Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-06-04
CHAPTER IX.-(Continued.)

ed the girl merrily. "And the sooner the
fact is broken to Mr.. Pearman that he
is not my destiny's lord, the better"
Stop, child-listen to me-" and the
nervous tremor in her mothers voice ar
rested Maude's madcap humor instantly.
She knew every infexion Of that dearly
loved voice, and her quick ear detected
coming trouble, much as the sailor fore
sees the storm in that peculiar sobbing
sound the wind sometimes gives forth
shortly before the tempest bursts.
In a second she dropped quietly on
her knees by Mrs. Denison's side, and
leaning on the arm Of her chair, said.
There's more to come, mother; you
haven't told me all yet"
mo, my dearest; had hoped so diff
ferently. | mean-I told your father, in
Short" and here Mrs Denison fairly
broke down. and wept copiously.
Maude petted, soothed and coaxed. as
she had done on many a previous occa-
sion, ana between the showers OF tears
learned how much they were in the hands
OF the Pearmans how that their remain
ing at Glinn was an impossibility unless
the Pearmans came to their assistance;
and how her hand was the price they
placed on standing in the breach between
Harold Denison and his creditors. About
the foregoing of their own claims the
poor lady wisely said nothing. Better
Maude should think her future husband
stood chivalrously forward in her fathers
support, with the prospect of her fair
self as his guerdon, than she should
know that her hand was the sole bribe
which induced him to forbear seizing upon
Glinn.
The saucy smile had left the girls lips
by the time she comprehended the sad
story. 1t was replaced by pale, anxious
look. such as had never been seen before
on Maude Denison's face.
"You can't mean this, mother" she
said, at length. you surely don't wish
that l should marry this man, whom
can't say l dislike, for don't even know
him enough to tell whether | do or no !;
but that | am to take this man for hus-
band without any reference to my own
feelings-you don't intend that, do you?"
II don't know what will become of us
If you don't, Maude," gasped Mrs. Deni-
son.
And is 1t not possible that we could
live without Glinn?" inquired her daugh-
ter.
What would your father do?" moaned
the mother once more, truer to him even
still than to the child she adored so. .
1T is hard !" said Maude, and her
young face grew stern In expression as
she spoke. do you think it quite fair
that l am to throw my life's happiness
away at eighteen to save Glinn? Mother,
/ know nothing of the world, but .man
surely brings bad introduction to a
girls heart who seeks her as Mr.. Pearman
would apparently seek me. l don't think
I'm romantic fool but l never thought
to leave your side in this wise. OF course
! know girls do marry for money but
butt had-had hoped l should be diff
ferent," and here Maude was seized with
an hysterical choking in the throat,
which though 1t only drew few tears
from her own eyes, brought forth another
shower from Mrs. Denison's.
/ really am shocked, for the sake of
my readers, at the amount of tears intro
duced into this part of my story. "Um-
brellas up" would have made an appro-
pirate heading to this chapter; but what
am / to do? You see, Mrs. Denison is
one of those women who naturally dis
solve into-may l say, mist ?-on the most
trifing occasions, and come down in tor
rents when things go hard with them.
And, bear in mind, she was performing
the hardest task that had ever fallen to
her lot as yet
mo use crying about it, mother" said
Maude, gulping down her agitation brave
ly. ~ am going up to my own room to
think it all over; but come what may,
feel at present you will have to let Mr..
Pearman know that I'm grateful for the
honor he has done me, but respectfully
decline anything further"
When Maude reached her own room,
she sat down and began to muse over all
her mother had told her. Had 1t come to
this really, that it rested with her to save
her parents? What was she to do?
have said before that she was not like
the young ladies of this world. She was
rather behind the age in many <of her
ideas. She was very young, and had,
moreover, tinge Of that dear old-fash-
ioned romance about her which is at such
terrible discount in these utilitarian
days what can there be to think
about?" cries Belgravia. Preserve me
from such an imbecile daughter !" shrieks
Tyburnia. But Maude, after thinking for
half an hour, with set face and knit
brows, suddenly rose with a smile rip
pling over her pretty face, and while the
midday sun still glinted through her bon
ME brown hair, sat down to write to
Grenville Rose.
"He always gets me out Of scrapes,"
she murmured, softly, "he must out Of
this, though"-and here she even laughed
-"I'm afraid Gren will think this what
he calls a big un.'"
CHAPTER X.