Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-11-17

see or speak TO you again. DO you
understand all that you are giving
up?"
i She was pale as a white lily
! 81 can bear my coming life better
than that other, father. l could never
follow the career that you have traced
tor me- 1t is better that l should CO."
| 20, Leah, you must not leave him!
You cannot desert me! l shall die if
you go from me and leave me here
alone!"
Come with me, Hettie; if it is no
life for me, it is none for you. Come
with me-
NO; l will never leave my father
unless l die" sobbed the girl. How
can you act so, Lea. Your own
father
You forget interrupted Leah,
that it is mother who has sent for
me-
Her heart is hardened!" cried
Martin Ray. Say no more to her,
Hettie. She can leave us both with
out tears. We must learn to live
without her. She is a thankless
child, and you are a loving one,
Come to my heart, Hettie; your home
shall be there
But as her golden head lay upon
his breast, amid her sobs and tears,
she heard the name of Leah as often
as she heard her own.
There is no need to prolOng this
painful scene," said General Hatton,
after a short silence my dear Leah,
for the trust and confidence you have
shown me I thank you. You shall see
that it is we'll placed. l take you
from what l believe to be most I'M
worthy hands, and adopt you as my
own daughter. l would take your
sister, but she declines to come. If
in the future she should change her
mind, 1 shall none the less be still her
friend"
81 thank you," said a gentle voice,
full of tears; "but l shall never leave
my father. 1t does not matter who he
is, or what any one thinks of him,
he is my father, and I will be faithful
to him
81 say nothing but this replied the
general; eff ever you want friena
come to me-
''She will never want one while
: live" cried Martin Ray. ooh, Leah,
child Of my heart, how little did l
) dream that you would become one of
those against whom l have preached
and taught my life long! That
| should have a daughter among the
wealthy and the aristocracy of the
: land is to me a shame and disgrace.
There is yet time to make your final
decision, Leah. / will believe thai
; you were Overtempted by the man
r who has bribed you; l will believe
that you repent of your momentary
desertion; l will believe anything and
/ everything if you will only come
back to me, Leah, child of my heart .
: nothing. He would not influence the
, girl; her heart should decide He
could not help thinking what a
; beautiful picture of pathetic deter
> mination she made, standing with her
eyes wistfully seeking her fathers
face, her hands clasped
Il could never be what you want me
to be, father" she said; "and you
, would dislike me, hate me- when l
+ refused. 1t is better that 1 should
accept my uncle's Offer
''You refuse them, decidedly. once
!, and forever, Leah, to carry out my
| wishes ?"
Il do refuse" she replied, calmly
Il could not act as you wish. do
not beneve in that which you would
have me teach"
Say no more he cried, holding UP
his hand as though he would ward OFT
a blow-"no more! have heard from
your own lips your decision You
choose to make your home with this
stranger-fOr stranger he is, no
matter how closely he may be related
to you-you would rather live with
him than with me?"
''It is not my fault" she said
humbly. "You would have made my
life intolerable to me-"
You renounce me-give me up en-
tirely for him?'' continued Martin.
"You cast me out Of your life, and
choose to cling to him? Do not be
afraid to speak out plainly"
Il am not afraid" she replied,
calmly. 81 do prefer to go to my
mothers brother"
''Well and good" said Martin Ray,
with white face-"well and good.
You have made your choice; you
must abide by it. Nothing can even
alter it in this world. Some fathers
would have cursed you. I will not;
hut [ tell you, as much in sorrow as
in anger, that punishment will fall
upon you. may not have been per-
haps the best of fathers, but I am
your father, and to give up my love
and protection for that of another is,
[ say, sin that cries to Heaven for
vengeance. You hear me, Leah? [
say it to warn you. The time will
come when, with unutterable regret,
you will remember this hour and this
| deed. The time will come when the