Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-03-14
AARON BLAlR'S ATONEMENT.
CHAPTER VIII.

"Well, but, my dearest GIRL" said
Oven, gently reasoning with her, Il
don't see why you need call yourself
selfish and ungrateful and all the rest
of it. Your father must always have
expected you to marry--he would
have liked you to marry that fellow
Wedlake, would hep
''Oh, yes, yes--I notwithstanding
herself away from him. '-But that
would not have been you"
'.Of course not. But what differ
ence does that make to himp"
ii don't know" faltered the girl.
"But he told me once, Owen, that, if
ever things so came about that mar
ried you, he would never be able to
see me any more"
"What nonsense" cried the young
man holly; but in spite ofthe vigorous
disclaimer, he flushed little, being
only too conscious that he did not look
forward with any pleasure to the idea
of a relationship with Aaron Blair.
HE did not think it nonsense!" de-
clared Lily sadly, and then burst into
tears again, hiding her face in her
hands. "Oh, Owen, feel that / am
selfish and cruel in all ways--I do in
deed If marry you / shall break
my fathers heart-he has never been
angry with me in my life! And Lady
Elizabeth will quarrel with you; your
friends will not like me, and / shall
make you poor. l know ought never
to be your wife,"
Owen kissed and 500 he'd her, ca
ressing the golden head that lay so
readily on her breast. He had coaxed
her tears away, had almost made her
smile again, when she sprang out Of
his arms with little cry, and he
turned around to find himself face to
face with Aaron Blair.
He did not advance, but stood
still where he had first stopped, just
within the door. while his tanned face
turned almost white, and his breath
came quickly from his broad chest; it
seemed that he could not break the
silence. Lily still chung to her lovers
hand--he had drawn his arm about
her again and she stood shrinking
timidly within lis clasp, away from
her father.
''Mr. Blair" said Owen, quickly and
earnestly, 'before you complain of my
presence here, let me speak. If had
not met Lily as l did just now. 1
should have gone down to Upper
Catching to-day to ask her again to be
my wife. don't pretend that eny-
thing has changed since asked before.
Lady Elizabeth still oh. ects. and, so
far as l know, always will; but l
would rather give up dozen fortunes
than give up Lily. We never shall
give each other up, loving each other
as we dol"
He stopped; but still the man whom
he addressed did not speak he
seemed tongue-tied. He laid his hand
heavily upon his breast and kept it
there. looking at them still. Owen
hurried on
II shall go to Lady Elizabeth today
and tell her the truth. If she keeps
her threat and disinheris me, she
must. shall be poor, of course; but
Lily will not mind that-she says SOP"
"Does she say SOP Does she accept
your SACRIFICED Is she content to
know your prospects in life will be
spoilt by herP" Lily turned deathly
pale, and dropped her lovers hand,
recoiling from him. sis she willing
that you should quarrel with your best
friend-your second mother-for her
sake-willing to know that you will
be . poor man through herP Is that
what you sayp Is it what she says?"
I.Oh, father-oh father" Lily
moaned.
She uttered a gasping cry, trembled,
and stretched out her hands to her
lover imploringly, She looked ready
to faint. Owen caught her.
"What are you doing" he said
fercely. "Do you want to kill her?
Don't you soc you are breaking her
hearth You pretend TO love her. and
yet you can stab her like this Haven't
you eyesp Can't you see that she
loves me, and that If we had been kept
apart mach longer she would have
diedp Rather than put aside your
dislike TO me you would see her pine
and die before your eyes, it seems! L
don't understand that kind OF love.
i"
He stopped. Aaron Blair's face
was hidden in his hands, and he
groaned. Raising his head for mo-
ment, he showed face so lined, so
haggard, so drawn an. rigid, that he
seemed to nave suddenly become
very old man.
IL must do it!' he said--sI must do
itr'
''Must do whatp" asked Owen
sharply.
Aaron returned no answer; he did
not seem to hear, but stood for n mo-
ment with his eyes fixed upon the
ground. Then he advanced a rtcp.