Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-12-17
70 v ID

g. Barring GOULD

she were in Lundy Isle. She had
hankering after the glitter and paint
of this empty world
I cannot believe this. cannot be
lfeve that she would desert the man
man who befriended her, and forsake
her child
You say that because you did not
know her. You know Martin; would
he not do it? You know Watt; has
he any scruples and strong domestic
affections? She was like them; had
in her veins the same boiling, giddy,
wanton blood"
Jasper knew but too well that Mar
tin and Watt were INSCRIPTIONS, and
followed pleasure regardless of the
calls of duty. He had been too young
when his sister left home to know
ANYTHING of her character. 1t was
possible that she had the same light
and careless temperament as Martin.
"A horse that SHES once will shy
again. said the old man. Eve ran
away from home once, and she ran
away from the second home. If she
did not run away from home third
time it probably was that she had
none to desert
And Mr. Jordan knows nothing OF
her?
He lives too far from the stream
of life to see the broken dead things
that drift down it.
Jasper considered. The flush of an
ger had faded from his brow; an eX-
preston of great sadness had sue
ceeded. His hand was over his brow,
but he was no longer intent on his
fathers face; his eyes rested on the
table.
4 must find out something about
my sister. 1t is too horrible to think
of our sister, our only sister, as a
lost, sunk, degraded thing
He thought of Mr.. Jordan, Of his
strange manner, his distracted look,
his capricious temper. He did not be-
Iieve that the master of Morwell was
in his sound senses. He seemed to be
a man whose mind preyed on some
great sorrow till all nerve had gone
out of it. What was that sorrow?
Once Barbara had said to him, in eX
cuse for some violence and rudeness
in her fathers conduct, that he had
never got over the loss of Ewes
mother.
Mr.. Jordan was not easy about his
treatment of my daughter said old
Babb. From what little l saw of him
seventeen years ago l take him to be
a Weak-spirited man. He was in a
sad take-on then at the loss Of Eve,
and having a baby thrown on his
hands unweaned He offered me the
money l wanted to buy those fields
for stretching the cloth. You may be
sure when a man presses money on
you, and is Indifferent to interest
that he wants you to forgive him
something. He desired me to look over
his conduct to my daughter, and drop
all inquiries. dare say they had had
words, and then she was read in her
passion to run away with the first
vagabond who offered
Then Jasper removed his hand
from his face, and laid one on the
other upon the table. His face was
now pale, and the muscles set His
eyes looked steadily and sternly at
the mean old man, who aVerted his
eyes from those of his son.
What Is this? You took a bride,
father, to let the affair remain I'm.
siftedl For the sake of a few acres of
meadow you sacrificed your child!'
'Fiddlesticks-ends,' said the manu-
facturer. I sacrificed nothing. What
could I do? If l ran after Eve and
found her in some harlequin and col,
umbine booth, could I force her to re
turn? She made her bed, and must
lie on it. What could gain by stir
ring in the matter? Let sleeping dogs
lie
Father said Jasper, very gravely,
the fact remains that you took
money that looks to me very much
like a bribe to shut your eyes
'Pshaw! pshaw! I had made up my
mind. I was full of anger against
Eve. I would not have taken her
into my house had I met her. Fine
scandals I should have had with her
/ there! Better let her run and dis
appear in the mud, than come muddy
/ into my parlor and besmirch all the
/ furniture and me with it, and perhaps
! damage the business. These children
/ of mine have eaten sour grapes, and
/ the parents teeth are set on edge. 1t
/ all COmes-the old man brought his
/ fist down on the table-'of my &C
/ cursed folly in bringing strange blood
( into the house, and now the, chastise-
ment is n me. Are you come back
/ to live with me, Jasper? Will you
help me again in the milI?'
! Never again, father, never ans
wered the young man. standing up.
| Never. after what I have just heard.
shall do what I can to find my poor
sister, Eve Jordan's mother 1t is a
/ duty-a duty your neglect has left
/ TO me; a duty hard TO take up after
it has been laid aside for seventeen
years; a duty betrayed for a sum of
money
/ 'Pshaw, the old man put his
hands in his pockets, and walked
( about the room. He was shrunk with
/ age; his eagle profile was without
/ beauty or dignity.
I Jasper followed him with his eye,
I reproachfulIy, sorrowfullv.
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