Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-02-08


which promised TO marry him has not been
carried out, and my promise falls to the
ground"
"You mean that supposing he lives you
will not marry Edward CoSseyW
YES, do mean it.n
The squire thought for minute. "This is
a very serious step Ida he said. 81 don't
mean that think that the man has behaved
well, but still he may have given up the
mortgages to Quest under pressure of some
sort, and might be willing to find the money
to meet them.n
Il do not care if he finds the money ten
times over" said Ida. Il will not marry
him. Ho has not kept to the letter of his
bond and will not keep to mine"
sit is all very WELL Ida" said the squire
"and of course nobody can force you into u
dstasteful marriage, but wish to point out
one thing to you. You have your family to
think of as well as yourself. / tell you
frankly that do not believe that, as times
are, it will be possible to raise thirty thousand
pounds to pay off the charges, unless it is by
the help of Edward Cossey. So if he lives
and as he has lasted SO long expect he will
Gve-and you refuse TO go on with your en-
gagement to him, we shall be sold up that is
all, for that fellow Quest, confound him, will
show us no mercy"
81 know it, father answered Ida, "but I
cannot and will not marry him, and l do not
think you can expect me to. l got engaged,
or rather promised to get engaged to him,
because | thought that one woman had no
right TO put her own happiness before the
welfare of an old family like ours, and 1
would have carried out that engagement at
any cost. But since then, to tell you the
TRUTH" ,srd she blushed deeply, mot only
have learned to dislike him great deal
more, but have come to care for some one
else, who also cares for me, and who, there
FORE has a right to be considered. Think,
father, what it means to woman to sell her
self into bodily and mental bondage-when
she cares for another man."
"Well, well," said her father with some
irritation, II am no authority upon matte
of sentiment; they are not in my line, and
know that women have their prejudices
Still you can't expect me to look at the mat
ter in quite the same light as you do. And
who is the gentleman, Col Qraritchf'
She nodded her head.
"Oh," said the squire, ~ have nothing to
say against Quaritch; indeed, like the man;
but suppose that if he has $500 year, that
is every sixpence he can count on"
81 had rather marry him upon five hun
dred year than Edward Cossey upon fifty
thousand"
"Ah, yes, have heard women talk like
that before, though perhaps they think diff
ferently afterward. OF course, have no
right to obtrude myself, but when you are
comfortably married. what is going to be-
come of Honham, | should like to know, and,
incidentally, Of mef'
81 don't know, father, DEAR" she an
han nj taor ttxya ,,,ct
trust to Providence, l suppose. / know you
think me very selfish" she went on, catching
him by the arm, "but, oh, fatherl there are
things that are worse than death to women,
OF, at least, to some women. l almost thinl,
that l would rather die than marry Edward
Cossey, though would have gone through
with it if he had kept his word"
"No no." said her father. ~ can't Won
der at it, and certainly do not ask you to
marry man you dislike. But still it is
hard upon me to have all this trouble at my
age, and the old place coming to the ham
mer, too. 1t is enough to make man wish
that his worries were over altogether. How
ever, we must take things as we find them
and we find them pretty rough. Quaritch
said he was coming back this evening, didn't
hel suppose there will not be any public
engagement at present, will there9 And look
here, Ida, don't want him to come talking
to me about it. have got enough things OF
my own to think Of without bothering my
head with your love affairs. Pray let the
matter be for the present. And now l am
going out to see that fellow George, who
hasn't been here since he came back from
London, and a nice bit of news it will be
that | shall have to tell him.
After dinner Harold came again, as he had
promised. The squire was not in the drawing
yXhnn Ll .,.as shc...ra In,