The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-01-11
MISS PROTHERO's BARRING.


When old Sam Prothero, the million
aire, in fit of unaccustomed tenderness,
gave his daughter the handsomest pair
of diamond earrings that money could
buy, he took the opportunity to caution
her for the ffheth time against holding
communication with her brother John.
OF late years, since his son had gone
hopelessly to the bad, the old man had
been a very harsh parent to his long
suffering daughter, partly owing to grief
and disappointment, and partly because
he resented the womanly sympathy
which she felt for her scapegrace brother.
Old Sam Prothero was an ill-tempered,
cunning, suspicious old man, and the
unremitting precautions he took to pre-.
vent the poor girl from rendering as
sistance to her brother were a source of
misery and annoyance to her. Not only
did he keep her as much as possible by
his side, but he made her account to
him for every farthing she spent, less
the reprobate should profit by his sisters
affectionate and generous disposition.
Life under these conditions, and
especially as the old mans temper was
irritable and exacting to the last degree.
was very OtQOal. aAu euC SCoSS-
less opportunities of her brother did not
tend to make her lot more agreeable.
Ellen Protbero prudently locked her
diamonds mp. and said nothing about
them 10 her brother at their solemn in
terviews. In spite of her fathers
vigilance she had from time to time as
sisted the Young man, both in money.
and by giving him trifling articles of
iewelry to pledge, and though she would
willingly have sacrificed her diamond
earrings for the same unhallowed pur-
pose, she dared not run the risk of dis
covery by parting with such valuable
ornaments. But her prudent reticence
proved futile, owing indirectly to her
fathers vulgar love of ostentation. He
permitted her one evening to go to ball
in the charge of a chaperone on whose
discretion be implicitly relied, and moth
ing would please him but that she must
wear her her new earrings.
Don't You think, father, they would
look too grand?" she urged, with fore
boding that they would be safer in her
room up stairs.
.'Of course they would look grand"
snapped the old man; that is why l
want you to wear EN- | didn't give EN-
to you to hide away. l like people to
see that ] can afford to give my gal
diamonds that will make their eyes wa
ter"
Whenever Sam Prothero was very
much in earnest he iapsed into the YER
sion which had chung to him since the
DAYS when he commenced life with the
proyerbial wheelbarrow. His daughter
saw that he was not to be gaiasaid, and
therefore wore her diamonds for the first
time to crafty his wishes.
Unfortunately events turned out pre-
cisely as she feared. Her brother, who
always Insisted upon being informed Of
her engagements, sent IN word while the
ball was in progress that he was await
ing her in the pm bic garden at the back
of the house The poor girl stole out to
speak to him, and found him alas more
than half intoxicated. He wanted money
of course, his needs in this respect being
Unsuitable. Ellen's truthful assertion
that she was not at the moment able to
assist him, met with q scornful incredu-
lily, and the fatal glitter of diamonds at
tracted his attention. He seized hold of
one of the ear rings. half in rude Jest aud
half in spite and before she could pre-
vent him he had dragged it roughly
from her ear. Having once got it in his
possession, he stubbOrnly refused to part
With it, and the upshot WAS that the I'M
fortunate girl was obliged to return to
the house without it, and to slip the re-
manning earring in her pocket to avoid
attracting attention to her loss.
Next morning her fathers first ques-
hon was about the ear -rings-whether
they had caused Q sensation, and who
had admired them. His daughter an.
swered these inquiries with a sinking
heart, not daring for the life of her to
reveal her misfortune, yet knowing full
we'll that he must find it out sooner or
later. When the time came there would
be . dreadful scene for her father would
never believe her il she we're 10 pretend
she had mislaid the earring, and would
by dint of bullying or cross-questiouing,
Gos q the truth.
Tho storm burst even sooner than she
feared. The old man seemed 10 have re-
enavnd hint from the discreet chapor-