Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-04-18
CHAPTER XI.-tContinued.)

CHAPTER XI.-tContinued)
Two more weeks passed, and by that
time Martin Ray had grown warmly at
cached TO the man whom he would call
"roung Glen Martin himself was i'll
his health was fast failing; and he clung
IN the Younger man, so full of health,
strength and vitality-only a chance ac-
onaiutauce but one of the few ties that
bound him to the outer world.
One day Sir Basil, coming earlier than
usual in the morning found him sitting
by the UNCOVERED wall, his face buried
in his hands When he raised it to greet
him, the baronet saw plainly the traces
Of tears.
As usual, Martin was cynical, even
about himself.
Il am very rueful looking patriot this
morning" he said. Il have been i'll all
night, and l am alone"
Sir Basil glanced around.
Where is Miss Ray?" he asked.
My daughter is always busted about
something or other; she has not much
time to give to me. 1t was different
once"
Sir Basil felt indignant. He knew that
no matter where Hettie might be, she
was working for him. and for no one else.
Il think he said quietly, that Miss
Ray gives you all her time. / have never
seen a daughter so devoted"
She is very good" he allowed; and
then he added abruptly, Il had another
daughter once"
1t seemed as though some Irresistible
power forced him to talk of Leah. 1t
was the first time he had spoken of her
since the day she had left him. and. like
pent-up waters suddenly let loose, his
thoughts and feelings at once found vent.
He rose from his seat and stretched his
arms out toward the great heaving ocean.
Il made two idols he continued. The
first was my wife-she died; tho other
was my daughter
Did she die also?' asked Sir Basil,
pityingly.
No: she is worse than dead-a thou
sand times worse than dead. If l could
weep over some green grave containing
her / should be happier"
Not deadT" said Sir Basil, wonder
lng:y.
NO; she deserted me: she cast me off
much as you would throw away your old
gloves. On the very day that 1 unfolded
my plans to her a stranger came among
us-a man related to my wife. He was
rtch-bah! how I hate to speak of him.
and he wanted to adopt my children.
refused his offer; he appealed to them.
All, heaven, when 1 think of the scene
She, the daughter whom / loved best
left me and went to him, this stranger
and clung to him. Take me away she
cried. I have been praying to heaven
to send me a deliverer from this furnace
of frep She went away with him, and
cursed her."
"And the other-Hettiewh did she
do?'
.'Ah, good, faithful Hettie, she came to
me. I see the picture now, Glen. She
put her arms around my neck. 4 will
love you and serve you and be true to
you until 1 die she said. And SO we
four stood looking at each other. Then
the other two went away. Hettie and
have been alone ever since; we have new,
er uttered her sisters name since the day
she left US, and we never shall"
Il should hardly have thought that two
sisters could have differed so greatly
remarked Sir Basil, quite unconscious
that by his own words he was condemn.
ing the girl he had asked to be his wife.
He remembered the story when he saw
Leah. So perfectly unconscious was he
that she was the heroine of 1t that be hat
thought to himself how grandly Leah
would have acted under the circum
stances he felt that she. too, would have
gone to her fathers side and have stood
by him against the whole world.