The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-01-16

His face was pale; his voice shook; he
was very angry. "And as to breaking
away-Dosia is my wife, Flora; respect
her."
"Your wife?' Flora gasped, and sank
upon the bench. "Oh, my unclei 1t
will break his hearth
sit ought not TO break his heart" said
Nicholas, coldly. ''She has saved his
son."
"How will you ever tell him? How
will he ever be able TO bear it?' Flora
asked, bitterly.
ooh, Flora!" cried Nicholas, lit is
my study by night and day how to break
it to him. love my father in spite of
all; but Dosia is my very life! / dread
so his visiting his wrath upon her in any
way. i could not bear to have her
ounded-I-I-could hate but oh!
do SO wish to have my father and my
Aunt Elvira-all of you, welcome her."
''They never will; we never cam" said
Flora, bursting into miserable tears of
distress and fright.
Nicholas sat down beside her, and put
his hand ON hers. "But you, dear Flo
RAJ" he said beseechingly, ''you who
know what it is to be tenderly be-
loved"-
Flora was touched. "What can / do,
Nicholas? she faltered. "Oh, it is dread
fulr' she sobbed. "How could YOU
sob, Floral Nicholas broke in, eff
you would try to make them understand
they might lister to you. She has been
the saving of me. Twas going on in my
bad courses, reckless and defiant in my
lonely exile; l fell into bad company,
over there at Sunrise; and there was a
quarrel, in which got bad cut. My
father knows nothing of it; but should
have died had it not been for the Furni-
vals-and Dosia. All, if you really
knew her. She is far superior to these
other Furnivals: she is educated, and
she is so good. And, poor girl, her mo-
Their has Just died."
"Hcw c.jald you marry in secret" said
Flora, with touch of Indignation she
could not curb. Her sympathies were
entirely with her uncle.
Il will tell you why" said Nicholas,
nettled, lit was done in haste
''To be repented at leisure" said Flora,
with fresh burst of tears. "Oh, Nicho-
last"
mo such thingw cried Nicholas. hot
ly. "You shall know the truth, Flora.
Until three days before came up from
Sunrise, l had no thought of marrying
Dosia without speaking to my father;
but my father wrote to me and laid down
the law-you know what he has always
wished. He insisted
But Nicholas, angry though he was,
had it not in him to tell his cousin that
he had been commanded to ask her in
marriage, and that he had married sud-
denly the girl he loved, to escape obey
ing that command; nevertheless, Flora
understood.
sit would have been useless" she said
stiffiy.
"Her mother was dying" Nicholas con-
tinued, sadly, land did not know when
could go back to Dosia; so we were
married beside her mothers death bed.
OF course it was intended to be kept a
secret for the present. Nobody knows
except her father and the preacher who
married us; her mother died, as you
know"
cit is a miserable business" said Flora,
with fresh tears. Nicholas sighed; his
anger was exhausted. "And 1 do not
know what is TO be done, Nicholas. Oh,
it will make everything so unhappy for
all OF us. Is there no possible way to
undo it!'
''Just heaven, Floral" exclaimed
Nicholas, recoiling. "What manner of
woman are you? Undo it? Never, while
/ live! My father must bear it, all of
you must bear it, as such things may be
borne. I am neither sorry nor ashamed
that Dosia is my wife: understand that,
once for all. And shall tell my father
now, rs soon as l cam"
"Oh, Nicholas, you might wait until
ma and are at home again." Flora en-
treated. eve could do no good-and it
would be so-so-uncomfor for us.
You might show some consideration for
u.s."
Nicholas did not reply for some mo-
say coldly:
81 will wait; you shall not he called
upon to take my part"
Flora felt the reproach, but she felt it
as q wrong. "You cannot expect ma and
me to be willing to be subjected to un-
pleasant scenes" she said; land what
could do? Married to Dosia Furnival!
Oh, Nicholas! it is as if you were deadw
81 dare say it will result in my being
as good as dead to all my kindred" re-
turned Nicholas, gloomily; "but that
cannot make me regret that Dosia is my
wife; nothing can make me sorry for
that" And he rose; he had said his last
word.
Flora rose, too; she felt that there was
nothing more to be said.
With one consent the cousins went into
the house, each conscious of carrying a
tell tale face, and each shrinking in
stinctively from the scrutiny that they
knew awaited them upon their entrance.
But just as they came in scene was
enacting upon the back gallery that di-
verted attention from Flora and Mich
olas.
CHAPTER VIII.