Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-06

threatening that Lily drew instructive
ly first closer to Owens side, and then
quickly away. For the first time she
was frightened at her father, who had
never spoken GROSSLY to her in her
life.
His presence quite dispelled the
charm Of the shadowY garden; for
he kept beside them doggedly, and so
closely that he might as well have
walked between them. Owen Ormis-
ton was not patient; and ten minutes
later he was bidding Lily goodnight
in as bad temper as he had ever
been in his life. She remained stand
ing under the chestnut-tree with Toss
in her arms; but Mr.. Blair followed
the young man to the gate. Instead
OF opening it however, he held it for
e moment, and eyed Owen sourly.
you've a good deal of time on
your hands, Mr.. Ormiston, haven't
youPn he asked abruptly.
| Owen was taken aback. How con-
foundedly disagreeable the old fellow
was-a regular bear! He would not
make a very pleasant father-in-law at
this rate! The young fellow might
have retorted angrily; but he CHANGED
to glance back, and, catching
glimpse of Lily's golden hair in the
moonlight, rendered in time that it
was at present his policy TO conciliate
the girls father.
"Rather too much just at present,
I'm afraid" he said good humoredly.
"Bad for you, and bad in every
way" returned Aaron Blair grutfiy.
elf you want to keep out of mischief,
Mr.. Ormiston, you'll find better way
of employing your time than
talking foolish nonsense to a foolish
girl; I've nothing against you; but
this gate" he touched it with
his strong hand-"doesn't hang
outwards for you. My Lily
and her way OF life's one thing;
and you and your ways of life's
another. Go your way. sir. and leave
her to hers. And so-good night"
He held the gate open, and, as Owen
mechanically passed through, shut it
behind him with sharp snap. The
young man, astonished, discounted,
indignant, would have spoken; but
Aaron Blair with a gesture of his
right arm stopped him. There was
something so masterful in the man,
rugged and blunt as he was, there
was so much depressed emotion in his
strong face, that Owen found himself
riding away the next moment without
having said a word. But his anger
broke out before he was halfway to
The Cot; he ragged against his own
folly in having let the man silence his
tongue just when he should have spok-
en- out and made him listen.
'I'll go and speak to her to-mor-
row." he vowed aloud, with an unnec-
essarily sharp tug at the reins.
what does that cantankerous old
curmudgeon meanP Doesn't think I'm
a thorogh-paced scamp, | supposeP"
and he flushed, quite as much for
Lily as for himself.
The old man won't straight back to
Lily, who was still standing under the
chestnut-tree.
"Don't go in yet, my girl-Tve a
word to say to your
"I-my head aches, father" she
faltered; I'D rather go in, think. :"
She had started ut his approach, and
now grew pale and shrank from him
as he looked ut her. She was wonder
ing what he had just said to Owen at
the gate, trembling to think what il
might have been, and what he might
now say TO her. II would rather go
in, father" she repeated.
sin minute, my dear presently. :"
He put his hand upon her slim shoul-
der, where the broad, brown, work
hardened fingers looked wonderfully
out Of place. Gazing at her kindly,
with look very different from that
which he had just given 10 her lover,
he added, "Did you see Doctor We'd
lake just now0"
''Only for q minute, father"
"Only for minute, my dearp"
"Only just q minute. Mr.. Ormis-
ton came in and he went away"
Father and daughter were silent
for few moments. An instructive
fear Of what was coming had taken
possession of the girl, blanched her
cheeks, and made her tremble. He
stood frowning for a little while in
evident perplexity: then he shook
himself-a trick he had-and turned
TO her again.
I'm sorry the doctor didn't stop,
Lily; he'd no call to go away from
here for Mr.. Ormiston or anybody
else. But never mind that-rm sorry,
because he'd been talking to me about
you, my dear, and wanted to speak to
you HIMSELF
"No, no, father-oh, NOS She
shrank away with distressed cry,
letting the little dog slide down out of
her arms, and putting her hands over
her ears.
He was astonished and stared at her
blankly.
"Why, Lily, what ails you, childP"
Don't tell me, iather! / can't
listen-I won't! Please don't tell me!
Dear father. DON'T can't bear it!
know what he said-I mean, 1 guess
but l don't want to hear it. Don't
| tell me- fatherln