The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-02-21

swell, L won't keep him long in sus-
pense, and | shall have a word to say
to you a~fterward, Loo, about what I
think of your conduct" said Mr.. Para
disc, pale with anger, and controlling
himself with a great effort, as he walked
toward the door.
| John! joint" she cried after him,
half rising from her seat.
"WellP" he said impatiently, over his
shoulder.
Think of poor Ethel, john" MUIR
INJURED his wife.
81 am thinking of her, only you and
I don't think alike on the subject he
grow1ed.
Poor Mrs. Paradise sank back in her
chair with a very frightened look upon
her face, and hen endeavored to COM
pose herself to chat with a neighbor
who had just called. She had done
her best, poor thing, to avert the scene
which threatened her daughters hap
piness. She knew her husband too
well to hope that he would consent to
the engagement, and the utmost she
had striven for was to mitigate the
~harshness of his refusal. Unfortunate
ly, even in this respect, her interior
ence proved unavailing. Old Mr.. Par
adise, furious at the idea of having
been the victim of a conspiracy, did not
measure the language in which he &C.
cused young Balbernie of m~ercenary
motives. When he chose to be DELHI
erately insulting there was no one who
could carry out his intentions more eff
~fectually. His command of coarse in
vective was only equaled by his utter
want of delicacy and gentiemanly feel
ing, and the abuse he lavished upon his
daughters lover left him no alternative
but to declare that he would never en-
ter the house again.
When young Balbernie wrote to Ethel
Paradise the next day, expressing his
unalterable devotion to her, but stating
his resolve to never darken her fathers
doors again, the girl felt compelled,
under the circumstances, to write and
release him from his engagement.
However spiritless and cold-hearted the
course may appear, it was undoubtedly
the proper n TO pursue, and Mrs.
Paradise joined with her husband in APP
proving her action. 1t soon became
evident, however, that the poor girl had
miscalculated her fortitude. in making
10 great a sacrifice. She had broken
off the engagement less from fear of her
father than from a proper feeling OF
pride. But the loss of her lover proved
a blow which seriously affected her
health. The upshot was that she was
sent away from home to stay with some
friends in the North, while her fathers
satisfaction at having got rid of young
Balbernie was considerably diminished
by the suffering he had caused his
child.
Meanwhile Acheson Balbernie's regi-
ment had been ordered to another part
of the country, and old Mr.. Paradise
neither saw nor heard anything of him
for some time. After an absence of
nearly three months Ethel returned
home, having apparently recovered
from her disappointment. Old Mr..
Paradise, whose pride and affection
were centered in his daughter, was i'm
he perceived in her, and felt that at
length he could honestly congratulate
himself upon having interfered to pre-
vent what he considered would have
been a most unfortunate marriage.
One day, however, he was walking
through the grouds attached to his
house, when he met his daughters maid
hurrying toward the lodge gates with a
letter in her hand. Something SUSPECT
Gus in the girls demeanor attracted his
attention, and he had the curiosity to
ask what her errand was. Old Mr..
Paradise vas accustomed to boast that
he had the whole of his household
under his thumb, and certainly all the
servants stood in great awe of him.
His o~verbearing and peremptory man
ners made them tremble before him,
the wretched girl almost went on her
knees from fright. On her replying
that she was going into the village to
post a letter for her young mistress, old
Mr.. Paradise asked to see it, and to his
amazement found it was addessed to
young Balbernie.
"I1l post this" he said, gruffly. ''But
look here, now; take . walk down to
the village and come back if as nothing
had happened. Don't say you gave the
letter to me. Don't say anything about
it. Do you understands"
Eyes, SIR" faltered the girl, thor.
oughlY alarmed by his tone and gesture.
As soon as the girls back was turned
he opened the letter without the faint
| CSI uplCos w hIICNCl LIT SuSp0CGtu, lit
was thoroughly taken aback by what
he read. The daughter wrote that she
had obtained her mothers consent tc
be married privately in London, and
that her mother would make an excuse
and accompany her tc town on a day
named in the following week, when the
ceremony could be performed. This
was the gist of the letter, which con.
tanned illusions from which Mr.. Para.
disc gathered, with rage and a.stonish.
ment, that the lovers had recently me-
and become reconciled, and that his
wife had connived at, if not actually
suggested, the renewal of their attach.
ment. What Infatuated him above
everything else was that, Judging from
certain expressions in his daughter
letter, young katherine seemed by nc
means overawed by him, and one woulC
have imagined that Balbernie was the
rich man and he the poor one.
To say that old Mr.. Paradise foamec
at the mouth with rage and indignation
would hardly be an exaggeration. Hi.
daughters disobedience, his wife,
t~reachery, and young B%albernie's calm
contempt for his parental authorit,
rendered him literally furious. He pur
the letter in his pocket and hurried
toward the house as fast as his legs
could carry him, bursting to give ven
to his pent-up feelings. But on arriving
there he found a neighbours carriage a
the door as well as his own. This re
minded him that he was due at tn,
local bench, of which, for the time
being, he was chairman. and the recol
lection of his judicial Importance helped
to sooth his angry agitation. 1t oc
Cured to him, too, that he could no
very well reproach his wife and daughte
before visitors, but his Impotence wa
so great that he could not bear the ide;
of sitting his wrath until the guests hat
departed. He therefore wisely resolved
to keep his magisterial engagement
and reserve the scene with his wifi
until his return.
r. KY nhcarvad OF tho 1ooo1 honol