Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-01-12


up Il feel for aunt Anna as her own
daughters feel" She did not intend any
sarcasm, nor did Amaranth Carruthers
suspect one. ~She has been like my own
mother TO me. / owe her everything in
the world"
"You are q very good girl Sibyli we
have always said so-all Of us; and / am
sure" the tone Of this speech was not quite
90 confident as the words-"that acknowl-
edging all that poor mamma has done for
you, it will be no great sacrifice for you'to
reconsider your answer to Mr.. Breton.
and to make up your mind to marry him."
"Marry Mr.. Breton" cried Sibyl more
and more bewildered. "What in the
world has that to do with Clemehts
debts7"
Everything in the world" returned
Mrs. Carruthers, who had been methodi-
cally working up to her point "Mr. Bret
ton is in love with you-you are certainly
far pretiier than we ever were-and. il
you will consent TO marry him he will
take no steps to convict Clement who
there was a momentary break in the mu-
steal matter-of-fact voice-"has forged
Mr.. Bretton's name Scs' a very large sum
of money"
A blank silence fell upon the room. ST.
byl sat motionless on the hearth-rug, star
ing into the fire and hardly feeling any
pain just then. "Poor aunt AnnaT she
was saying all to herself, over and over
again.
"You know now," Mrs. Canuihers said
at last, with an anxious look at the clock
She had come down in the rain because
the Countess had considered it her duty /;
but she shrank from spending the night
in the house of trouble, where she could
be of no use and she was calculating how
much longer she could afford to wait
without losing the last train.
"Yesr Sibyl answered, drawing long
breath, know now; but cannot under
stand why Mark Breton should ask me
again to marry him. told him 1 could
not"
"That was in different circumstances"
reasoned her cousin.
"But all this does not alter my feelings
towards him"
Amaranth arched her dark eyebrows,
and made little sound of patient impa-
tience.
"No, perhaps not" she said, with an
air of speaking to aprovokingly dull child ;
"but you see how completely it places our
family in his power
Sibyl started up.
sand you mean otell me-" she cried,
with indignation, ''that Mark has been
mean enough to try to frighten me into a
marriage with him9 won't believe it of
him, Amaranth! He is too good fellow"
"The best fellows, you will find, my
dear are more or less the slaves of their
caprices--or passions, if you like to call
them so The word seems to me too strong
to apply to anything men feel nowadays;
and ! SUPPOSE Mark Breton is no eXcep-
tion to the rule of his noble sex. How
ever" Mrs. Carruthers rose too, and
walked to the window to ascertain that
her fly was still there-"you have heard
what l came down-at the Countesss
request-to say. 1t all rests with you.
Of course we understand that, should
you refuse Mr. Breton again, the law
must take its course. don't see why we
should expect anything else"
because you don't know Mark as well
as do," declared Sibyl, her brown eyes
frightening.
n know men and the world much bet
ter, 1 am sorry to say"
sand besides"-the utter impracticabil-
ity of her accepting Marks offer kept ST.
byl quite calm-"even if were willing
which I am MOTTO do as you suggest, I
could not. am engaged"-a beautiful
proud blush rose in the girls face-"to
Percival."
Mrs. Ca,ruthers came back from the
window, and began to put on her gloves,
standing.
"Mamma said there was something of
that Sort" she returned, with unaffected
Indifference. "Those boy -and-girl affairs
never come to anything. Percival, I am
sure, would be the very last one to wish
you to keep a promise of that sort when
our family honor was at stake"
Sand how about mine Z" demanded ST.
byl curtly.
"Yours, OF course, is the same as ours"
The girl put her hands wearily to her
aching head.
ave are talking in different languages,
Amaranth," she said. II don't understand
yours, and don't want to understand it /;
but you can tell the Countess from me
that cannot marry Mr.. Breton because
I am engaged to Percival, and that am
quite sure, that if could see Mark and
explain matters, he would not wish it, or
do any thing cruel to aunt Annals son, no
matter how he wronged him. He prom
ised to be friend to me if the need
should ever arise"
''And l think he is keeping his word as
mems words go. Don't expect too much
from him, Sibyl."
II must go to aunt Anna," said Sibyl
shortly, "and tell Dixon about your room"
"Thank you, no; shall be in time for
the last train" Amaranth began to fasten
her fur paletot again. II can do no good
by staying; and 1 have the children to
think of, of course. 1 confess I had not
the least hope when set out; so do not
go back greatly disappointed. Girls seem
to have such odd notions of late. I don't
know how it is. l am sure Philippa and
Imogen and Annabel"-these were Lady
Anna Lansing's other daughters-"took
the husbands that were found for them /;
so did 1 mine, and made no objections