Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-06-03

only know. When l kissed your cheek
at parting last time, / nearly clasped you
in my arms and poured out the secret OF
nv soul to you. l did not; 1t seemed
madness-it Is perhaps madness now ; but,
my darling, could not lose you. when
you tell me that another seeks the prize
| covet right or wrong, l must speak.
Maude, you must decide between us. Can
you trust me, and waltz"
Once more the letter fell In her lap,
and the softened grey eyes and slightly
flushed face augured well for Grenville
Roses wooing.
"Yes," she muttered, softly, II think
love him now as he would have me-
and If don't quite yet-for 1t seems all
so new to mel know could shortly.
Gren, dear, what am l to write to your
| think it must be Yes
1t was wrong, she thought, to keep
Gren in suspense when he was so dread
fully in love with her; so that nights
mail bore a timid, fluttering little note,
the receipt of which produced a tre-
mendous state of exhilaration In that
young Templar.
buI poor Mduuet dlleI tuo hiot huoh
of exultation that enters the breast OF
every girl at a welcome declaration of
love, quickly awoke to the fact that her
position was not whit improved by 1t.
She confded her engagement to her moth
er, and for the first time in her life
Maude beheld Mrs. Denison really angry.
I'm surprised and disgusted with Gren-
vile," said that lady. 'It's too bad Of
him, taking advantage of child like you
in this manner. like him, always have
liked him, and, under different circum-
stances, would have sooner seen you his
wife than any mans I know. But he
can barely keep himself as yet, and must
know that his thinking of wife at all
Is foolish In the extreme, and that think
ing of you Is simply absurd. He's behaved
very badly, and il you don't promise to
write and break 1t off, you can say, by
my desire, shall tell your father all
about it."
"Oh, mother, you won't do that" said
Maude.
"Not unless you obllge me-" said Mrs.
Denison, sternly.
Poor Maude was electrified. That the
mother she had been always accustomed
to pet and do as she liked with, should
suddenly rise against her like this, was
past her comprehension. Yet to anyone
who has made character his study, moth
ing can be more In accordance with the
usual law in such cases. Weak, feeble
characters, when, either from caprice or
driven by necessity, they exert such power
as may be In their hands, invariably do II
tyrannically and despotically.
Mrs. Denison has suffered Of late from
the stern rule of her lord and master. In
spite Of all her love for her daughter, she
has become dimly conscious that there
| will be no peace at Glinn unless Maude
yields assent to the ukase Harold Deni-
son has promulgated. Women of her
class can suffer, but they cannot resist.
Even now she would not urge Maude to
marry Pearman. But that her impecuni-
GUS nephew had dared to entangle her
daughter in an engagement, especially at
this time, reused as much wrath within
her as her nature was capable of. Most
mothers, / imagine, would deem she had
grounds for indignation.
All this while Pearman has not been
idle. Slowly, but surely, the legal notices
and proceedings progress, and Harold
Denison knows full we'll that within three
weeks ten thousand pounds must be found
or Glinn must go to the hammer. The
Pearmans conduct the campaign with
scrupulous politeness 1t is quite In ac-
cordance with the old traditions of the
Battle Of Fontenoy. They apologize for
every fresh process, and allude to 1t as a
mere matter of form. They affect to be-
lieve that there can be no doubt Mr.. Den.
ison will easily pay them off at the ex.
piration OF the notice Of foreclosure. The
old gentleman even INDUCES In POPULARITY
on the subject.
Mean to have the very last day ont
Of us, see, sir; and quite right, too" he
chuckled, upon meeting the squire one
day.
YES, Pearman," was the grim retort
Il learned the exacting Of my pound Of
flesh, to the last pennyweight, In your
hands. / have not forgot my lesson. Yop
burn 1t into your pupils minds pretty
deeply"
The old lawyer has laid himself open
to another rebuff, and Denison has not
failed to take advantage thereof. Whv;
Sarcasm breaks no bones, few knew bet.
ter than that astute fisher of men {,
his sentiviness was tolerably blunt. and
he rocked little what men said to him
or OF him, 30 long as the furtherance OF
the object he had In view was attained
That his son should marry Maude Deni.
son was the goal he now aimed at. and
that that was to be brought about he
still thought far from improbable. To
that end he conceived, even while press.
ing him for money, 1t was quite necessary
70 Keep on easy terms with the souire
None knew better than he how bitter n
Is for a proud man to take his words
back, and If what he now played for was
to be achieved, that was necessity. The
task must be made as easy as possible
the unpalatable draught sugared as fa,
as might be.
"He-he!" he answered; won w;,,
have your joke, Mr.. Denison. Irs q
mighty pity you couldn't make up vour
mind to concentrate the property once
more. Beg pardon, Squire" he continued
deprecating Denison's angry gesture
don't fear nv alludinr o.. 4.