Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-10-13
CHAPTER II.

| Nothing could exceed his wrath and
indignation.
"You have good blood in your
VEINS" he cried to the trembling girl
| "You have ancestors who fought and
died-died, mind yOu-for king and
country, and you ask me if you may
marry the man who has boosted that,
if no one else were found willing, he
himself would behead every sovereign
reigning. He said that in his last
lecture at Manchester. l read the
words, and wondered at the patience Of
his listeners; and you, my gentle,
well-Oorn, well-bred Doris, you could
marry him!"
Il love him-I cannot help it, papa.
You misjudge him." she answered,
desparingly. 81 must love him; no
one understands him but me-"
Unjust love him!" repeated Amos
Hatton. why, child, if you could
but see, it is he, and such as he, who
are the greatest enemies of the peo-
pie"
"You do not know him!" she ex-
claimed. "He is hero!"
Hero! Nonsense Doris; heroes do
not live on the earnings of the peo-
pie. Heroes do and dare; this man
incites others to deeds he dares not
do himself. l should not object to see
a cart-load of such heroes sent off to
Van Diemen's land"
"You are unjust, papa she cried.
II cannot help it; I love him. Oh, if
you could but see how it is! He
wants me to be his wife and his help
mate. [ am to assist him in his work.
o, papa, &c you not see how grand is
the mission he offers me? [ am to be
to the women of England what he is
to the men,
Hatton. II would rather, dearly as I
love you, see you in your grave. L
would rather he added passionateIy
''far rather see you dead than the
wife of Martin Ray"
"And l." she replied, rising her
pale, fair face to him, would rather
die than forsake him or give him up!'
''You must choose between us,
Doris" said her father trying to
speak calmly. eff you marry him, l
will never look upon your face again,
will never speak to you or hear
your voice; you will be no child of
mine; l will cast you off from me-"
She uttered a low cry of pain ana
despair.
Heaven forbid!' exclaimed Amos
81 wonder" she said eff ever a girl
had to choose between her father and
her lover before?'
EYES," he replied; hundreds. AS a
rule, they choose the lover; but you
ought to be an exception, Doris-you
girls. l expect more from you. l will
not take your answer yet; you mus
think it oyer. 1t is not for a few days
or months that you have to decide,
but for life, Doris. My dear, try to
disabuse yourself of the nation that
Martin Ray is a hero. He is nothing
of the kind. He is paltry, miserable
schemer, who lives upon the hard
earnings of the people he misleads"
"You cannot understand his aims,
papa!" she cried despairingly.
Nor do l wish to understand them.
For the matter of that, you do not,
Doris; neither does he himself. |
could tell you what his aims are far
better than he could. Think well,
Doris, before you decide. Your
brother, Arthur, if judge him rightly,
will agree with me. You will give us
both up for stranger, a Radical, a
demagogue! Bah! l have no patience
to speak Of it!'
This conversation took place on a
bright June morning. The lawyer
had written a brief, contemptuous
reply to Martin Rays letter requesting
his daughters hand, and then sent for
Doris to his study. He had fancied it
would be easy to influence her. He
believed that he had only to refuse,
and she would forget all about the
proposal. He had found that he was
mistaken. The new love was stronger
than the old; hero-worship had a
greater charm than mere obedience.
Amos HattOn gave his daughter a
few days to decide upon her fate in
life. She took the decision into her
own hands, and married Martin Ray
but not with her fathers consent or
blessing. She stole from the house
one sunny morning never to enter it
again. She kissed her father on the
evening before, and never saw his
face or heard his voice again. She
married the man whom she believed
to be a hero, and reaped her reward.
There was some little surprise and
CONSERVATION in Harbury when it was
known that Doris Hatton had married
the young demagogue, whose appear
ance had created g, social whirlwind.
what could she see in him, a
pretty, sensible girl like Doris?" peo-
pie asked each other.
Few understood the attraction that
such man would have for roman
tic, sentimental girl Doris thought no
lot in the world one-half so brilliant
as hers.
To be continued
| Heard on the Streets