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

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Breton"
-oh"-Sibyrs face frightened eagerly
-~then he has had my letter. grand
mammal"
"He is staying at the Castle. But !
have no doubt his letters have been duly
forwarded from wyndicote!-
~The letter had as matter Of fact, been
burnt by the Countess herself who had
distracted il from the letter-bag and flung
IT unread into her dressing room fire
She had no more conjunction in de-
stroying il than IL it had been handful
of withered leaves; her conscience did
not trouble her in the slightest degree
now that the deed was accomplished
She would have read the letter also IL she
had deemed it desirable to do so. But
she was convinced that she knew its con-
tents rs well as il she had got them by
heart and that any such special pleading
should stand for one moment in the way
Of "the family was in the Countess's
mind. simple absurdity.
Having told her lie to Sibyl with the
dpIOmb of long habit, she went on tran.
quilly with her knitting, her rings scatter
ing sparks of many-colored light through
the dusky ireshine.
"Why has not Mark answered met" de.
manded Sibyl abruptly.
81 am here, you see, to do so for him."
"Then he has not sent me a letter-he
is not comingi"
"How could you suppose such thing
possible, my deari"
A chill pang of disappointment struck
through the girls veins. She had been
craving-she knew it now--for sight oi
the kind face and clasp of the kind hand
in which she trusted so implicitly. A
mans presence in the grief stricken house
would have been so cheering then. Poor
Mr.. Lansing had never counted for much
as an adviser with his womankind; it was
rather they who all his life had advised
and protected him.
"Why should it not be possible for him
to come7" she demanded again.
"Because"-the Countess closed heI
eyes with an air of polite resignation
"Mr. Breton feels that it would be in the
worst possible taste for him to do so. Dc
you suppose that my daughter Anna Of
her unfortunate husband could receive
him in the circumstances with much
pleasure2"
81 was not thinking of pleasure to any
body" the girl said drearily. "But did
think that Mark would have remembered
his promise and our friendship before
good taste and such trumpery consider.
ations."
'Strong words, young lady, upon my
word"
"Well"-great tears rushed to Sibyl's
eyes-"it is hard when your best friend
fails you"
"Fails2 Nonsense" cried the Countess
"On the contrary, consider that the
young man has shown great deal of nice
feeling in the matter; and I think you,
Miss Sibyl, are making him highly I'M
gracious return for his amiability. If you
were my daughter"-the old woman's
deep-set eyes cleaned angrily from under
her white eyebrows-"I should not waste
SO much time in talking. would lock
you up on bread and water until you con-
sented to listen to reason and to be thank
full for your exceptional good fortune"
Sibyl drew herself up, pale with anger
"Was that what you we're attempting tc
do to my mother when she ran away from
your ladyship2" she asked haughtily.-
She was not accustomed to hear such
words as those.
"Perhaps it was. And I don't see that
she bettered herself much. l think poor
Anna had burdens enough upon her shoul-
ders before you were left to her to add
to them. But then"-the Countess's cold
face expressed an unbounded contempt
for the subject in hand-"it was love-
match between Clara and your father
and what matters anything else so long as
two fools are in love- and can bring more
fools into the world to be burden or
their family"
my father and mother are dead" Siby
said, with disdain as cold and quiet as
the Countess herself had shown. at is
hardly worth your ladyship's while tt
vent your wrath upon them. Say what
you like to me, who am able to answer
for myself"
II will say first of all my good girl. thai
you seem utterly devoid of all respect fol
age. Your language is unbecoming, I an
not used to being addressed in sucl
terms The Countess was still perfectly
cool, and spoke as one would speak to ,
refractory child.
"Nor am l." retorted Sibyl." And
think that young people ought to be re
spected as well as old, until they have
done something to forfeit the right. Wha
is it you all want of me, madam"-sht
flashed round with a gesture of girlisf
dignity-''or are you afraid or ashamed t.
put it into words?"
The Countess looked at her with smile
of cold amusement, in which there wal
some involuntary admiration too of the
family spirit.
"By no MEANS" she returned knitting
on undisturbed, "you are asked-as you
know very well--to save your family from
dishonor, and at the same time to benef
youself, by marrying young Squire Bret
ton. who does you the honor to propose fo
your hand.
Sand tell you, as have already tol(
Amaranth that 1 did not love Mr.. Bret
ton"
"My dear Sibyl!" came with wear.
protest from the Countess. She had exist
ed for seventy-five years without ap
preaching to any nearer comprehensive
of tho ,nord tloua, than WAS cnntainad i