The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-02-03
CONQUERED.

OUNQUEkED,
1t might be said OF old Sam Sladger
that his counting house was his temple.
MS desk was his altar, his ledger was
has Bible, and his money was his god.
Next to his money he loved his only
child, his daughter Julia.
One could hardly realize that Julia
was his daughter. or even that she bore
the unromantic name of Sladger. She
was beautiful, well bred and accom-
piished, and was sweetly winning in
manner.
Old Sam had determined that Julia
should wed his friend Alderman Choz-
zle, who was worth q mint of money,
and would be mayor at no distant day.
1t was an excellent match from every
point of view except one-Julia's. Julia
would have nothing to do with Chozzle,
much less would she marry him. The
matter was often debated between father
and daughter, if that can be called de-
bate, which was all command and low
voiced argument on the one side. and
all tears and silent obstinacy on the
other.
Had Chozzle had no favored rival in
the field it is possible the poor girl might
have been bullied into accepting him.
But there was rival. He was an artist.
He was very poor. He was a complete
faiMre in his profession. He was ex-
ceedingly romantic, and his name was
Vandeleur de We're. Any one must see
at once that these were quite good and
sufilcient reasons for any young woman
falling In love with him. At any rate
they were quite sufficient for Julia.
AT last Chozzle became too much for
Julia, even though she wasn't married to
him. Her life seemed all ChOzxle. Her
father served him up at breakfast, at
dinner. and between meals. At last this
incessant Chozzle diet, as it NAV be
called, became intolerable. So Julia
went out one fine morning and married
Vandeleur de We're. according to a prear-
ranged plan.
Now, If there was one man old Sam
objected to more strongly than another.
1t was Vandeleur de We're. He branded
him, with fine scorn, as 'one of them good
ior nothing, ascetic fellows'-by which
he was understood to mean the great
aesthetic brotherhood in general. When.
therefore, he received letter from his
daughter, putting him in possession of
the state of affairs, imploring forgive
ness for herself and darling Van,p the
old mans feelings may, to use a novel
phrase, be better imagined than de-
scribed.
In their rooms in back street, Mr..
and Mrs. Vandeleur de We're awaited the
outraged parents reply with good
deal OF anxiety. They did not expect
that he would come around all at once
that would be too much; but they did
hope that he would, after his first fit of
passion, accept the inevitable, and his
son n-in-law.
But they were soon undeceived--
quite so soon, however, as might have
been supposed, for two days elapsed be-
fore letter made its appearance, bearing
on the cover the stiff, awkward writing
Of Samuel Sladger. When it did come,
the young couple found it very brief and
TO the point. 1t was addressed to Mrs.
V. de We're. and ran as follows:
"MADAM;-You favor of the 4th instant
TO hand, and contents noted As you have
made your bed, so must you and your vaga-
bond lie. 1ou have not broken my heart
W goNA NAShou ana ulhSThcelGl cODQutJ, DuI
you have closed it against you forever. |
am man Of my word: that you know we'll.
i cast you of; l disown you as a daughter |
forbid you or your NJ. de We're to set foot in
my house under any pretense whatever, and
| tell you now, once for all, that YOU shall
never have even one penny piece. or the value
of il, from me- 1t will be quite useless to
write to me, as all your letters will be re-
turned unopened.
SAMUEL eLADGER.n
Writing to the obdurate old man under
these circumstances was certainly a for
lorn hope, but the young people did
write-more than once, aud each time
the letter was returned unopened.
To do Julia and her husband Justice,
they bore up under their misfortunes
pluckily. Van painted by the perch,
rood and acre, but the pictures would
not sell. By the time all Julias trinkets
had been turned iuto money, and actual
starvation was staring the young couple
in the face-for dealers and art shop
keepers wouldn't even look at poor Vans
productions now-the landlady who was
getting anxious about the rent, which
was rapidly falling in arrears, volun-
teered this-to Julia-very mysterious
piece of advice.
'1f you can't sell 'em. and she indi-
Gated the blushing canvass, "why not
spout 'em2"
I'll beg your pardon, don't quite
understand" replied Julia, looking a
good deal bewildered.
The iandlady. in tone Of i'll concealed
pity for her lodRer's Ignorance, explained
that ''spouting" the pictures meant
pledging them at pawnbrokers for
whatever he could be induced 20 lend
upon them.