Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-07-12

her lovers face with SHINING eyes. "But
you came" she said, softly.
IS did not really go. / found letter
from my grandmother awaiting me at
the hotel, which had been forwarded
from New York. 1t gave me reprieve,
and 1 fingered, not bold enough to put
my fate to the touch by going directly
to your father before [ had the assur-
ance l now have from you. l wish you
knew how happy you have made me,
Dana. have been wretched and jeal-
Gus. L watched you often when you did
not dream of it"
:" From across the street, and at Mr..
Schoenberger' studio?'' asked Dana,
with mischievous CLEAN, though
thinking at the same time how much
brighter she would have been had she
known it then.
GOOD little Schoenberger! said
Launt, with laugh. Il wonder if he
suspected that only went there because
picked up a word about you? If he
were not married man with a rising
family, should think him madly in
love with your cousin, he sang her
praises so Professionally
| "Poor Lex!" and Dana echoed the
laugh. She imagined Lexis chagrin
when she should learn the truth.
not suspecting that Lex had arrived at
it already. The next moment the door
opened and Mrs. Oliphant entered. One
glance was enough to tell her how far
matters had gone; if it had not, Launt
was ready enough, now that he knew
Dana mind.
And with your permission, dear
| Mrs. Oliphant," he finished his appeal
to her, Il will go to your husband at
once. / want to set myself right in
your sight and his; l hope to prove that
am not altogether unworthy of your
| daughter
IF it has come to that, will go to
him." said Mrs. Oliphant, slowly.
"Dana, you will make no promises;
MIR. harrington, you will bind her to
none, until her father and talk this
matter over. | ask it."
"Ah, Mrs. Oliphant, it is too late for
| that. Promise or no promise, we are
pledged to each other" said Launt,
seeking his continuation in Dana's
eyes.
A stranger was leaving the library as
Mrs. Oliphant entered it, man of the
''shabby genteer' order, who bowed
and held open the door, darling a keen,
searching look into the lady's face as
she passed.
''Who was that, Power?' she asked.
'Only Harmon Quest-Alexia's Mr..
Quest, you know, Rose. / might call
him mine, now. as aptly. He is very
tolerable lawyer, and has been making
himself useful in these real-estate nego-
tiations of mine. He's the cleverest of
fellows at getting hold of secret
points"
Rose did not give the lawyer second
thought.
Power" she said, 81 may as we'll tell
you at once, the time we have dreaded
has come"
THAT time was bound to come sooner
or later" Mr.. Oliphant remarked, when
he had heard all she had to tell. ''And
really, dear. l don't share your an
tipathy to that young man. am in no
hurry to lose our girl. and did what l
could to discourage him-and felt guilty
dropping face. If Dana likes him. and
they have made it up together. you and
1 must put away our scruples and stand
aside
"If it were any one else,'' cried Rose,
quis l could trust him. But that man!
Power, feel that he has only won her
from us to break her heart. -
Mr.. Oliphant took his wife's hand in
loving clasp. These two were fond
lovers in their middle age.
Il understand your prejudice against
his Southern origin, and that is his
chief objection in my eyes. He will be
wanting to take Dana away from us,
but | can never consent to that. We
must make it n cond ton that he shall
settle here. For the rest, the secret will
be as safe when Dana marries as it is
now. The one fact that he need ever
know-that she is an adopted child
will not have feathers weight with
him if he is the true stuff
If he is the true stuff!'' repeated
Mrs. Oliphant to herself, almost with
groan. And he is. in the way Power
means. He would marry her if she
We're a beggar's daughter. But how
would it be if he knew aUhose child she
is?''
1t was Mrs. Oliphant who carried the
result of their conference to Dana, and
Launt was summoned to the library be-
fore he departed, to give full account
of himself, his family, and his prospects,
to the father of his love. 1t was a sat-
isfactory account in the main, though
the element which would have weighed
with many fathers, money, had little
part in it. But the Farringtons, once
wealthy family, were influential still.
Launt himself held the lease of sugar
plantation, which, under his judicious
management rendered an assured in
come sufficient to the wants of young
pair who We're not ambitious of great
display. He was not presumptuous,
then, in aspiring to the hand of Dana
Oliphant, prospective heiress though
she might be.
You may consider the inequality as
existing on the other side,' said the
older man, not without slight tremor.
'.You come of the old creole stock, who
have their pride of birth as strong as
any aristocracy on earth. Dear as she
is to me, she is not really my daughter,
but a nameless waif adopted in her ear
Hest infancy. Does that fact make any