The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-02-04

strangers: but L suppose IL must be So
The follies of our youth, Nell. smite us
sharply as we grow old We shall have
to end our days in some cheap CONT
mental town."
CHAPTER VII.
Very sad was Maude when she heard
the evil tidings, and that she had but a
short time left TO look upon the grand
old chestnuts, the groves Of laurel, and
the SOFT pleasant, turfy vistas amid which
she had been born. Bitterly she thought
how the loss Of all the accustomed sur
roundings would be felt by the gentle
mother she adored; and we'll she OWNED
what would be her fathers sensations
when. having left the home of his anccs-
tors. he should find himself exposed to the
monotonous existence of some watering
place or dull continental town. How he
would brood over the extinction of the
Denisons of Glinn none realized more
fully than Maude. She knew her father
thoroughly: she was a clever girl. and
fully recognized his foibles and weak
nesses. She comprehended the shock il
would be to his family pride-what the
loss of country pursuits would be to him
what it would be to find himself mere
Mr.. Denison on straitened means in some
quiet place where gossip was rife, and
your social status was pretty nearly
gagged by the bills incurred at the butch
er's and the wine merchants. And then.
the girl thought, sorrowfully. how little
she could do to alleviate all this. To
her mother-ah! yes, she could do much
to tighten her troubles, and be comfort
TO her; but for her father, nothing-and
the tears trickled through Maude's long
ashes as she thought how little she could
be to him.
Such, so far, were the results of the
Vaccinations of that experienced fisher
of men, Mr.. Pearman, on the unfortu-
nate family at Glinn.
/ have told the ingenious process of
reasoning by which Harold Denison had.
at last, not only soothed his conscience.
but arrived at the conclusion that, like
the grim old Grecian, his duty required
him to sacrifice his daughter. | often
think that old story a grand allegory
Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia, even
yet, pretty constantly at St. Georges.
| Hanover Square. We substitute the ring
for the knife, and the wedding breakfast
for the smoking sacrifice: and we wreath
ourselves with flowers and silken raiment
as we Offer up our maidens at the shrine
of Plutus. = Who shall say that, after
| all. that was not the meaning of the
| fable!
| But Harold Denison was conscious Of
an inward feeling that the newly formed
idea was an extremely awkward subject
/ TO breach either to his wife or daughter
! That he had never even alluded to Pear
| mans proposal | need scarcely observe,
and that it looked still less pleasant TO
touch upon now he had made up his mind
to be an active supporter thereof. must
be equally obvious. Still the clouds were
gathering so thick over the house of Glinn
that no time was to be lost and at last
the squire nerved himself to the task.
aid sought his wife's boudoir, having pre-
yiously ascertained that his daughter was
| out of the house.
Il want to talk something over with
you, Nellie" he observed, as he entered.
Il don't think that it will be quite pleas
ant to hear, but, at all events, it can't
distress you, as you will have the power
of deciding as you like about it"
Mrs. Denison raised her face anxiously
| to her husbands Decision, on any point.
was painful to her, and she was too well
aware, from former experience, that this
was but the prelude to some scheme in
which her concurrence had already been
practically marked out by her lord and
master. Harold Denison's consultations,
at such times, generally comprised a mere
| synopsis of his intentions, revealing some
minor unpleasantness which he looked to
her to carry out Poor Mrs. Denison
might we'll be diffident about such conf
dences as a rule, they had borne but
bitter fruit.
What should you say" continued the
squire, IF tell you that it is possible to
save Glinn to us yeti"
''Oh, Harold. can it be so?" cried Mrs.
Denison with casped hands and beating
heart. mo, you don't look like it I see
in your face there is more to follow. 1t
is some bare chance. and your sanguine
nature has led you astray concerning it,"
Nellie. don't be foolish. There is a
way of arranging all these miserable
money matters that has been submitted to
me. and which. should we consent to,
there is no doubt will prove perfectly
satisfactory. | have turned it all well
over in my mind. and though | have. as
vet. come to no determination concerning
ii, yet | don't deem it altogether imprac-
ticabe. VIII you hear me patientlyT'
Yes. Harold" was the meek response.
well, what | want TO talk to you
about is this. OF course you must be
aware that Maude is not only grown up
and handsome. but has arrived at an age
when wooers may be expected"
What do you meant asked the moth
er. her pale face flushing. and a half
anxious. halffrightened expression visible
in her blue eyes.
We will come to that presently. You
now her admirers at the minister ball
we're numerous. 4 man Of good property
IN this county solcts permission to pas
lis addresses TO Maude. lie cah give her
good home and everything She can want
now. while at the death of his father he
viii BE- the possessor Of large landed es-
'ates in the county. besides considerable
>ums invested elsewhere
The poor mothers heart beat quick. To
whom was she TO be asked 10 yield ben
Gorling? Who in all the county side was
worthy OF her peerless Maude: She
knew OF none: yet she spoke not, bun
l.azed eagerly into her husbands face
and waited with h'gh-strung nerves till
he should speak again.