Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-06-11
CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XII.
Harold Denison touched MS nat haught-
lily, and rode home; but the old usurer's
artful speech still simmered in his brain.
Why should it not be? 1t would cut the
tangled knot of his difficulties. He had
made inquiries. Young Pearman had
been brought up gentleman, and visited
in several good houses in the county. He
naturally little exaggerated this to him
self, to justify the course he intended to
pursue; nay, for the matter of that, had
been pursuing for some days. His wife
had told him that she had laid the Pear
man proposition before Maude, and that
the young lady had declined, with thanks :;
since which intelligence he had bulled
Mrs. Denison, and snubbed or treated his
daughter with cold Indifference. The heads
OF the family can make contumacious
children conscious of their high displeas-
ure without any unseemly rating-indeed,
that may be looked upon as mere mild and
salutary punishment compared to the 9TH
er-that>other which, to speak metaphor
ically, consists in being condemned to the
domestic ice house. 1t Is hard to describe.
still there will be few of nv readers
who, If they have had the good fortune
not to experience it, but must have seen
some culprit enduring that slow punish
ment-meted out more often, perhaps. to
daughters than sons. But don't we all
know it the chilling rejoinder that meets
any attempt at geniality-the austere
look that seems to say it is heresy that
we should presume to forget the measure
of our offending-the moral thong alwavs
awaiting us should we show any signs of
reapsing into cheerfulness? Bah those
physical torturers of the middle ages were
mere bunglers at their craft.
From this time poor Maude's life was
made heavy to bear. Harold Denison sent
for her to his study, and himself put
Pearman's proposal before her. He en-
larged upon its advantages, and declared
that 1t was her duty to save the property
to her descendants; on her head it rest
ed whether the Denisons of Glinn should
cease to exist as of course her future
husband must take her name. For him
self, he cared not-he was an old man
and it mattered little to him. ANY foreign
watering place was good enough for him
to wear out his miserable life in. He
deplOred the follies of his youth. IT
was sad that a father should plead be-
fore daughter in this wise He could
bear anything but the thought that the
Denisons of Glinn should be expunped
from the roll of the county in which thew
had dwelt and been known since the Wars
Of the Roses; all this it was in Maude's
power to avert Why could she not mar
ry this man? He hard been brought nm a
gentleman, and mixed in the best society
in the county. If not quite her equal in
blood, he would repair the shattered for
tunes Of the family. Such matches were
made every day. The destiny of the plu-
tocracy was to strengthen the aristocracv.
Far be 1t from him to put any pressure
upon her, but it was his duty as a parent
to lay the whole case before her.
Calamity did Maude fight her battle
and though at the end of this long inter
view she stood with flushed and fear.
stained cheeks to listen to her fathers
final exordium, she was still resolute in
her refusal.
But the struggle was too unequal. I'm
der the pressure put upon her by her bus-
band Mrs. Denison had not only made
Maude write letter of remuneration to
Grenville Rose, but had penned him very
severe philippe herself in which she in
sisted that all correspondence should
cease between them. She had further
under the threat of revealing everything
to Mr.. Denison, extorted a promise from
Maude that she would write no more to
her cousin. She knew her daughter we'll
and felt implicit confidence that. her word
once pledged, troth would be kept.
have described the first stage of tbo
attack 1t Is common enough story
as many a woman could bear witness r.
as far as the general details CO. Can
you not easily guess the result? She was
a high-spirited girl, and bore herself
bravely In the beginning; but cut off
from all communication with her lover
she gave way at last to the moral pres.
sure brought to bear upon her, and. with |
pale cheeks and heavy eyes, whispered her |
mother "that they might do with her az |
they liked; II she couldn't marry Gren
she didn't care who 1t was"
(To be continued.l -,