Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-03
THE OCqQR0ON
4 STORY OF VERT DIYS.

Mrs. Montresor seated in a brilliantly lighted apartment, communicating with the morning room that opened upon the garden.
 Mortimer Percy was seated at & little distance from his cousin, and it was evil dent that no reconciliation had taken place between them.
 Adelaide and Mrs. Montresor were bot engaged in some elegant needle work, which afforded them all excellent excuse for silence.
 Augustus stood near the open window smoking his cigar in moody stiffness.
 It was thus the group was occupied when Gerald Leslie and Philip Treverton returned from the lawyers house.
 Gerald was the first to speak
 "You will be surprised, perhaps, to see me again, MT. Horton?" he said to Augustus.
 "I will freely own that am so," an- ewered the planter; "though the con- duct of my cousin, MT. Percy, has made me accustomed to surprises. The reve- lations of this morning have nothing to do with me, and cannot imagine what can have brought Mir. Leslie and Mir. Treverton to this house."
 Gerald Leslie smiled.
 "Indeed, MT. Horton! You forget, then, that I have daughter?"
 II do not," answered Augustus. II have very good reason to remember that fact, Mir. Leslie. The purchase of the Octoroon slave, Cora, cost mo fifty thou able chance of my losing every cent.
 Not if you can capture your runaway slave. said Gerald Leslie.
 Mot If l can recapture her. No, let her once fall into my hands, and it shall be my fault If she escape again. As for the Englishman, Gilbert Mar0rave-"
 "You will have no mercy upon him9' asked Gerald.
 By Heaven I will not. We Southern CTS are in no humor just now to put up with any of your abolitionist tricks, and MT. Margrave shall pay dearly for break ing the laws of Louisiana"
 Augustus walked up and down the room as he spoke, and every accent re- vealcd his rage, at the defeat and humili- ation he had sustained since the preced- ing night.
 ''Mr. Horton," said Gerald Leslie, gravely, Philip Treverton and had very serious purpose in coming to you here this evening. We come to make an appeal to your generosity. and your sense of manly honor. Will you listen patiently to that appeal?"
 ''You are free to speak" replied Au- gustus, haughtily, and throwing away his cigar, he folded his arms, and placed himself against pillar that bordered the window, as if prepared to listen. but as if determined not to be convinced.
 II appeal to you, then, in tho presence of your sister and your cousin, and In that of Mrs. Montresor, whose senti- ments, l know, arc opposed to the cruel system of barter, which has in my case deprived father of his beloved and only daughter-I appeal to every better feel ing of your nature, and ask If my child Cora is to suffer for one hour for tho in- fanny of that man, Silas Craig? Restore her to freedom, before I institute pro- ceedings to invalidate the illegal sale of my property, which was seized upon for debt never owed."
 Augustus Horton laughed bitterly.
 'All this Is very fine," he said; "but c7 Miss Cora Leslie has chosen to run away from her rightful owner it is not in my power to give her up-cven if l wished t!'
 'Would you restore her to me If she were found?" asked Gerald Leslie. '.No."
 "You would not? Remember, we are rich, and I would give you back your fifty thousand dollars, or double the sum if you pleased.
 "Curse your raltry dollars p cried Au- Gustus. Ut was revenge l wanted to buy with my money; revenge for the in- suit your slave-dau5htar dared to iniiict upon me. And am l to be baked of that revenge to the very last? No, l repeat, that were Cora recaptured tonight l would not give her up.
 ''You would not?'
 "I would not; and what is moro, J could not, for she is no longer mine.'
 "No longer yours!'
 "No; have given her away" "Given her away!' "Yes, to my sister Adelaide, yonder. who has good reason to hate her, and who will make her feel what it is to be a slave. Trust woman for that With me she would have lived the life of a duchess; as my sisters property, she will be a lady's maid-a drudge Heaven knows how low she may sink. It may please her mistress to send your brilliant and accomplished daughter to tho kitchen 10 wait upon the cook" Gerald Leslie writhed at this insulting speech.
 "Miss Horton" he exclaimed, ''suroly, | surely, your woman's nature revolts at such words as theso. Why do you not speak? You wero once my daughters friend for pity's sake remember thatr' During the whole of this dialogue Ade' laide Horton had sat perfectly still, her head bent over her work, as if she heard nothing of what was going forward; but l a close observer might have perceived 
 emotion and that her small hand trem bled as she endeavored to continue hel work.
 This had not hcen lost on Mortimer Percy, who had been for some time in' tently watching his cousin. Suddenly she raised her head in order to reply to Gerald Leslie. II can only answer you in the words of my brother, MT. Leslie" she said; "] | cannot restore Cora Leslie to you oven if would, for che is no longer mine. l. too, have given her away" Augustus started at these words. s'You, Adelaide Y he exclaimed. "Yes! You gave her to mo for lady's
 maid. Ihad been long seeking for an op. portunitv of repairing the injury which did her upon that fatal day when I al.
 lowed school girls folly to get the bet tor of my reason. I have given her tc
 her husband, Gilbert Margrave r She rose as she said this and opened the door of an adjoining apartment and beckoned to some one within. Gilbert Margrave and Cora Leslie en. $oraI tho rnOm