The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-20

I ished, was iain to follow him.
The two walked on in silence foT a min
! ute or two
DO You ride or drive home?n asked
DR.. Brancepeth.
~ shall walk" answered the Squire.
1t IS long way"
only six miles,
Ihen II you are going to walk I must
not detain you" said the Doctor coIdly.
am not in any hurry said the
/ squire; and then seeing no way of lead
ing up to his subject he plunged into it at
once.
II wanted to have little talk with
you, Doctor, tonight. The fact is, sir. |
am IN love with your daughter Mariory.
love her, viii not say as she deserves
10 be loved, but with all my heart. She
! Is ali the world to me. Have you any
objections to my asking her to marry
me?"
Yes"
Guy looked up quickly. Did the Doc
tor mean that he had objections to the
match? Surely NOT. Yet his tone was
far from conciliatory.
DO you mean, sir he began.
Il mean that l have objections. very
strong objections to such a marriage. ii
cannot be. 1t is impossible
Ingleton could hardly believe his ears.
! lie could not help knowing that the po-
! Sltloh he was Offering MarorY was a far
J
/ ably have expected for his child.
L hope, sir you have nothing against
me personality" he said, with touch of
pride in his voice.
! NO"
Nor against my family?"
/ No; II IS much better than my own.''
>" hat IS it, then? Why do you object
! to our marriage"
Il am not obliged to give you my rea-
SONS. II IS enough that do object, most
/ strongly"
IT You fear that Marjory would not be
Wen received, assure you that my
! mother IS prepared"
An! You have been talking it over.
then? But it doesn't matter. You and
/ MafJOry can never come together. |
ought not 10 have allowed you to meet
but that could hardly be avoided, and
could not tell that you would be foolish
enough to fall in love with her. Never
( mind. Take my advice, sir-leave home
Tor time. BY and by yhU viii meet
/ some other girl. After 4 time you viii
/ forget herr
"Noyer!" cried Guy, III voice that
startled the old man. ''Dr Brancepath,"
ne continued III softer tone 'let US be
/ frank with each other. What is it that
has raised up barrier, as i5 We're be-
tween you and Us, ever since my poor
! fathers death? You and he were such
luenGs, that were 1t only for his sake, we
! hoped the old intimacy would have con-
tlnued. But 1t has not. You have been
! cold and distant. G0u have not seemed
TO care for MarjOry and my sisters being
! together. Have we sighted or offended
4 you IN any way? II so, / am heartily
sorry for it,
NO. Mr.. lngleton, I have nothing to
complain Of. The fault has been entirely
on my side. But | cannot speak OF it
further. 1ou must excuse me. | think
l will go in now. But put all thoughts
OF marriage between you and MarJory
1 out OF your head. | am sorry for YOU
/ both, but it can never be. Good night"
DR.. Brancepeth did not go indoors as
he had SAID he would do. For more than
an hour he remained pacing up and
down the path which Guy and Marj0ry
had traversed together. No. he was
! saying in answer to some appeal within
his own breast, mo, my old friends i'll
ness was not fatal. He might have re-
covered. He died by my hand. If his
/ son kneW-if MarjOry knew-aGd ] dare
not tell them. On, Ingleton, my friend, l
/ wish had died in your place"
From such morbid and gloomy
thoughts the Doctor was seldom free.
/ He might have stayed there half the
night had not MarjOry come out and en-
! treated him to come III.
! ~ Dung Iugleton has been speaking to
me- he began abruptly.
| Has he, papa?''
! Marjory's hand trembled on her faith
| er's arm, and she turned toward him, lay
/ ing her forehead on his shoulder.
And L have told him, my child that
such a marriage is impossible 1t must
never be. GU understand that, my
! girl?"
Marjory was very still. When her
father looked at her he thought she was
I about to faint.
He ought not to have said anything to
/ q nYr cr,-Ilv
| bering how naturally they must have
taken his consent for granted, he stopped
himself.
But We've love each other, papa
/ she stammered out.
Child, tell you it cannot be. Per-
haps, when | am on my death bed, l will
! tell you my reason. You may please
! yourself then-when I am dead. But /
think. If you did such thing, the curse
OF the dead-not mine, but-anothers-
must fall on you"
/ They were standing in the hall when
TINS was sad. The only light came from
the open door of the dining room The
/ Doctor could just see how white and wan
the poor girl looked. She looked Devil
dered, too-her fathers words were in
comprehensive.
My poor darling,' he said, and for a
moment clasped her to his breast. Then
| the evil spirit that prosecuted him whis-
pered in his ear Remember, you are a
manslayer. Your hands are REQ with
! blood. you are not tit to touch your in
nocent child.'
| suddenly he set her free, went to his
room and locked himself in
CHAPTER III.
! Guy Ingleton followed DR.. Brancepetb's
! adyice-he went abroad A LONG letter
! full OF passionate words of love. came
from INN to Marjory just before he left
! home. She said nothing OF il to her
/ father. 1t was the one treasure She nos
! seSsed, and she read it till she knew the
! position OF every word as it stood on the
! page.
/ Three or four months after the Sopira,s
/ departure the Doctor and Marjory re-
! ceIved an invitation TO dine at the recto-
/ ry. DR.. Brancepeth, Il left 10 himself
would have declined, but ne saw thai his
( daughter wished 10 go, in case Mrs. Miles
! should be offended ny refusal, and for
/ her sake ne agreed that the invitation
/ should be accepted.
! After dinner the Doctor found himself
left with his host at one end of the table.
/ They were practically alone, for the ladies'
! had left the room, ana the other two male
! guests were engaged in discussion
when leit them without eyes or ears for
| anything else.
do you think, Doctor" said the
/ Rector suddenly, that if man com
i nits crime he is bound to inform upon
himself"
DR.. Brancepeth started and stared at
! NJ. Miles for an instant, before he an
swered-
No, not in a general way.r
But suppose it was something seri-
! Gus; suppose you had, not williuiIy. but
/ through some negligence on your part.
s cdlpaDie negligence mind you, some
gross dereliction OF duty, caused another
mans death, would you think that YOU
were bound 10 deliver yourself up to JUS