The Portland daily press., 1896-04-04

lest possible instrument of fate, yet
such in the end she turned out to be.
Barely two months after she tainted by
from town, met his son riding through
early moonshine at a mighty reckless
pace. The encounter was just beyond
the outer gate. AS they came to it Cur
tbs held it open for his father, yet kept
his face studiously averted. Side by
side the two rode on to the stable yard,
speaking no word. A waiting groom
took their horses. Then as by one i'm.
pulse they faced about and looked hard
at each other. Still no word passed.
They went ON to little clear space Of
lawn, where the waxing moonbeams
shone clear enough to show all things
plain as day.
After long, long look Colonel Cross
said, curious under vibration in his
voice:
"Your leave is up next weeki"
"Yes, sir, the young man answered,
folding his arms, the line of his mouth
hardening until it was copy of the
fathers.
"You have spent a full third of ii
dangling after Tony MorrisW the old
man went on.
II am glad to say you are right, SIR"
the son returned.
mo doubt you think yourself in love
with her?''
81 know it," Curtis said
Him! Do you not know also that her
father
eyes. Iknow everything, the whole
miserable storyi" the son burst out, his
hands olinching savagely. IT dare say
you'll disinherit me for saying it," he
went on. perhaps deserve it anyway
for loving that mans daughter, but
cannot think it was right for you,
knowing all that had come and gone,
to live here among these people, where
all that old coil might come back upon
an innocent headr'
"Why, what's up? Has the girl re-
fused you?" Colonel Cross asked, and
the moon rays showed him smiling.
"Yes. She has refused me--refused
me in such fashion that cannot misun-
derstand it for pretty maiden ruse.
begged for the tiniest hope. I would
wait, do, endure anything. Then she
told me, as delicately as 1t might be
told, of all that lay between US, of how
impossible it was that you and my moth
er should not hate her, and how more
than impossible it was that she should
be willing to SOW division between them
and their only child"
HCOpSoiantiO1c r y,or1cf covi Nn
to be very grateful, Colonel Cross said,
drawing deep breath. ''My lad" he
went on, finging an arm over his sons
shoulder, 81 will disinherit you if you
are such faint heart as to let that re-
fusal daunt you. Even If I still felt Bit
terly toward Antony Morris, poor fell
low, what other revenge could be so
complete as to see his daughter my sons
wifel As the case stands feel that I
owe him great deal. Bitterly as suf-
fered at his hands, he taught me that
chivalry is something more than a
name-that it is, in essence, the consid-
Grafton of the strong for the weak Or
helpless. More than that, he made me a
free soil man, and SO gave me your moth
er and my after career. Say, youngster,
are you ready to assume your fathers
debit"
eyes, sirr' Curtis said meekly, but
wringing his fathers hand ST think,
though, it will take a lifetime to pay it
properly.
"No doubt Of it, and you can't begin
too soon, the colonel said, smiling at
his boy. "You'll have pretty hard row
to hoe, though Tony is, I think, too
gallant and sensible to be unreasonable.
Nanny is the lion in your path.
But to the astonishment of everybody,
most of all herself, Nanny surrendered
without discretion. At the Unfair, which
made the county open it's eyes, she ad-
mitted to Sis May johnson, between
mouthfuls Of wedding cake.
''I gut mo- finger AN mos anybody
in dis yere wedding pie. Seem lex To-
ny she des CANT gree wild herself ter
say yes ner no. Den took an 'suade
my chile, an 'suade her, dough hit did
60 'ginst de grain. I thunk erbout ole
marster an Marse John Ant'ny an all
dat; den I thunk erbout Tony, gal born
ed quality. dribin ole mules ter mill,
wild no much ter cay, an singin Gavin
songs on de road Pear lex dat wus
wusser'n eben ma'yin de Harp Cross
boy. Marse John Ant'ny hisse'f would
low he wus right likely an mon right
peart. Dee tells me, too, when Tony go
wild i'm ter de presidents house, she
gwine come way yander at de head OBJ
des de common sort dunno bout dat,
but does know dee amt gw1ne be pa
rybody nowhar wild mo- ter make dee
hole dee haid up AN my gals gut"
THE END.