The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-04
NORTON BLAKE'S DILEMMA.

really dying?"
The speakers eyes were sparkling,
her cheeks flushed, her fingers toying
with the white robes OF g baby upon
her knee, her intonation that of elated
triumph.
Words and manner struck Norton
Blake sharply. He threw down the
telegram with a short 'EYes.'
"Are you sorry?" Mrs. Blake asked
in tart surprise. "Why, you've wish
ed, a thousand times, I were mistress
of The Court, and now there's baby.
Shan't Ifell proud when I see him in
velvet knickerbockers riding about
that beautiful park on a white
.ponyl"
Norton regarded her with amaze
ment-her speech sounded so utterly
heartless. ...-s
%tSorry!' herepeated slowly. "Sure-
iiy, Myra, you forget that my uncle
has filled a fathers place to me from
my childhood"
"Oh no, DON'T" she retorted with
"a disagreable laugh; "nor the filial re-
.spect you have always shown him.
Also, l remember your many aspira-
tions that Providence would allow
the same-a-calamity end this
miserable concealment. Really, Nor
ton, you have neither courage to face
the consequences of your own actions,
nor to grip the deliverance Fortune
sends you"
With a muttered imprecation, Nor
ton Blake left the room. Experience
had taught him the futility of arguing
swsth his wife: but through the ensuing
1ong journey he had leisure in which
TO ponder over and debate the truth
OF her words. The sudden shock of
This relatives danger had acted upon
Ghis moral consciousness like a.
douche of cold water on the physi-
cal organization of drunkard, recall
ing him to himself, but stinging him
with d sense of his own degradation.
Treated by his uncle with an indul-
Eence shown by few parents, he had
Idled at school and scraped through
college. He wasno profigate- neither
gained nor drank; vet his fatal propen-
ssity of snatching the moments pleas
fure, leaving care for the morrow, bad
fbiigfatea the sunny prospects of Fife
whose crowning folly he was too cow
sardly to avow.
During long vacatIon-supposeG
by his uncle to be passed with tutor
I'm Scotland-he met, at a fashionable
watering-place, a girl-woman, rather
whose blue-eyed, golden haired
charms and practiced graces had be-
widered and captivated his youthful
fancy. His superior in years and
knowledge of the world, but be-
= Meath him in birth and education,
she was too keenly alive to the social
advantages derivable from an alliance
with the heir of an old and wealthy
county family to let him slip through
heryGpgers. By artifce, cajolery, and
Ghreatss of appealing to the elder Mr..
Blake-the bestthing which could have
happened to him, had he but known
!it-she accomplished her purpose, and
he married her. His college life had
,ended, and, fearing lest his rash act
his uncle that a continental tour was
the fitting interlude between it and
settling down to the active duties of
life.
.The couple were at Heidelberg when
the news of Me-. Blake's illness ar
rived 1t betokened some latent good
i'm Norton s.character that. although
these bidiAgs might have been supposed
to sotveh his difficulties, they awakened
fin1his breast but a feeling of sorrow
: full remorse. leavened, perhaps, by sat
J isfaction that, owing to the season be-
f.: ing winter, and the tender age of her
child, his wife was debarred from ac-
companying him to England.
AS the first misery lessened came the
remembraneeof forgotten complica-
Eion in his affairs. Mr.. Blake's house
hold numbered another besides his
nephew. This was the orphan daugh-
ter of an old fellow-officer, to whom
Mr. Blakeihad given the shelter OF his
ihome and the affection of father.
That Norton and Helen Venne should
sbe ;united-so sharing equally the
wealth and station he must in time
4resign-was his dearest wish. A tacit
understanding to that effect had ex-
listed for some time. No definite
ypromises had been exchanged, but
Norton knew what was expected OF
uhirn on his return.
Also that were his uncle alive when
he reached The Court, the disclosure
of his marriage would be certainly fol
lowed by disinheritance; were he dead,
lt would deprive Helen of home and
fortune. Whichever way he looked
Ihe saw nothing but trouble ahead
How he cursed his weak, infatuated
folly as the train whirled him through
the dark night, the bowling wind and
dreary, up-piled snow!
II.
Nights silence brooded over The