New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-09

To all which, of course listened with irritable
disdain, thanking him for his advice, and assuring
him that l would rather mlserably perish py tne
hands of the hangman than abandon the only noPes
However before the fortnight was quite expired.
Sophie, who was my, good angel manages d 70 no
1fE eSd dor Of the HawRe at the house Colo
mel Coldstee THE people of Bristol and CLIFTON WILL
of course understand that all the names IN this
story are false, and she learned from TINS young
lady that Florence had been confined to the house
by violent cold that had threatened iher wlth an
attack of peursy; also that Mr.: MorecomOe had
left Clifton Lodge his ankle being sound again
and further that Miss Damarls Hawke had arrived
from Australia on che preceding evening. MI nntt
Sophie told me this Immediately e1cl2 81 her onas
crucltyi How are we to know that he Is not SLOWLY
breaking her heart by his severity
Well replicd Sophie some suspicion OF lnaI
kind came into my head, and asked Miss Lloyd
several questions She said that she had not seen
Florence for a week, and that when they met she
cOud not help thinking there was something on heT
mind for her spirits did not seeh good. But there
can be no doubt that she is confined to her house by
cold for Mr.. Hawkes. doctor attends the L9 f,'
and Miss Lloyd has heard about Florence roiii
him" III
But why don't you write why don't yop cal call
why don't You do something, Sophio1' / crled.
What is Sir, Hawke to youf Florence is Your
friend--if you can talk TO her ont OF door, whal
should prevent YOU from sending her hote Vi
II would do so gladly" she answered, speaking
with unaffected concern but. bit by bit. the story
of Mr.. Hawkes. quarrel with papa IN your LODGINGS
has leaked ont, and mamma VIII not near Oh our
having ANYTHING further 10 say 10 the Hawkes. u-
less we meet Florence accidentally when oil course,
we may speak she says am truy s9itg iOi n m,r
had nothing to say. My aunts views were quite
proper but it was bitter hard time for lne mates
| had bargained on meeting Florence again ana
again. and the disappointment, and the not know,
ing what to do and what was to happen, mao IT,
saw an awful time for me. Would she not THINK, II
| were as devoted as ! had sworn was, that
would move heaven and earth to learn how she was
and to let her know was at hand, loving hcr 10
distraction and willing 10 cut OF my head To please
her But there was mode ct communicating
with her no means of learning how she did except
from the chance gossip of her friends Memory;
however, is "A nOurshmcnt on when the lttle go!1
Cupid will sometimes cOntrivc To keep himself iat, II
not comfortable and. for my part had a , ialr
stock of that diet to live on. almost forget now
long had then been in Bristol, but certainly not
very many weeks had passed since had met FLOR
cnCe for the first time and during those Ie" weeks
there had been enough passages between her and me
To enable me to take many good plunge INTO mem,
DRY. and emerge always ardent aud always resolved
from the delightful bath | well remember that
when heard that FlOrenccS Aunt Dam2ris had ar
rived and when considered little over that piece
of news, felt somewhat uneasy, c3nIcctuiiins ol
course that Hawkes. sister would slhe with MN III
his wishes about Florence. and that my darling
would have 10 contend with another oppressive in
hucnce in this Australian splnster. But, on the
whole. | do not know that thoughts of Aunt Da-
maris troubled me much. OF FlOrcnce's relations
can only rccollec thinking of one with constant anH
true the power of preventing his daughter from
running away with me if she had mind 70 marry
he i'm that fashion, but while she remained too
loval To her home 10 fOrsakc II without her fathers
consent she and were at the old chaps mercy FOR
he mad really nothing to do 10 ehectualy separate
us but 10 carry her abroad. and 60 on Journcyng
about with her until he should reckon he had tray
cllcd me out of his sphere altogether. may tell
you that the fear hat he would act III TINS way
haunted me necessarily. and made me good deal
more cautious than my temper would otherwise
