Daily Republican., 1882-10-23
HER MOTHERS SECRET.
CHAPTER I.

|
THE MISTRESS OF MONpREER.
There is wound within her-'tIs a wount
That lies too deep for tears; and many
while,
When all that is art und her seems to smile
Within her heart Of heart a knell doth sound
ISAAC WILLIAMS.
"Mother Oh, mother it will breal
my heart |" walled Odalite, sinking a
the lady's feet, and dropping her heat
into her hands, face downward to thu
carpet.
The lady gently raised ner child, tool
her In her armt and tenderly caresseC
her, murmuring softly:
'No, my own hearts never break
or one heart, l knew, III rust have broken
long ago. Besides" she added, In 8
firmer tone-"HonOr must be saved
though hearts be sacrificed"
"'Honor, mother, dear? l DO moi
understand. do not see what honor
has to do with 1t. Or IF it has, should
think that honor would be better saved
by my keeping faith with Le than by
breaking with him On, mother
mother 1t will kill me /" moaned
Odaite.
"My child, my dear girl, hear me
listen to reason Leonidas Force has
no claim to be remembered by you.
You have never been engaged to him.
You were but little girl OF thirteen
Wh"n he went to sea on his first voy-
age, three years ago, and you have NOT
seen him since. What possible Claim
can he have upon you, since no betro-
thai OK lists between you?" gently
questioned the lady, tenderly running
her fair fingers through the dark tresses
Of the young head that leaned upon her
bosom.
ooh, mother" replied the girl, with
q heavy sigh, III know that there was
no formal betrothal between LIE and
myself-but-but-we all know, you
and father and lie and all knew
and al ways knew, that we two belonged
to each other and would always belong
to each other all our lives. Le and
never thought Of any other fate."
idle, childish fancies, my poor little
girl too trivial TO cause you these
tears. Wipe them away, and look
clearly at the higher destiny more
worthy of your birth and beauty"
murmered the lady, pressing her ripe,
red lips upon the pale brow of her
darling.
"Oh, mother, do not want higher
destiny 1 do not want any destiny
apart from LIE. And these are not
childish fancies, and are not trivial to
me Oh, think, mother, LIE and
were play mates as far back In my life
as l can remember. We loved each
other better than We loved any one else
in the whole world. You and father
used to laugh at US and pretend to be
jealous; but we saw that you were
pleased all the time; for you both in.
tended US for each other, and we knew
it, too, for father used to say when he
saw how inseparable we two were
so much the better; 1 hope their
hearGs will not be estranged when they
grow upp And our hearts have never
become estranged from each other p
"Oh, yes, dearest, l know that there
was some speculative talk when you
were children of uniting you and Leon.
idas, 80 that tho name of Force might
not die out from Mondreer. But l never
of marrying cousins, Odalite.
merely to keep the family name on the
family estate"
But, mother, darling, LIE aud I
never thought of the family name and
estate; we only thought of one an mother.
And, besides, we are such very, very
distant cousins-only fourth or fifth, 1
that objection could never
be raised. Oh, motLer dear mother
do not compel me to break with LIE l
can not l can not Oh, indeed, 1
cannot |" she cried, burying her face in
the lady's bosom.
Elfrida Force caressed her daughter
In silence.
Presently Odalite lifted her head and
pleaded
"He 10 coming home 80 soon now, and
30 full of hope He expects to bc here
by Christmas; and he expects--oh, yes,
I know by his last letter that he expects
The girl'seyes fell under
the compassionate yet scrutinizing gaze
IF her mother, and her voice faltered
INTO silence.
ITO marry you early in the new year,
I suppose you mean, dear"
eyes, mother"
"He did not say So"
"No, mother, dear, he did not say 80,
n so many words, but from the whole
one Of his letter he evidently meant 30.
Father thought he did, and even tried |
% teaZe me about the New Years wed. |
linR-asking me how many hundreds
should need to buy my wedding
ilothes."
"What was it he said in his letter
hat leads you to suppose he has any
uch expectations ? l confess that |
aw nothing of such an intention when
read the letter"
sony this, mother, but 1t was very
ignifcant. He wrote that now he had
Inherited Greenbushes and all his Aunt
Iaura's money, he was rich enough to
eslgn from the Navy; and he need not
70 to sea any more, nor ever part with
ne again; but that he could stay home,
epair and refurnish the house, improve
he land, and farm it on all the new
principles; and make the place o para.
ise for us to live In. He wrote, mother
ear, as of certain fixed facts
"He was very presumptuous, my
ear little girl, for there is nothing Ger
ain in this world of changes" gravely
the lady.
"But Les heart has not changed, nor !
as mine" ;
"My poor darling" said Elfrida {
'orce, smoothing her daughters dark 8
air with gentle hand, "my precious I
hild 1t Rrieves me TO do so, but l 9
lust prepare you for what seems inev- {
able. You must forget all this
outhful folly, and think of Leonidas
orce only As q cousin. You do not