Year: 1879

money in the bank either. OF course
you will send him adrift now;you ought
to have done 1t when he first presumed
to speak TO you Of love-"


"But l liked him then. and more
than like him now" said Kate, abrupt
ly. Ill made q sort o. banterine
promise to Mr.. Scranton, but had ne
idea he would ever bs 10 position Ia
claim it. He asked me the day brfore
he left us II would remain single two
years to give him chance to make a
fortune that would enable him to place
me in such q position as ! was born ia
fill. He had tried so many things and
failed at them all, that l thought II
quite safe to reply that ! would wal,
ten years If he wished it. He could
not have believed that was in earnest" 2"


"But he evidently did, my dear, as
you will see when you read what he
says. By this time Dick is on his way
back, and he may walk in on us any
day, expecting warm welcome from
the girl for whom he comes with for
tune in his hand. Read his letter and
you will see that he does not mean tc
give you up"


With an air of listless detection Kate
held ont her hand and accepted the let.
ter offered by her mother. AS she read
the lines color came back to her face,
and her eyes sparkled with aroused
temper. She crushed the paper in her
grasp and scornfnlly said;


"What does Dick Stanton mean by
saying that belong to him-that he il
coming to claim his own That he will
tolerate no interference on the Tart ol
any one, and if have INDUCED in any
girlish fanciss must put them aside
and prepare to welcome my true lord
and master when he comes to take me
to himself. l nerer bound myself to him
in any way, and l WON'T pon't be
dictated to by him in this manner


Accustomed to her daughters mode
of expressing herself when greatly ex
cited, Mrs. Loser sank back on her seat
and TRANQUILITY replied:


cts natural to Dick to be masterful
and he says no more than you have
given him a right to express. You ad
nit that you consented to wait for him
and, to a man like him, that mean'
everything that snch promise can i'm
ply"


"But never meant it. Oh, what
shall dor What shall l o'
~ can easily tell you. Send Harry
Conrad away at once and make him
understand that his dismissal is final
Think Of the magnifi 'ent future open
ing before you, and prepare to receive
with cordial welcome the lover who
comes to shower his hardly-earned gold
upon you"


Poor Kate left her mothers presence
in tempest Of feeling it would be i'm
possible to portray. A fierce battle was
aging within her, and she also trem.
bled before the dread that she would
never be permitted to reject the love,
Who came with the power in his hand
to release those she tenderly loved from
the hopeless dreariness of their present
existence.


A young, bright face, with mob lity
of soul stamped upon every lineament
arose before her, and she covered hel
face with her hands and moaned in her
anguish


"They will tear me from NY Harry
my darling, and my pride; they vii
preach to me of my DUTY to them ant
TO myself, until wrong will seem right
and shall become mere puppet II
their hands. And he-he-that maj
of strong will is coming to compel M
to fulfill contract 1 never meant t
make. Oh, what shall do what viii
become of me ?"


She had sat down ON the upper stel
of the winding stairs, and now risin|
abruptly, she went anto her own room
and shut the door.


Shortly afterwards Mrs. Loser knock
ed tremulously at her daughters doc
and asked to be admitted.


There was a slight stir within, and
faltering voice replied:


81 had rather not see anyone jus
yet, mamma. Give me time to bath
my eyes, and get calm, and l will se'
and talk with you. e If yon love me
leave me alone nOWt"


To this passionate adjuration Mrs
Loser replied:


Unjust see you st once, Kate.
have something that is most impertan
to say to you. Something that yot
ought to know, as it may help you to
decision as to what is right for you ia
do"


After short delay the door was an
locked, and Kate with swollen eyes anC
a pathetic expression OF helplessness
upon her face, looked with trembling
dread upon the mother, who, she knew
had come to throw some additional loac
upon her young shoul iers, heavy as was
tho one she already had to bear.
The apartment OF Kate was simply
but tastefully furnished. In it wert
found the few books she claimed as heI
own; her guitar, her portfolios of dried
plants, and many little mic nacks such
as young girls like to collect around
them


The walls were covered with pencil
sketches made by herself, fancifully
framed with autumn leaves. Among
them was found the shadowy outline o.
young mans head SO lightly drawn
tn at the fair artist SEEM d afraid tt
make 1t too distinct less it might be
recognized. A wreath Of wild flowers
hung over it, and concealed the words
family traced beneath-"My ideal"
n,ba had usa oortoinlv q varV noble