Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-07-03
FORCED APART
By W. A RUSSELL
Author Of tho "Wreck Of the Grosrenor.,
"A Sailors S%tpeetheart,n Etc.

"Why, you speak as If you were scared
Jenny, if you would fly in the face Of til
Lord, the way to do 1t is to flout thy mothe,
What ais you? A dozen times I have asked
and you say nothing ails you. Are you nc
wells Is there some secret to trouble you
Are you weary OF homes Come down, com
down, n open your heart to your parents.
And saying this she took Jgnny's hand, bu
finding it cold as stone, cried out, @See, now
II this wind will not put thee in a sick bedl
And in a little passion Of anxiety and annoy
ance. she closed the window shal ply,
The sweet and faithful heart, hidden t
watch for her husbands coming, felt tn
closing of the window to be the true endin,
Of her hopes and fears for that night, /
was a reprieve that left deep yearninp an,
faint heartedness and sorrowful wonder
Never had he failed her before. It could no
be fear that made him shirk the interview b,
had himself planned; neither fear OF he,
father, nor want Of passionate love for her
With ears straining to catch at every sound
sns gazed through the closed window at tn,
vision OF dancing lights wsshout, and the
rare OF the moon sweeping beyond til.
clouds silvering the tossing tops Of tn,
bay trees.
what questions has father to ask
mother9"
why, what these mopes signify. H,
doubts if you brought your heart back will
you from Sydenham. But I say it wa.
your spirits you left there"
Mother, let me be here. I am low il
spirits tonight. Father would easily make
me cry, and what would he think to see me
in tears"
Jenny, just tell me this, then, that I may
answer hin when I go downstairs-hath MI.
Shaw talked soft things to thee? Come,
come, speak up, my child. Surely, 1 need
not be angry, if your beauty has pleased
him, and he has saddened you with foolish
fancies. Is that it? We will make you smile
again when we know what troubles Won.
sweetheart"
why do you say I nope and am low
hearted, mother? Is not my laugh merryl
Am l not a cheerful help to you in the house!
One cannot always be glad. The noise of the
sea, and the cry of the wind tonight, and
the struggling of the sweet moon with the
clouds have-have-" She faltered, and con-
hnued, In q voice as soft as a fute's-"Some.
times one has pleasant sorrows which one
likes to nurse. There is no reason that I
should NOPE. l can feel very happy. All,
dear Lord! would that he had come and
saved me from another day of fear!" And
breaking out thus, she threw her head upon
her mothers breast and cried.
But Jenny wept rarely-at least, in, her
mothers sight; therefore, the honest bosom
on which her face was hidden was rent by
the unaccustomed sobs, and anxious, plain
tive sympathy spoke in the poor woman's
voice, as she exclaimed, with her pretty
fingers tenderly kneading the girls rich hair:
"Oh, my child, my dearie! you will break
my heart with your misery! What is your
fearl Has any one wronged you? Kind
Lord, what trouble is this that hath come
upon you? Jenny, Jenny, raise up your
eyes-see how bright the moon shines in
the room; it makes thy hair like yellow
silk. oh, my pretty lamb, who is he that
hath not Gomez and what is thy fear, Jennya"
Now, the door of the bedroom and the door
OF the parlor both standing open, and the
staircase measuring but a small space be-
twixt the low floor and the passage, it was
scarcely possible that Mr.. S%trangfeld, sitting
In expectation of his daughters arrival,
should fail to catch his wife's words. When,
therefore. i'll her clear, panied voice, she
cried, "Who is he that hath not Gomez" and
What is thy fear, Jenny3" up rose the mas
ter shipwright, and the staircase groaned
under his boots.
Jenny, hearing him coming, drew away
from her mother with a quick movement Of
terror, and backed through the glare Of
moonlight into the shadow near the bedstead.
wife" exclaimed S%trangfeld, in his strong
voice, show is it that Jenny does not come to
mes"
10 which no reply was vouchsafed. He
advanced by a stride and said, "What has
the girl been saying, and what is her fearl
Jenny, come forth. I can see you standing
there. Give me thy hand, foolish wench,
and now down stairs with US all. If there
be aught to fear, pray that the Lord may
deliver us from evil"
So speaking, he held forth his hand. and
the shrinking girl, not daring to disobey.
came to him fearfully and dropped fingers Of
ice into his palm.
As they went down the stairs there was a
lifetime of suffering in Jenny's thoughts.
For what now was she to do? Must she con-
Tess under the crushing gaze Of her fathers
eyess Beyond her strength of voice, beyond
control of passionate weeping, would the
confession take her. Cuthbert would be here
anon-to-morrow, ~surely-and shift the heavy
load OF her secret upon himself. And with
him at hand those stern eyes would not be
terrifying, nor the anger unbearable.
SNOW, my girl" said he, his voice insen-
sibly softening under the beauty of his only
child, speak boldly, and acknowledge the
trouble that has tome to you. 1 will tell
you," laying a forefinger OH his thumb,
"when this habit of moping first became Wis
ible to me; that was a full month before we
sent you to your unit Rachel. That visit
did not improve thee, but, on tho contrary,
has made thee worse. Now you have your
date, and SO you shall not he at a loss for the
reason.
Tn girl tried to meet her fathers eyes,
whereof the severity appeared intensified by
the spectacle rings that concentrated their
forces of fire and feeling; but to stand to
them hardly vas an impossible feat; her
gaze went downward, and in a scarcely au-
dible o she replied: II do not NOPE,
father; sometimes I like to be alone"
Be honest, wench, be honest!" exclaimed
Strangield, harshly. "What was the mean
ing of those words your mother was repeat
ing just nowp
"Jcnny, they were, Would that he had
come and saved me from another day of
fear!n" whispered Mrs. Strangfield. "Have
no fear, my pretty. Thy father is stern, but
he loves thee"
~ "a
1ANN y