The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-03

| SAID the pretty lnQu1Slt1Vo hluQO0.
do they burn? That they dol" the gentle
man said,
s'Wlth q fame not so easy to smother;
Our widows, the moment one husband is
dead.
Immediately burn-for another"
HOW KATE WENT HOME.
"Papa is not like himself. He never
was harsh to mo BEFORE" murmured
poor Kate.
"Yet you must not be unmindful that
your poor father believes he is acting
for your best interests" was the rather
doubtful remonstrance OF Mrs. Scott.
"Papa is acting entirely under the in
fluence of Percy Talbot" the girl asser-
ted excitedly; "if he were not he would
understand how grievous it would be
should / marry q man whom I detest-
how utterly impossible it is when my
whole heart is given to another. Oh,
mamma! surely you cannot blame me?"
What could the gentle wife, the troub-
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
cheek.
Mamma, my dearest, you do not
blame me, do your" pleaded Kate,
crossing the room and throwing her.
self on her knees beside her mother.
ut would break my heart to give up
Robert! love him SO dearly-oh,
mamma. so very dearly! You like
Robert, too, and so did papa, before
this Percy Talbot came here to make
nothing but trouble for US all. And l
have 1ancied sometimes that you dis.
| trust him quite as much as I do. You
do not really wish me to marry him 90
your"
"Your father is determined that YOU
shall be his wife, Kate" said Mrs. Scott,
| winding kindly arm about the slim.
kneeling figure, and drawing the pretty
brown head to her bosom.
II know. And if ] disobey him. h
declares he will no longer recognize me
| as his child" returned Kate with a gaspe
of anguish; che will send me away from
! him, from my home, and from YOU. Oh,
maInna, it is hard! And yet, if you
would not blame me, if you can trust me
| l had rather go. After time papa might
relent, and wish me to come back to
| him."
The mother sighed, but she c,asped the
pretty pleader more closely to her ten
der heart, and fondly kissed the sweet,
bright face.
~ do trust you, Kate," she answered
with much earnestness. "Always re-
member, darling, wherever you may be,
/ shall trust my daughter to dc the
right. # you choose to 60 rather than
become Mr.. Talbot's unloving wife, I
shall not judge yon too harshly; and it
may be that some time the storm will
pass over, and that this trial will end
happily for us ALL"
After such concession the mother
could scarcely refuse to acquiesce with
anything her child might decide to be
best. And so Kate took her last regret.
full look of the dear familiar rooms:
with quivering lips she kissed her weep
ing mother; and then in the early, Quiet
morning she left the pleasant house, the
doors of which, as it might be, had been
closed upon her forever.
'She had made her choice" her father
said briefly Yin 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 his presence.
And Percy Talbot he began to mani.
fest singular partiality-a special lik-
ing that was frequently shown by con-.
siderable monetary favors. Perhaps he
fancled that he owed some sort of re-
paratlon to the luckless individual who
llU ic1
handsome and refractory daughter!
ut seems strange that rich man
would borrow such sums, and so of:en."
Mrs. Scott once ventured to observe.
"You know nothing about such mat
tiers, maria" was the sharp response.
"Tablot can be trusted with ANYTHING.
He is shrewd man too, and if our last
speculation succeeds, shall be rich "a
he is"
"What speculation, Peter?" his wife
inquired uneasily.
Il doubt you would understand if I
should tell you,"' he answered testify.
He had yet to learn that his own I'M
derstandlng OF the speculation into
"h nc1 l, had been persuaded was some-
1t was the "oft-told tale" of the credu-
lily and the duplicity of another. And
there came a time when Peter Scott
knew that he was Decentralization he
discovered that all his little fortune,
earned by years of honest zeal, had
been by some manner of chicanery,
transferred to the possession Of Percy
Talbot.
"My dear sir, it is one of the freaks of
fortune and is neither curious nor un-
common" Talbot said blandly to his vic
tim. In my career as a Spectator, I
too have sometimes lost even to my
last farthing. I have been left with
debts. But l never lost courage; no,
must you do so now. Besides If you
will bring back your pretty fugitive
daughter and induce her to become my
wife, will make you a free gift of the
property that once was yours"
MY daughter" at length he enunci-
ated, with dignity that was majestic,
was wiser than I-she could not be de-
ceived by your pretentions as I have
been. may be pauper, sir, but
shall still be honored that have child
who would prefer death to marriage
with such as you"
He turned away haughtily and went
back to the home that was no longer his. |
But the shock had been too sudden. too
overwhelming; and an hour later he lay
writing. in mortal agony at the very
gates of death. In bis delirium he raw
ed piteously of his folly, and of the man
whom he had so trusted only to be be.
fooled, robbed and insulted. And to
bis disordered senses his bonny Kate
was everywhere present, He would
listen for her gay voice and light foot
steps; he seemed to behold her bright |
and beautiful image, and he would pa-
thetically entreat her to forgive him for
his harshness and his great mistake.
Meanwhile, Kate was far away, and
not altogether unhappy. She felt that
somehow, in blissful time to come, she |
would providentially be guided back to |
contentment with her loved ones.
One morning visitor was announced,
and with much surprise she turned to
stand face to face with her old sutton,
Percy Talbot, as ever, sleek, smiling, in
significant,
7'You wish to see me?" she queried,
coldly, startled by something oddly as
sured and exulted in his aspect.
II wish to discuss matter of business
with you," he responded glibly, as with |
great nonchalance he appropriated
cosy chair. "Will you not be seated,
too? Where are the roses of your
cheeks, Kate? Are you i'll, or has my
coming disquieted you?"
She was pale with anger at his inso-
lence. at his stare of ardent admiration;
and she tremhlo6 with vao,1o alarm ho.