The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-01-25
A CRUEL CONSPIRACY.
Old Mr.. Brown and His Sons Love
Affair.

Old Mr.. Brown, the wealthy tallow
merchant, was haunted by morbid
dread that his only son Jack would
make an imprudent marriage The re-
lations between the two were a little
strained, owing to the young mans OBJ
lection to engage In mercantile pursuits.
He had wished TO enter the army, which
old Mr.. Brown regarded as a hot-bed OF
vice and dissipation, and having been
thwarted in this, the lad would conde-
scend to do nothing but to read languidly
for the bar, obviously without the least
intention of adopting the law as pro-
fession. This naturally irritated his
father, who speedily became convinced,
from the.S.stories which reached his ears
of Master Jack proceedings, that ex-
travagance and dissipation can be prac-
ticed by plain civilian without any
military training whatever. But though
Jack Brown had quilted the parental
roof, and his father rigidly restricted
his allowance to $500 year, which led
to great many unpleasant discussions
between them. they were not completely
estranged, for each secretly entertained
more respect and affection for the other
than he cared to show.
But perhaps the real origin of the
coldncss and of old Mr. Browns per-
petual uneasiness was to be traced to an
early love affair of the young man who,
when scarcely one-and-twenty, had en-
gageO himself to pretty but penniless
girl governess in the family of a
ncighbor Miss Mary Marshlands was
A.; L +nl 1fgl, ,,,l
lady ny birth and training; but the
old tallow merchant would not hear of
the engagement, and vetoed it in very
peremptnry way. But. though he sue
cceded oy vigorous exercise of parental
authority in reducing his Son to submis-
sion, and sent him off on voyage round
the worlt in charge of tutor, the lad
displayed startling spirit of headstrong
independence, and solemnly warned his
father that, if he should contemplate
matrimony again, he would take care
not to risk his happiness by disclosing
his intent ems.
Old Mr. Brown was more impressed
by this an apuncement than he realized
at the mol1e mt, and as time went on and
Master jack seemed to have completely
recovered from his early disappoint-
ment his father sometimes doubted
whether bo had done wisely to inter
fere. He feared that his son was just
the sort of misguided, susceptible young
man to be inveigled into matrimony by
some designing adventures, and if such
a catastrophe occurred it was not pleas
ant to reflect that the lad, warned by
his previous experience, would, in all
probability, keep his own counsel, and
not afford his anxious parent the oppor-
tunity of rescuing him from his own
imprudence.
Old Brown got this idea so firmly into
his head that it rendered him perfectly
miserable, and, unluckily, his son al
ways maintained an attitude of marked
reserve concerning his private affairs,
which increased the old mans uncasi-
ness. 1t must be owned that Mr. Brown,
ST., was not the sort of father whose
manner invites confidence, for he was
habitually gruif and unsympathetic.
But it is certain that the young man did
not appear to relish his parents fire.
quent reference to the topic of secret
marriages, and old Mr.. Brown noticed
that on such occasions his son always
hastened to change the conversation.
This was 30 conspicuously the case on
one particular evening that the old gen
tleinan, who fancied that he had re-
Gently noticed a sort of yeiled defiance
in Jacks manner, resolved to satisfy his
suspicious by making some inquiries
among the young follows friends.
1t SO happened that on the very next
day after he arrived at this determine
tion, ie came across in the city young
man who was member of Jacks club.
Tho opportunity seemed too good to be
lost, and Mr.. Stephen Carlow had on
previous occasions shown himself to be
OF a communicative disposition. In fact,
old Mr.. Brown had already picked up
several hints OF his sons proceedings
from this source, and when he invited
the young fellow to lunch with him, the
latter seemed, by his manner, to be in
no wise averse to undergo the catechis-
ing which he evidently anticipated was
the object Of his host.
The old gentleman did not venture to
lbroach the subject he had at heart until,
after substantial and recherche repast,
he was seated with his guest in snug
corner OF the smoking-room; and even
then he was aoutely sensible that he
was acting in an underhand way. But
he endea yored to console himself with
,.he reflection that the end justified the