The daily morning oasis., 1918-02-17


strength of the claim | make upon her
that she has been obliged to accept it
Notwithstanding the many disappoint-
ments and the great loss it had brought
her?"
"Oh! oh! it has killed mel" came now
in deep means from the poor girl, as she
caught feebly at Mr.. Cassetty's hand
and drew him down to her. "My only
hope was thlt you should never know,
or-or Geroge know. He hates Mr..
Melville-he hates him so that he will
never care for me, now that he has
learned that | am not the child of one
he respects, but of-of one he has so
frequently said he did not" q could not
help bearing these words, murmured
though they were in feeble tones, my
position as nurse holding me so close to
herr "And l am his child He has
shown me plainly that nothing else can
be true d-and-oh! oh! do not look
at me like that. Do not tremble so, my
darling, darling father, for you are my
father in all but blood; you must be. l
cannot belong to him or love him. 1t
is you l love-YOU, YOU!"
His claim is an unwarrantable one.
He cannot prove it," was Mr.. Cassetty's
sole response. Evidently he could not
trust himself to say more, or linger
longer under her despairing caresses.
" Doctor, see t, this poor child while 1
have it out with this man" he now
continued, raising himself gently from
towards Mr.. Beauchamp, who had
been only less shaken than himself by
an event for which he was manifestly
n v,rar~o,oI ho a,;oI nth
burst Of passion he had hitherto held
in some restraint: Come, George, he
will have to prove that two and three
make four before he shall tear our
beloved Coralie from us"
But George, with an impetuous move
ment, which threw him into the place
just vacated by the father, let these
gentlemen leave the room without him
in his great longing to right himself with
the poor girl whose heart he had bruised
and whose reasons and conduct he had
so poorly understood.
Forgive me-" he entreated-"for-
give me, Coralie, that l doubted your
motives for an instant. l might have
known that you had good reason for
anything you might do; and if you
would restore my sef-respect and make
me feel once more worthy of your con-
fdence and love, let the holy words at
once be said which shall unite us in
sorrow and in JOY"
"No, no." she cried, her insight
evidently quickened by her extremity,
in week you would hate me for giving
you for father a man whom you your
self have told me is not worthy of any
mans good opinion. l know you and
your family too well to bring real or
even fancied disgrace upon you. 1
would not have yielded just now, after
my refusal, if he had not promised me,
in those few words he spoke, never to
push his relationship or to proclaim
himself my father. Though you see no
good in him, there are times when he
seems gentle and kind"
Never to me-" quoth the impetuous
lover. "He is born schemer, Coralie,
and nothing and no one shall ever make
me believe that he is really your father.
He has been simply playing upon your
credulity and tender heart"
"Go and hear what he has to saw"
was her half-fainting protest. "Then
when you have done that, ask to see the
picture taken of his wife when she was
my age, and compare it with the
portrait of her whom l have always
called mother"