have suffered me to be- | know very well that
would again and again have delanlly rung ilc pei
of Clifton Lodge. and asked after Florence would
have hung about the house. | would have spared no
extraordinary pains and expense To c"ninuuicat" by
letter with the darling OF my heart had been
sufficiently well-to-do to have followed IN the wake
of old Hawke all over the wOrld-that Is II ended
in driving him out of Clifton. But II was very Ger
tain that If AlphOnso carried his daughter away
from England, should bc se~ed up aS JACK
saws for want of funds 20 stick 20 hls skirts what
sort Of n pursuit of them through Europe should
have been able 10 make on something less than I'VE
pounds a week Many long talk would have on
this subject with Sophie and Amelia. who always
tried To persuade me that Mr.. Hawke was not "a man
10 leave his home and wander about the Continent
with his daughter, merely To shake of young Eel
low whose attentions were ohJcrtonani9 b1l
was not 80 sure. | would say: Yes but II old
Hawke has set his heart on splicing Florence To
Morecombc. and il Florence is Enthusiastically show,
ing BIZ her manner that she has hiking Tor luc, aud
growing ow-Splrcd and - forth, then, IN my opin-
ion he is Just the sort Of man 10 take strong meas
urcs 10 end las he might hope business that Is
putting "A stop to his queer ambition other fathers
have done stranger and more troublesome things
than taking their daughters away for year OF two
in order To warp the girls clear OF the men who are
not wanted
Az but. Jack" remember Amelia answering,
do you think that Mr.. Hawke attaches all the sig
nilicance YOU think hc doe, to your admiration for
Yes. do" said l. al told him / wanted to
marry his daughter. and | suppose he knows what
that means
And do YOU suppose Amelia" said sophie
always at my side fighting for me, " that Florence
has not given her papa TO uhdcTstani mat shc Is
I,fI n.lR lao lack = ni
did not lSignfy why SHOULD he have called at his
lodgings and requested HIM 10 discontinue admiring
Florence. aud leave BristolT
Amelia had no reply 20 make 10 this but she Still
declared that IN her opinion, Mr.. Hawke was not 50
frightened Of me as 10 go abroad with his daughter,
and leave his home for the length of time that
would be ncediul - make such measure as that OF
use.
u earnestly hope that he Is not" said l. al but we
shall see" Well the days rolled on, and never
did sci eyes Florence, nor hear Of her. Utterly
disheartened abandoned the punctual visits had
made TO my unce's house in the hope OF finding her
talking to my cousins. Nor did ever encounter
her in the streets, though several times met the
Hawkes. carriage, sometimes occupied by Hawke
and Emily sometimes by Emily aud friend and
on the last occasion by an elderly lady with a sharp
face and wide brown hat, whom privately sus-
pccted 10 be Aunt Damarls though she was ratified
past too quickly 10 enable me TO tell more than that
her countenance was OF severe and hatchet.likc
aspect. over and over again would ask Sophie or
Amelia, and very often my uncle, If there any
news Of Florence. They would be one day able to
inform that she was still in Clifton, another day
that somebody had said she was better lator on
that somebody had said she was quite we'll that
Miss Jones had met her with her aunt at circu-
lating library, that DR.. Thompson at a dinner
party at Clifton Lodge and said that Florence was
present and looked lovely, and on and once my
aunt was that Florence with her father Ia
their carriage, but she would not look as she did
not want to catch Mr. Hawkes. eye appear to sec
him
OF course whatever there was of mystery in Flor
encc's withdrawal from MS was wholly due to my
impotence, for | wsuld forget 10 consider that n
week in those days seemed as long year, aud
that for some time she had been indspOsed and con
fined to the house. But who was half crazy TO see
her mmOdeTatcly jealous 10 behold her sweet face
that might interpret from il some sign Of thought
some hint of expression favorable to my passionate
wishes found Il week passed without seeing her "a !
long, as | have said, rs year, and naturally fell
into many harassng and distracted cOnccts re- |
spcctng her.