reasonable things" answered