The Portland daily press., 1882-10-24

Mother! oh, mother! it will break my
heartp' walled Odalite, sinking az the lady 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,
murmurlng softly;
ssNo, my own! hearts never break, or one
heart, know, must have broken long ago.
Besides" she added, in firmer tone
"HoP0r must be saved, though hearts be
sacrificed"
Honor mother, dear? do not under
stand. / do not see what honor has to do
with it. Orif it has, l should think that
honor would be better saved by my keeping
faith with LIE than by breaking with him !!
Oh, mother! mother! 1t will kill mer'
moaned Odalite.
My child, my dear girl, hear mel listen
to reason! Leonidas Force has no claim to
be remembered by you You have never
been engaged to him. You were but 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 you?' gently ques-
toned the lady, tenderly running her fair
fingers through the dark tresses of the young
head that leaned upon her bosom.
"Oh, mother" replied the girl with
ACdN1 ciAAy huUW Oudb bu6I6 WAS no IOr-
NAL betrothal between LIE and myself-but
-but-we all knew, you and father and lie
and l-du knew-and always knew, that we
two belonged to each other and would al
rays belong to each other all our lives. LIE
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 beau
ty," murmured the lady, pressing her ripe,
red lips upon the pale brow of her darling.
"Oh, mother, do not WG7t higher des-
tlnyl do not want ana 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 9TH
or better than we loved any one else in the
whols world. You and father used to laugh
at us and pretend to be jealous; but we san
that you were pleased all the time; for you
both intended us for each other, and we
knew it, too, for father used to say when he
saw how inseparable we two were: $50
much the better;I hope their hearts will
not be estranged when they grow upp' And
our hearts have neuer become estranged
frsm each otherp'
"Oh, yes, dearest, | 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
Aondreer. But never really approved of
marrying cousins, Odalite, merely to keep
the family name on the family estate"
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, think-that that objection
could never be raised. Oh motherI dear
mother! do not compel me to break with Lei
can notl can notl Oh, indeed, cannotr'
she cried, burying her face in the lady's bo-
som.
Elfrida Force caressed her daughter in 81
lence.
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 Christ
mas; and he expects-oh yes, / know by his
last letter that he expects to-to-to'' The
girls eyes fell under the compassion ate yet
scrutinizing gaze of her mother, and her
voice faltered into silence.
To 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 sayso, in SO
many words, but from the. whole tone of his
letter he evidently meant so. Father thought
~ AAos eAo OfOA blIOu " bcctL0 Liz ABOUT Ll6
New Years wedding-asking me how MANY
hundreds should need to buy my wedding
Clothes"
What was 1.-THE said in his letter that leads
you to suppose he has any such expecta-
tions? confess that saw nothing of such
an intention when read the letter."
"Only this, mother, but it was very signifi-
cant he wrote that now he had inherited
Greenbushes and all his Aunt Laura's money,
he was rich enough to resign from the Navy,
and be need not go to sea any more, nor ever
part with me again; but that he could stay
home, repair and refurnish the house, i'm
prove the land, and farm it on all the new
principles, and make the place a paradise for
us to live in. He wrote, mother, dear, as of
certain fixed facts"
HE was very presumptuous, nv dear
little girl, for there is nothing certain in this
world of changes, grayely commented the
lady.
But Les heart has not changed, nor has
NINE"
my poor darling,' said Elfrida Force.
smoothing her daughters dark hair with a
gentle hand, smy precious child 1t grieves
me to do so, but must prepare you flor
what seems inevitable. You must forget all
this youthful folly, and think Of Leonidas
Force only as cousin. You do not really
love Kim as betrothed maiden should love
her afianced husband. You only fancy that
you de. La reality you know nothing of such
love as that. LIE was brought up in the house
with you. You have no brother. LIE has no
sister. You therefore love each other as
brother and sister. BY and by you both may
diseover-but not for each other-the higher.
deeper, stronger love which unites the
husband and the wife in a true marriage
such love as l could wish might crown nv
darling's life with lasting joy@such love
as you might find in union with Angus
Anglesea, if you would but give him the
opportunity of winning your heart"
Madam exclaimed the girl, starting to
her feet, and gathering her black brows over
black eyes that blazed with Indignation, 81
hate Colonel Anglesea! hate him and !
fear HIM! And would rather die this day
and never behold the face of LIE again, than
listen to Colonel Anglesear'
"Odalltel Odalite, my chilli You are
talking to your mother. Come to nv heart
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 exhausted
Itself, and then caressing her gently, she be-
gan, in soothing tene
My precious child, do you doubt your
mothers love or truth?'
"Oh, no, no, nol How could yon ask
such question of your own child, mothers'
earnestly protested Odalite.
'Do you doubt that duty is to he held
above all other considerations"
''Nol Oh, mop
''Well, then, l have something to tell you,
my 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 a
fatal episode in my own youth, when was
younger even than you are now. oh that
should have to tell such tale to my daugh-
teri But Odalite, when you have heard it
you will learn just what you have to do in
order to save us all, and especially to save
your noble, generous, honorable father from
ruin and disgrace. And then, Odalite, when
you have learned all, you shall do exactly as
you please. Not one word of coeFcion, not
another word of persuasion, will I utter. |
will leave our fate in your hands, and you
shall be absolutely free to act. Come with
me now"
she took her daughters arm and thew |
arose from the sofa.
For moment they stood, quite accident |
ally, facing a tall mirror between two win |
dows on the opposite side of the room, and |
that mirror for the moment reflected two
beautiful forms, of which it would be diff