Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-07-10
A SCHEMER FOILRD.

| Tdpd Is not IKE himself. ne neVe
was harsh to me before" murmured poo
Kate.
" Yet you must not be unmindfu
that your father believes he is acting
for your own best interests" was tn,
rather doubtful remonstrance of Mrs
Scott.
Papa is acting entirely under the in
auence Of Percy Talbot" the girl assert,
ed excitedly; "if he were not he would
understand how grievous it would be
should marry man whom | detest-
how utterly impossible it is when my
whole heart is given to another. Oh,
mamma surely you cannot blame me y
What could the gentle wife, the trou.
bled mother say? She loved her hus.
band, unreasonable as he might be, she
idolized her only child, and she shrank
from holding either blamable. So she
remained silent, while two big tears
rolled slowly down her fair, faded
cheeks.
Mamma, my dearest, you do no,
blame me, do you :" pleaded Kate, cross
ing the room and throwing herself on hel
knees beside her mother. " 1t would
break my heart to give up Robert L love
20 dearly-oh, mamma, so very dearly.
You like Robert, too, and so did papa be.
fore this Percy Talbot came here to make
nothing but trouble for US all. And
have fancied sometimes that you dis.
trust him quite as much as | do. You
do not really wish me to marry him, do
you ;"
"Your father is determined that you
shall be his wife, Kate" said Mrs. Scott,
winding a kindly arm about the slim,
kneeling figure, and drawing the pretty,
brown head to her bosom.
81 know. And If | disobey him, he
declares he will no longer recognize me
as his child" returned Kate, with little
gasp Of anguish; {" he will send me away
from him, from my home, and from you.
Oh, mamma, it is hard And yet, il
you would not blame me, il you can
trust me, had rather 60. After time
papa might relent, and wish me to come
back to him."
The mother sighed, but she clasped
the pretty pleader more closely to her
tender heart, and fondly kissed the sweet
bright face.
81 do trust you. Kate" she answered
with much earnestness. always re.
member, darling, that wherever you may
be, l shall trust my daughter to do the
right. If you choose to 60 rather than
become Mr.. Talbot's unloving wife.
shall not Judge you too harshly; and ii
may be that sometime the storm will pass
over, and that this trial will end happily
for US all" d.. .....f
After such concession the mother
could scarcely refuse to acquisece to any
thing her child might decide to be best.
And so Kate took her last regretful look
of the dear familiar rooms; with quiver.
ing lips she kissed her weeping mother,
and then in the early. quiet morning she
left the pleasant house, the doors o.
which, Is it might be, had been closed
upon ber forever.
"she has made her choice" her father
said briefly in grim anger; land hence
forth she is dead to me-"
From his home, his heart, his lips, he
had banished her; and he forbade the
| mention of her name In her presence.
And for Percy Talbot he began to man
ifest singular partiality-a special liking
that was frequently shown by consider.
able monetary favors. Perhaps he fam
cied that he owed some sort Of reparatior
to the luckless individual who had beer
50 signally disclaimed by his handsome
and and refractory daughter.
cit seems strange that a rich mar
would borrow suOh sums, and so often,
Mrs. SCOTT ventured to observe.
"You know nothing about such mat
ters, Maria" was the sharp response
"Talbot oan be trusted with anything
He ia a shrewd man. too, and If our las
specula ton succeeds, shall be as rich a
he is"
What speculation, Peter his VIII
inquired uneaaily. a 1s
81 doubt if you would understand if
should tell you,p he answered testify.
He had yet to learn that his own un
derstanding Of the speculation into whicl
he had been persuaded was somewhat de
{ k-s~s ~-te13 80