Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-11-22
Young Marsden pondered over this

1OunB MdTSUeu pioneered over LulS
letter while he perfumed his toilet, and
In spite of the exultant feeling at his
heart, he did not experience unmixed
qualification. He suspected that his
father had extorted the earl's consent by
means of the secret he had darkly limited
at, and the idea was repugnant to his
sense of honor and self-respect. But
when they met at dinner, the old gentle
man was so radiant with satisfaction. and
sc elated at the prospect of his son
marrying an earl's daughter, that the
young man did not like to disturb his
equanimity by raising difficulties. Old
Josiah Marsden was never an abstemious
person, and on this occasion, in defiance
of the doctors orders he insisted upon
having bottle of his priceless old port.
The result was thathe became somewhat
unguarded in his speech, and his son
gathered pretty accurately what had
taken place. Mistaking the cause of the
young mans reticence, old Josiah went
so far as to intimate that any hesitation
on the part of the young lady would be
overcome by parental pressure. This
completed his sons disgust at the trans
action, and he resolved to sleep over
mally announce his intention not to avail
himself of Lord Carsdale's invitation.
Fate decreed, however, that he should
never carry out this project, for old
Josiah Marsden was seized with fit of
apoplexy shortly after retiring to his
room that night and died before the ar
rival of the doctor
When the shock caused by his sudden
death subsidized, young Marsden natural
" began to think once more of his
affair de cCgur. In spite of his misgiv-
ings, Lord Carsdales letter had inspired
him with strong hope of obtaining the
young lady's hand, and he shrank from
the notion of not being able to avail
| himself of his good fortune. But he was
still haunted by the dread that he could
not honorably keep Lord Carsdale to his
word, and on the earliest opportunity he
went carefully through his fathers
papers, to- endeavor to satisfy his mind
upon thisimportantpo He very soon
came across the bill and the accompany
ing important letter, which, of course,
explain his father mysterious influence.
Jack Marsden at once perceived the
power of the weapon which he held.
He knew that Lord Carsdale was strug-
Cling to resume his place in society, and
that people were asking one another
| doubtfully whether the rumors of his
youthful misdeeds werefounded on fact.
He was also aware that the person whose
name the earl had forged, and who had
once been his friend, was now his dead
Hest enemy, and was doing his best to
blacken his character. Even at this dis
lance of time, therefore, the forged ac-
ceptance might be used against the earl
by an INSCRIPTIONS person with ruinous
! effect, and young Marsden felt that it lay
in his power to make terms with Lord
Carsdale, as his father had done. But
he did not entertain the idea for an in
slant; on the contrary his first impulse
wat to consign the eliminating docu-
ments to the flames, without a word to
anyone. He could not refrain, however,
from letting Lord Carsdale know that
the danger which threatened him no
longer existed, in the hope, probably,
that his conduct might influence the
earl IN his favor. He therefore sent the
document to his lordship by registered
post, with the following letter.
My LoRD-In going through my fathers
papers, came across the enclosed documents,
which bear your name, and l therefore
presume they belong to you. You will, / know,
excuse me for not having replied earlier to
your last letter. venture to hope that [ am
still at liberty to avail myself of your kind per-
mission to rank as sutton for your daughters
hand. I should esteem the privilege, and I
trust may prove worthy of your lordship's
confidence. Yours faithfully,
john MARsDEN.o
He waited long and anxiously for an
answer to this communication, but none
ever came. Lord Carsdale did not even
vouchsafe line of acknowledgement.