Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-02-08
/ shall be glad 70 hear it,

She lifted her head and looked him full in
the face and then paused. He had cup of
tea In his hand and it was held in the air
half way to his mouth, while his whole face
showed the overmastering anxiety with
which he was awaiting her reply.
/ "Make your mind easy, father" she said.
81 am going to marry Mr.. Cossey."
He put down the cup III such fashion that
he spilled have Of the tea, most OF it over his
own clothes, without even noticing it, and
then turned away his face.
"Well," he said, "of course 1t is not my
affair or at least only indirectly SO, but l
must say, my loye, congratulate you on the
decision which"you have come to. quite
understand that you have been in some little
difficulty about the matter; young women
often have been before you and will be
again; but to be frank, Ida, that Quartch
business was not at all suitable, either in age
or fortune, or in anything else. Yes, al
though COSBY is not everything that one
might wish, on the whole | congratulate you
heartily"
sob, pray don't" broke in Ida, almost in
q cry. Whatever you do, pray don't con-
gratulate me"
Her father turned round again and looked
at her But lda's face had already recovered
its calm, and he could make nothing Of it.
i 81 don't quite understand you" he said;
t'these things are generally considered mat
tiers for congratulations"
But for all lie might say and all that he
might urge in his mind to tho contrary, he
did, more or less understand what her out
burst meant. He could not but know that
the exclamation was the last cutlery Of u
broken spirit In lis heart he realized then,
il he had never clearly realized it before
that this proposed marriage was thing
hateful 10 his daughter and his conscience
pricked him sorely. And yet-and yeti
was but a woEans fancy-a passing
fancy She would become reconciled to
the inevitable as women do and when
her children came she would grow ac-
customed to her sorrow, and her trouble
would be forgotten in their laughter.
And if not-well, it was but one wo-
mans life which would be affected, and
the very existence CT his race, and the very
cradle that had nursed them from century
to century, were now at stake. Was all this
to be at the mercy Of a girls fancy. No.
Let tho individual suffer.
So he argued. Aud so at his age and i'll
his circumstances most of us would argue
also; and, perhaps considering all things, we
should be right. Tor in this world personal
desires must continually give way to the
welfare of others. Did they not do so, our
system Of society could not endure.
| No more was said upon the subject. Ida
made pretense of eating piece of toast; the
the squire nhopped up the tea upon his
clothes, and then drank some more.
Meanwhile the remorseless seconds crept
On. 1t wanted but five minutes to the hour
and the hour would, she well knew, bring
the man with it.
The five minutes passed slowly and In ST.
lence. Both her father ana herself realized
the nature Of the impending situation, but
neither Of them spoke Of it, Ali, there was
the sound Of wheels upon the gravel! So il
had come.
Ida felt like death itself Her pulse SUM
and fut cred; her vital forces seemed to ceas'
their work.
Another two minutes passed, and then thu
door opened and tho parlor maid came in.
"Mr Cossey, if you please, sir"
"Oh," said the squire. Where is hep
"In the vestbule, sir"
every good Tell him will be there in I
minute
The maid went.
Snow, Ida said her father, 81 suppose w
hal better get this business over"
Eyes" she answered, rising; II am ready.
And gathering up her energies, she passed
out to meet her fate.
CHAPTER KILL