The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-28

three turns tisrough the room, fdgeted
about, moved the books on the table,
looked out Of the window for a moment,
and then came and sat down close to his
daughter, who was all the time eying
him curiously and with shade of anxi-
ETY. in her look. Kitty, my child, he
began nervously, taking her hand and
then slipping his arm round her slender
waist. would you be willing to ccnfde
in your old father, to reveal to him the
exact state of your heart? You know,
my dear child, what my wishes have
been; how / have hoped You would favor
MFR. Rigsby's suit. He has fine fortune
and handsome person, presentable in
any company, however select; uncom-
monty well dressed always. Egad. one
of the finest matches going, and no
bad habits that / ever heard of. Young
men like Rigsby are NOS picked every
day, but have had reason to think be
is not altogether favorite with you, chr
ssOh, papa, like Mr. Rigsby very well,
but he is not ut all the kind Of a man
should choose for husband. If mar
ried him it would be only to please you. !"
.'Fie, Kitty, you are not that spiritless
sort of girl as to marry simply to please
your old father" said Childer pettishly.
"But tell me, is there not some one else,
some old friend or playuateg'
ST never had but one" said Kitty,
looking down with pretty blush, ssand
you have forbidden me to think Of him
Look here, Kitty, he wheeled sud-
denly around and probed her eyes with
his own, do you wish to save your old
father from shame, from humiliation,
from slnnderous tongues, perhaps from
something worse? Would You be willing
to sacrifice yourself, child, and marry to
save him from such a sad fate?"
ssOh, not Mr.. Rigsby," cried Kitty,
clasping her hands and looking the very
picture Of despair.
ssNo, no, my child, very different
man. Would you be willing to marry
Mark Spofford, the son Of my enemy, /
may say my intimate enemy, to save
your old father from disgracsg
Kitty threw herself into his arms,
chung to his neck, kissed him passion
ately, rapturously, and pressed him to
her heart
MARRY Mark? Oh, father, don't you
know l love him dearly, have always
loved him, that we were engaged when
was Eve years old9'
s'Phere, there, that will do; but there
is something else you must agree to,
Kitty" and the old man let his voice
sink to whisper; .you must elope with
him!p
Kitty made great eyes and then burst
into peal of laughter. "Elope with
Mark, and with your aid and consenti
What dreadful, nonstrous, direful thing
have you done, papa, to bring you to this
passr
ssDon't speak of it, Kitty said her
father, with a groan. ''It was all mis-
take--a wretched, miserable blunder-
but it can be made to wear damnable
look. 1t might act on mans life like
blight, a mildew, creeping, insidious
mold. II has taught mo lesson, Kitty.
I am going to give up the club and
games of chance and hot whisky teddy
at late hours. My old haunts VIII know
me no more. Henceforth shall devote
my evenings to your poor mother. /
shall endeavor to regulate my conduct
on the strictest rule of propriety, ahemr'
..Well, dear papa, (" said Kitty, little
smile peeping out of the corner of her
mouth, 81 will endeavor to save your
fair fame by the sacrifice Of myself, and
if poor mamma is to lose me she will
certainly need your devotion
The same day, at dinner, Mr.. Childers,
with severe parental severity. inquired
of Tom if he had disposed of the mastiff,
whereupon Tom admitted that he had
placed that peerless canine with Higgins.
"Well, sir, about the pistols"
Tom sulkily asked if he could not
keep the pistols and practice shooting at
mark off in the wood, good bit away
from the house.
mo, SIR, you can't" returned the irate
old gentleman; next thing you will
fancy you hear noises in the house at
night people moving about down stairs
and you will shoot me or one of the
servants. Bring the pistols here and /
will put them under lock and key, at
any rate, while your mother is ailing,
that she may not lay awake nights and
brighten herself over the possible muir
ders you may commit
Tom brought the pistols, and saw
them locked in his fathers desk with
gloomy forebodings and much i'll dis
guised resentment against the head of
the house.
For the next few days Mr.. Childers
remained at home most of the time and
attended to some repairs going on about
the place. Kitty's window on the Spot
ford side was now permanently open.
Tom slept in that part Of the house, and
he began to complain of strange noises
after midnight. He described them as
ticking, a buzzing, stealthy move
ments, murmurs Of conversation, and
series of gentle raps such as are heard
by the Spiritists When Tom spoke of
these things in the morning at the break
fast table his father pooh poohed the
matter and buried himself behind his
newspaper. Kitty mildly suggested that
| it might be chimney swallows.
But Tom had a theory of his own. It
was his notion that band of burglars
who, some time before had been operat-
ing in another quarter of the town, were
now shadowing the house, having learned
that the big mastif had been removed,
! preparatory to raid on the family sill
yer. One night he determined to watch