Year: 1859

mother. Don dare to deliver any NOR


of this ridiculous stuff in my presence


So surely as the sun rises, so surely shall


you be the wife of Grantly Thornby."


Then on your head be the sin.
sin should come On your head be tn


storm and strife. and darkness which | se


looming up in the far distant future. Oh
your head then be the crime of a broker
heart, hopeless life. warn you-oh,
warn you, mother! If l have not YOU
hardness of heart, l have portion of YOU
determination; and never shall Grantly
Thornby mould me to his detcstable liking
l will be his wife because | cannot helI
myself; but the hand that blightS my lie
shall not blight my love; 50 tell my hus
band that is to be-


Pale and exhausted Adelaide Fairfax
sank down on the sofa, from which but {
moment before she had arisen in her indig
nant scorn.


Her mother, coarse hooking woman
dressed in the extreme of vulgar, costly
taste, and loaded with jewelry, sat opposite
her eyes fairly blazing with wrath and
scorn. To be defed by her own child
the child who until that, had been all
meekness, all obedience A bombshell en-
tering her apartment and exploding at heI
feet could not have started her moro
However, she had gained one triumph
Adelaide had consented to become the wife
of Grant Thornby. Wild as Adelaide had
spoken, she had no fear for the future
She knew the innate purity of her daugh-
ters heart, and even had she doubted that,
the viii and strength of Grantly Thornby
were sufficient to protect his own and his
wifes honor. The mother had scarcely
left the room by one door, when another
was opened giving admittance to second
party. 1t was the person of singularly
handsome man, tall, stalwart in frame, with
eyes large, burning and penetrating. The
face was in keeping with the form. Fea-
tnres regular and well defined, the forehead
broad and massive, the mouth-ay, there
lay the reader of the strong mans nature
it seemed to say plainly as words could
have done, my will is law And so it
was, for scarcely in all his life, had he
failed to accomplish any object that seemed
to his erratic nature worth pursuit. And
should he fail now, when the prize to be
obtained was only simple stubborn girl ?
Not he 1t was not much for the affection
he bore her, yet even there he had con-
ceived a passion which he found impossible
for him to subdue; but she had denied
him, laughed him to scorn. His blood
was on fire to revenge the insult. She
should love him


Only let him secure her to himself only
let her become his wife, away from the in
fuence of her unfeeling mother. dependent
upon him for society, affection and all the
little attentions women so yearn for and
need, and he defed fate itself to thwart
him of his triumph. And yet if he could
only succeed in winning her now. A love-
less and much loved wife-it was a CALLING
chain to forge, yet he was desperate in his
wooing If ever man won woman to his
love, he would yet win Adelaide Fairfax.
Thoughts such as these fickered through
his brain as he stood there within the
shadow of the door, gazing upon the fair
face of her he desired to win. Adelaide,
lost in sorrowful thought, did not hear the
opening of the door, nor was she aware of
his presence, until hand was laid lightly
on her shoulder. She looked up wildly,
and for moment a shrek was near burst
ing from her lips; but she was a brave
girl, and returned his gaze with one almost
as vivid and burning, until he found voice
to speak-strangely agitatcd was that
strong, determined, fearless man of the
world. He sat down by her side, taking
her resistless hand in his own.


You have consented?' he at length
asked,-yOu will be my WIFE?


'Consented-yes! BE your wife-yes!' =
Hard and cold indeed was the voice which
uttered these few sententious words.


And you will try to love me?' he said.


1 cannot-oh, 1 cannot she replied.
You know it is impossible. Why do you
insist upon this dreadful union? What
can 1 ever be to you-I, who love an
other p


He bit his lips, but did not interrupt
her.


Gould any power bind my thoughts? ?
Would they not follow him forever in his
lonely pilgrimage! Are they not part and
parcel of his existence? Think what it
would be to live year after year, for death
loes not come at one bidding. the COM
panion of one whose heart, soul and exist
,nce was wrapped in that of another!'


Stay, stay, Adelaide, he cried, grasping
both her hands. Have mercy, if not ON
nc, at least on yourself Think what you
Ire doing. You are scorning love, which
-hough mine is pure as ever woman won
l love 1 never knew l possessed until your
beauty first dazzled my senses l have
oeen a reckless man-but you can mould
ne to your will; you can form a nature
which is not all deprayed, into something
Sorthy of your woman's han3.' !,


I'D