Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-07-13
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And wherein has been the dlsobedl-
ence Of lateY"
"You persist in loving, against my
will, Ralph Denham, about whose origin
know nothing"
all due respect for you. And again, let
me say, that we do not love or cease to
love in obedience to any ones will, not
even our own, would be false to my
self and a hypocrlte to you II prom
lsed not to love this man.
Then you give no thought to his an
cestorS2"
"No; II they were all living since the
flood, am sure there is not one OF them
could love as / do Ralph, or would
care to marry"
You are talking nonsense, said the
Doctor, getting angry as men usually
do when they persist in debate in
which they are being worsted. did you
not tell me that you would not marry
Ralph Denham Without my CONSENT"
II did, father"
Then why do you keep on loving
hlm?"
Because, as told you before, could
not help 1t il l would, and would not IL
could"
This Is rank disobedlencel cried the
Doctor, rising.
II certainly do not intend it as SUCH "
replied Lea, still calm and firm, adding,
II never have, and promise now never
to introduce the subject 80 disagreeable
to you"
Hear me, Lea. DIR. Hedges sat
down and pulled his high-back chair
closer to his daughter.
Il am listening father.
Next to the duty owe my Creator,
you are the one object in life for which
l live"
"You forget my mother.
ooh, replied the Doctor, with much
adroltness, she and 1 are one--one and
the same person, as Squire Condit
would say. II / could see you well
married and settled before | passed
away, death would be robbed OF all his
terrors."
II believe what you say"
Now, have husband in my mind;
he Is rich, he must be Of noble family,
and / am sure he loves you.
DR.. Hedges stopped and looked at his
daughter, confident that she, with the
curiosity which Is said to distinguish
her sex, would ask him who the man
was. But she wenton with her sewing,
and seemed as Indifferent as If she had
heard an alluslon to the man In the
moon.
The Doctor was perplexed, and he
made up his mind to have her manifest
more interest in the man Of his choice.
do you not know who the gentleman
Isl" he asked
Il do not.
Don't you want to know" more an
grily,
why should II"
Because all the chances are that he
will be your husband;" with great We
hemence.
my own consent is essential to my
marriage. But, dear father, why
plague yourself with troubles that ex-
list only in your Imagination. Let us
wait. l will be dutiful, loving and
obedient to you. There Is no danger of
my leaving you 80 long as you and
mother need me. There, and there,
and there" And she came up behind
him, and, throwing her white arms
about his neck, kissed his knotted brow
with every closing word, till the
wrinkles melted and he went out, not
quite sure that he had not been making
something Of q fool Of himself.
Five days since Ralph Denham sailed
away in the Wanderer, and reply
should have come from him in three
days.
There has been fair wind all the
time, either for coming or going" said
Lieut.. Hedges, addressing his nephew,
Valentine Dayton. There can be no
doubt but the captain got up to New
York the night OF the day he left h ere,
yet there Is no word from him"
1T isn't like Ralph TO write at once, "
said Valentine, thoughtfully, adding:
But depend upon it, he has good ex-
cuse"
"No, there can be no excuse for neg
lected duty, unless it be in case Of
strong sickness" said the bluff lieu
tenant.
But the captain may be sick"
mo danger OF that.
What makes you think so, Uncle
George"
Because II he was to get sick he I'd
send post through with all speed to
tell the officer left In command Of the
ship"
But supposing he was unconscious"
Then some one else would do it for
him. Capt. Ralph Denham is too big a
man to be hid away in New York City,
to which the Gov'nor ordered him, and
be sick, and US not told Of it at once. "
why, Uncle George, you talk as If
you blamed the Captain.
DO 1, now?"
"You certainly do"
Then 1 belle my intentions. The
man as blamed Cap'n Ralph in my COM
p'ny would find himself keel-hauled in
no time," said Lieutenant Hedges,
bringing his big brown palm down heav-
lily on his knee. But I'll tell you, Val,
I Amt been easy since the lad left; he's
in my thoughts by day, and at night 1
dream and dream, and keep on dream
ing bout him..
"You are nervous, suggested Yalen-
tine.
"Nervous!" exclaimed Mr.. Hedges,
who had an idea that nervousness was
variety of sickness brought on by
fear. Il don't brag, Val, but there $
them as has known me, man and boy,
for five and forty years, and even them
that didn't like me never dared to say 1
was nervous.
"You misunderstood me, Uncle
George" said Valentine, and he pro-
ceeded to explain the more modern
meaning Of the word, after which the