Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-05-23
A SCHEMER FOILED.

was harsh to me before" murmure,
poor Kate.
"Yet you must not be unmindfu
that your father believes he is actinI
for your best interests" was the rathe
doubtful rcmonStrance of Mrs. Scott.
Papa is acting entirely under tn,
influence of Percy Talbot" the cir
asserted eXcitedly; "if he were not, III
would understand how grievoUs i
would be should ! marry man whom
| detest-how utterly impossi
bic it is when my whole heart is giver
to another. Oh, mamma, surely yOl
cannot blame me?
What could the gentle wife, th'
troubled mother, say? She loved hel
husband, unreasonable as he might be
she idolized her only child, and shc
shrank from holding either blamable
So she remained silent, while two bis
tears rolled slowly down her fair
faded cheeks.
"Mamma, my dearest, you do not
blame me, do you?" pleaded Kate
crossing the room and throwing her.
self on her knees beside her mother
1T would break my heart to give W
Robert, | love him SO dcarly-oh
mamma, so very dearly. You lik,
Robert, too, and so did papa before
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
90 not really wish me to marry him. dc
you?'
"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.
81 know. And if / diSobey him, he
declares he will no longer recognize
me as his child" returned Kate with a
little gasp of anguish; 'he will send
me away from him, from my home,
and from you. Oh, mamma, it is hard
And yet, if you would not blame me,
If you can trust me, | had rather go.
After time papa might relcnt, and
wish me to come back to him."
The mother sighed, but she claspcd
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 earncstneSs. always
remember, darling, that wherever you
may be, shall trust my daughter to
do the right. If you choose to &c
rather than become Mr.. Talbot's un,
loving wife, shall not judge you toe
harshly; and it may be that sometime
the storm will pass over, and that this
trial will end happily for us ALL"
After such Il concession the mother
could scarcely refuse to acquiesce to
anything her child might decide to be
best. And so Kate took her last re-
gretful look of the dear familiar rooms
with quivering lips she kissed her
weeping mother; and then in the
carly, quiet morning she left the
pleasant house, the doors of which, as
it might be, had been closed upon her
forever
"Sho has male her choice" her
father said briefly in grim anger; "and
henceforth she is dead to me-"
From his home, his heart, his lips,
he had bauishcd her; and he forbade
the mention Of her name in his pres
ence.
And for Percy Talbot he began to
manifest singular partiality-a special
liking that was frequently shown by
considerable monetary favors. Per.
haps he fancied that he owed some
sort of reparation to the luckless indi-
vidual who had been so signally dis
dained by his handsome and refractory
daughter.
"lt seems strange that rich man
would borrow such sums, and SC
often" Mrs. Scott vcntured to observe.
"You know nothing about such
matters, Maria" was the sharp re-
sponse. "Talbot can be trusted with
anything. He is n shrewd man too,
and if our last speculation succeeds, |
shall be as rich as he is"
"What speculation, Peter?' his wife
inquired uneasiy.
81 doubt you would understand if |
should tell you,' he answered testify
He had yet to learn that his own un-
derstanding of the speculation, into
which he had been persuaded was
somewhat deficient.
1t was the "oft-told tale" of the cred
ulity of one man and the duplicity OF
another. And there came time when
Peter Scott knew that he was beggared
when he discovered shat all his little
fortune, earned by years Of honest
zeal, had been, by some manner of