Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-25
HER MOTHERS SECRET.
CHAPTER I.
THE MISTRESS or MoNDREER.


| heart" walled 0dalite, sinking at the
! lsdy's feet, and dropping her head into her
hands, face downward to the carpet.
The lady gently raised her child, took
her in her arms and tenderly caressed her,
murmuring softly:
mo, my oWnl hearts never break, or one
heart, know, must have broken long ago.
Besides" she added, in q tirmer tome
Honor must be saved, though hearts be
sacrificed"
Honor mother, dearP do not under
stsud / do not see what honor has to do
with il. Or il it has, | should think that
honor would be better saved by my keeping
faith with lie than by breaking with him!
Oh, mother! mother! il will kill men' moan
ed 0dalite.
My child, my dear girl, hear me! lislen
to reason! Leonidas Force has no claim to
be remembered by you. You have never
been engaged 10 him. You were but a lit
tie girl of thirteen when he went to sea on
his first voyage, three years ago, and you
have not seen him since. What possible
claim can he have upon you, since no be.
trOthal exists between your" gently ques-
toned the lady, tenderly running her fair
fingers through the dark tresSes Of the
young head that leaned upon her bosom.
Lob, mother" replied the girl, with a
heavy sigh, II know that there was no
formal betrothal between lie and myself
but-but-we all knew, you and father and
lie and l-dH knew-snd Always knew, that
We two belonged to each other and would
QhcGyS belong 70 each other all our lives.
lie and l 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 murmured the lady, pressing
her ripe red lips upon the pale brow of her
darling.
"Oh, mother, do not rant a higher des-
tiny! do not want any destiny apart from
lie. And these are not childish fancies, and
not trivial to me! Oh, think, mother, lie
and / were playmates as far back in my life
as | 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 sdtr that you were pleased all the time;
for YOU both intended US for each other,
and we knew il, too, for father used to say
when he saw how inseparable we two were:
so much the better: ! hope their hearts
will not be estranged when they grow up
And our hearts have R>reT become estranged
from each other"
'Oh, yes, dearest, 1 know that there was
some speculative talk when you were chill.
dren OF uniting YOU and LeOnidas, so that
the name of Force might not die out from
Mondreer. But never really approved OF
marrying cousins, Odalite, merely TO keep
the family name on the family tate"
But, mother, darling, lie and | never
thought of the family name and estate; we
only thought of one another. And, besides.
we are such very, very distant cousins
only fourth or fifth, l think-that that OBJ
lection could never be raised. Oh, mother!
dear mother do not compel me TO break
with LIE! can not! can not! Oh, indeed,
can not" 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 is coming home so soon now, and so
full of hope! He expects to be here by
Christmas; and he expects-oh, yes, l
know by his last letter that he expects to
Toto" The girls eyes fell under the
compassionate yet scrutinizing gaze OF her
mother and her voice faltered into silence.
ITO marry you early In the new year,
suppose you mean, dear"
Yes, mother"
"He did not saw So
mo, mother, dear, he did not say so, in
so many words but from the whole tone of
his letter he evidently meant so. Father
thought he did, and even tried to teaze me
about the New Years wedding-asked me
how many hundreds should need to buy
my wedding clothes"
"What was it he said in his letter that
leads you to suppose he has any such
expectations? confess that l saw moth
ing of such an intention when l read the
letter"
"Only this, mother, but it was very sig.
nifiCant. He wrote that now he had inner
tied Greenhouses and all his Aunt Laura's
money, be was rich enough to resign from
the Navy, and he need not go to sea any
more, nor never part with me again; but
that be could stay home, repair and refur-
nish the house, improve the land, and farm
il on all the new principles, and make
the place a paradise for US to live IN. he
wrote, mother dear, as OF certain liked
facts
He was very presumptuous my dear
little girl, for there is nothing certain In
this world of changes grayely commended
the lady.
"But Lees heart has not changed, nor
has mine"
INV poor darling" said Elfrida Force,
smoothing her daughters dark hair with
a gentle hand, my precious child! 1t
grieyes me to do so, but must prepare
YOU for what seems inevitable. You must
forget all this youthful folly, and ,hlnk OF
Leonidss Force only as cousin. You DO
should love her athanccd husband. lou
only fancy that you do. In reality You
know nothing of such love as that. lie
WAS brought up in the same house with
Won. You have no brother. LIE has no
sister. You therefore love each other as
brother and sister. By and by you both
may discoyer-but not for each other-tne
higher, deeper, stronger love which unltes
the husband and the wife in true mar
4 AyrfS
crown my daTling's life It'll lasting Joy
such n love as you might find in union
with Angus Anglesea, il you would put
give him the opportunity Of winning your
heart" $3.50 -
madam exclaimed the girl, starting to
her feet, and gathering her black brows
over black eyes that blazed with indlSoa-
ton. 81 hate Colonel AngLesea! nase nin
and fear himl And would rather d'e
This day and never behold the face OF lie
again. than listen to Colonel Angleses"
sNOdalite! Odalite, my child! You ara
talking TO your mother. Come to my hesrt
again, and calm your excitement said the
lady, holding out her arms.
And the young girl fell weeping upon
the bosom Of her mother ;,
The lady allowed some time to pass In
which the girls paroxysm OF tears exhaust
ed itself, and then caressing her gently,
she began, in q soothing tone:
''My precious child, do You doubt your
mothers love or trrthg'
"Oh, no, no, no! How could you ask
such question of your own child
mother2" earnestly protested Odalite.
apo Won doubt that duty is to be held
above ali other considerations?
NO, oh, no."
"well, then, have something to tell you,
NV darling, which will make you forget all
selfish aims, and even also the wishes OF
your old playmate Come with me TO your
own bed chamber, where We shall be most
secure from all interruption. will tell
you of fatal episode in my own youth,