Daily Republican., 1884-04-18
" THAT SETTLED IT.,

to Gais IL fools mostly said Jare
a Ellis, but mine shan't be, leastwis
ID not II know myself, which calkilat
re / do tolerable we'll. And I'll have n
N more nonsense about that city fellar
II Lille, and that settles it,"
,fl " You may. be too hasty, Jared.
v said Mrs. Ellis. "He seems nice
4 proper sort Of young fellow, and If he i
;, an ne claims to be, our girl might q
4 further and fare worse"
{ That's just the question:" was th,
q impatient response. "Those ere city
!. chaps claim too much, and them az dt
I Is prodigiously deceivin' Their voice,
i and their bands is soft as silk; but theil
nice words and proper courtesy is snare.
and pitfalls to the gal as believes In
| EN-. There is no use arguing and pal.
avsrin' about the matter, mother; ]
won't have this ere fellar as calls his
i self Doctor Leon Averille comm round
! after our Lille"
AS be turned abruptly q way, the girl
moved timidly to his side and laid her
hand entreatinRly upon his arm.
/. DO let Leon talk to you--do, father,
dear7" she sweetly pleaded. He
wants me NO much to be his wife. and l
love him very truly, l do indeed.
He roughly shook the pretty hand
from his arm, and stared at her in grim
displeasure.
know my duty to my own child,
! calkilate," he said, with much lrrita-
tion, "and this ere chap as CALI: ::hiss4lf
q doctor is not to my liking. He can't
have my darter, even if he is rich and
honest as he pretends, and AZ isn't like
~. You have purity face and purity
ways of your own, Lille, butyou haven t
been eddicated to the manners of fine
people. You couldn't take to their
grand fashion of talkin' land actin,
Lille and you would jist break your
heart and die. like one of :.the foolish
virgins OF the Lord Of Burleigh story"
Lille smiled. The parable of the
foolish virgins had never occurred to
her before in connection with the low.
y born baby of "Bur'eigh House, by
Stamford Gown" But In his rugged |
countenance and grabbed tones was q |
fond, parental solicitude, that she |
could no more doubt than disregard. |
He was opinionated, overbearing un. ,
cultured but he was her father still, |
and affectionate and indulgent in his /
own homely, stubbor n way.
"You would not willingly be unjust
to Leon you would not willingly |
make me miserable ?" she persisted |
coaxingly, ignoring his final argument.
II know what Is best for you, he
returned, gruffiy "and you won't be
miserable if you don't 60 agin' your
fathers will. You will have plenty of
content in this life II you choose your
man from humble folk like yourself,
as your mother did afore you. III never
give my aye for this palaverin' chap as
calls hisself a doctor-never, my gal
and that settles it,"
He thrust her aside, but not unkind-
ly, and SO quilted the house. With
wistful eyes Lille watched him as he
strobe on past the great gray barns,
down the grassy lane, through mea
dows, red with clover, and SO toward
the green wood beyond. In his home
spun garments, with rude straw hat
above his shaggy gray hair and beard,
with his gun on his shoulder and his
old brown dog trotting at his heels, he
made a quaint, idyllic picture as he
whistled on his way, carelessly content
with his simple life. Not the smallest
doubt of Lilies absolute and cheerful
obedience troubled him in his little
household his will had always been a
law, against which there must be no
appeal and no rebellion.
How hard he is-how UNJUST" his
daughter murmured.
He does not mean to be So" her
mother said, in gentlest rebuke. He
thinks he is doing what is best for YOU
and lover whose affection is worth
keeping will certainly not counsel you
to defy the wishes of your parents"
And because the love of Leonl
Averille was loyal and honest, he did
not indeed, counsel the girl unw'sely.
We are both young, dearest, and
we can afford to wait" he said to her
later in that eventtul summer day
- we will be patient and constant, and
Mr.. Ellis may not refuse me
the little hand l ask. OF course, we
shall be allowed to meet occas onally" |,
But am afraid we shall not be
allowed" sighed Lille.
"And | am afraid l should be tempt
I'd to defy such positive injustice az
that the young man returned, hall
and half Indignantly.
They were standing on q narrow
bridge, spanning turbid stream, that
rolled away in a black, sluggish, wave
less Curyent, into the narrow green
wood. And as that incautous speech
was uttered, Jared Ellis himself, with
a fierce frown on his shaggy gray brows,
stalked out from the thick undsrgrOwth
and approached them.
DO you call this ere honorable ?"
be demanded, furiously, enticin' my
gal TO defy her own father?"
There was that in the mans voice
which was an insult, and Leon's face
whitened with quick resentment.
He started angrily, retained himself,
md maintained silence.
"Do you call this ere conduct honora-
Die ?" Mr.. Ellis repeated with increasing
wrath as he rested his gun upon the
'ailing of the bridge and brushed the
big beads Of sweat from his wrinkled
orehead.
81 am unaware Of anything dis
the young man said quite
Omposedly. And then in suddenly
tartled tones, he exclaimed "Have o
are of your gun, sir Lille, move
way"
The warning came too late. That
which he had apprehended.
As. Mr. Ellis thrust his voluminous
ed handkerchief into the pocket of his
shooting jacket. his hssdls,,
rim struck the hammer of his gun,
hat he had carelessly placed on the NJ
ailing, and it was instantly discharged. "
There was "a flash, sharp report. ! y
lriek of pain and fright, and pretty al
lille fell ike one dead upon the flooring ne
the bridge. IRE
Her lover bent over her and tenderly ~
'uched one bared shoulder, whore the by
,ft white flesh had been pierced and -
I'm by the cruel sh OF but her unfor. r.
mate father, frantic with griefpushed Z
i'm rudely aside.
I" YOu shan't touch my ral," he
uttered in a frenzied way. 1t Was
j your folly about Der purity face ar
lat fetched the innercent creetur' here Il