Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 31 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ees tt at a eS oo a <e ——— = oS 10 “No, no,” the. old man murmured, confus- edly; “but—Mr,. Tremaine is your uncle, I be- lieve?” “Yes,” said the girl, astonished by the strange manner of the old man. ‘**Tt’s strange; your face seems so familiar to me,” dreamily muttered the secretary; ‘and yet, can she have been in my past? No, no! She is too young. Don’t wonder at me, miss. I—I sometimes have childish fancies. Your face seemed so familiar to me that I thought I had seen it before. Ibeg your pardon.” And the old man bowed himself out. ‘Oh! if Icould only remember!” sighed the old man, as he closed the door. ‘ Her eyes and hair seemed so familiar, and yet sho could only have been a child, an infant, when my dead wife was living. Ona! will the past ever come back to me?’ Slowly the old man took his way up-stairs, passing Oswald, who was coming down. Oswald entered the parlor where Essie was sitting, wondering over the strange manner of the old man. Essie looked up at Oswald’s entrance, and the smile upon her face told him that he was welcome. “Do you want company, Essie?” he asked, seating himself by her side, ‘Well, that depends upon whose company it is,” answered the girl, archly. ** How will you like mine?’ Oswald asked, in- wardly admiring the pretty girl before him, and what object in the world is prettier than a blooming, blushing girl of seventeen? One with the roses fresh in her cheeks, innozence in her heer and purity encircling her like a halo of ivht. ‘Stay here a little while, and perhaps I will tell you, that is if you will be very good,” she said, smilingly. a Essie, do you know that I think father made a great mistake in not letting you and L know each other before this visit?’ said Oswald, gravely. ** Why so?” “Well, we might have been better acquainted —have liked each other ever so much better.” Essie stole a shy glance at Oswald’s face, and being caught In the movement blushed to the temples. ‘Why, E's, what are you blushing for?” and Oswald took one of her little white hands in his. The hand did not resist, but remained motionless, Essie’s eyes were cast upon the ground, shyly. ‘You don’t answer my question?” ‘*T can’t tell,” Essie murmured, ‘* Wssie,” continued Oswald, taking advan- tage of the hand's capitulation and passing his arim gently around the waist of the unresisting rirl—and few girls resist these proofs of love 1 the man—“ I am saying something to you now with my eyes; something that I wish to say with my tongue, but I find that it’s dvead- ful difficult. Can you guess what I am say- ing?’ Yasie stole a single shy look under her eye- lashes, then demurely cast her eyes to the ground again. ‘* issie, you don’t answer.” “What do you want me to say?’ she asked, softly. : ‘Why, yes or no,” he answered. ‘Oh! then jt doesn’t make any difference which I say?’ she said, with a faint smile. ‘Now, don’t joke, Hssie,” said Oswald, just a little reproachfully; ‘ Can’t you guess what I’m trying to say to you with my eyes?” ‘I'm not good at guessing,” said the girl, archly. “‘T see you wish me to speak then?” “Why, of course. You wouldn’t be good company if you didn’t talk.” Wssie, with the natural coquetry of woman, was avoiding the subject. ‘“ Essie!” exclaimed Oswald, abruptly, ‘‘ have you ever been in love?” “Why, what a strange question,” answered Essie, stealing another shy glance at Oswald’s earnest face. es you answer it?’ said Oswald, earn- estly. Why, how can I? Perhaps I do not really Imow whether I have ever loved any one or +? now. The answer was decidedly unsatisfactory to he anxious lover. “ Fave you ever told any one that you loved them?’ ‘Oh, yes!” quickly exclaimed Essie. ‘‘ Oh! so many people; my schoolmates, my teacher, your father, and—”" é ‘Oh, nonsense, Essie!” impatiently cried Os- wald; ‘you are evading the question ; you know that I don’t mean that sort of love.’ The smile upon the lips of the girl told that she knew well enough what he did mean. “What do you mean, then?” sie asked, look- ing full in his face with the great, truthful blue eyes. . ‘Another kind of love; the love that Romeo felt for Juliet. You remember the play?” “Yes,” answered Essie, softly, casting down her eyes before the ardent gaze of her lover. “Have you ever felt that love?’ and Os- SS SSS $2 ~ rT? “Src s << eS oS + _——< ar eS ERE ee NR ne Se tenn el Se Se em ee re ees Beadle’s Dime Library. wald’s heart beat quickly as he waited for the answer. *Didn’t Romeo tell Juliet that he loved her before she answered the question?’ asked Essie. oh Then, like Romeo, Pll speak. Essie, I love ou! Oswald felt the little hand tremble in his, he saw the golden lashes sweep the white cheek, as Essie shyly avoided his impassioned glance. ‘‘ Essie,” he said, after a pause, finding that she did not answer, ‘‘ don’t -you think that you can love mea little?” ‘We have known each other such a little while,” she murmured, slowly. ‘‘Long enough for me to learn to love you with my whole heart,” he said, quickly, ‘* Essie, I feel sure that I couldn’t know you any bet- ter than I do now, if we were to be together ten years. Ihave never loved any girl in my life till Lsaw you. Essie, won’t you love me a little?” ‘*But, Oswald, I am only-a Epos orphan de- pendent upon your father, have no claim upon him, except that lam a distant relative; yet he has been like a parent to me. I have no relation in the world that I know of, but Mr. Tremaine. Ever since | was an infant he has taken care of me; and it is not very often in this world that rich people help their poor kin- dred. What would your father say then, if I allowed myself to fall in love with you? Would he like to have his only son marry a poor girl?” Essie spoke earnestly, looking into her lover’s face with an expression of sadness upon her pretty features. ‘‘My father is a sensible man,” Oswald an- swered, ‘His wealth is not the sudden. result of accident, but he was born toit. It has not turned his head as it does the heads of those that have fortune suddenly thrust upon them. He will not think one whit the worse of you because he knows that you are penniless, Lssie, father loves you—he has proved that—loves you like a daughter. Do you think that he will be un- willing to accept you from my hand as one? Do you not think that he will be glad to have me give him such a daughter?” The fortress makes buta Poo defense that has treachery within its citadel, and the heart does not require much persuading that is already prepared to yield. Essie loved Oswald Tremaine—loved him with all the strength and deepness of a girl’s first love—and to be his wife would be the crowning joy of her young life. ‘‘Wssie, can you love me—will you be my wife?’ QOswald’s voice was deep and earnest, as he put the momentous question, the answer of which would sway all his future life. ‘‘ Oswald, I—” and Essie’s hand trembled in the warm grasp of the young man. ‘‘ Well—do you love me?” ‘“Yos,” and Essie hid her face, shyly, on the breast of her lover Oswald’s cup of happiness was full to over- flowing. He looked with tenderness down upon the little golden head pillowed upon his breast. Caressingly he passed his hand over the fair curls. ‘‘ Wssie, darling,” he said, gently, “one lit- tle kiss.” Slowly and shyly he raised her head. The lips of the lovers met in a long, lingering kiss. Then the door suddenly opened, and there, in the entrance, stood Loyal Tremaine, overwhelined with astonishment and dismay. CHAPTER XIV. FATHER AND SON, Loyal TREMAINE was thunderstruck at the discovery he had made; for the peculiar posi- tion in which he had discovered Oswald and Essie left no doubt whatever in his mind that the two were lovers. The very event that he had feared had occurred. He had only himself to blame for his own carelessness in bringing the two together. Essie started up with a slight scream when she beheld Tremaine, while ‘Oswald rose and faced his father calmly. He was not ashamed of his love for Essie tee ‘“‘Wssie, my dear, will you leave the room for a few minutes? I have something to say to Oswald.” ° | The tone of Tremaine was kind and gentle; there was not the least trace of harshness in it. With cheeks covered with blushes, Essie hastened from the room, glad to escape to the solitude of her own apartment, and there re- flect. upon the events of the past hour—there to wonder if Oswald loved her as well as she loved him, and if her uncle would ever give his con-’ sent to her marriage with his son. It is well that we cannot read the future somnetimes; for if Mssie Troy could have looked forward into her future, she would have seen a dark cloud hanging like a ‘sable pall over her young life; she would have seen a gulf between her and her lover—a gulf so wide that even her pure and ardent love would fail to bridge it— a gulf as deep as the despair which was soon to come upon her young being. Ah, Essie, enjoy the present, for the future for you is black indeed! — Tremaine, after Essie’s flight, entered the sarlor and closed the door carefully behind m. Oswald noticed that his father’s face showed no signs of anger—it was pale, quite pale, and a sorrowful look was upon it. Tremaine paced up and down the parlor for a few minutes, as if in deep thought. Oswald waited for his father to speak, with impatience. At last Tremaine paused before his son. ‘*Oswald,” he said, and he spoke kindly, without a trace of anger in his voice, ‘‘ what was the meaning of that position that I found you in with Miss Troy?” ‘‘Tt can only have one meaning, father,’ an- swered Oswald, frankly. ‘** And that is?’ ‘*‘T love Miss Troy.” Although he had expected the answer, yet Tremaine started as though he had been smit- ten with sudden pain. ‘‘Oh, Heaven!” he murmured to himself, ‘‘I feared this!” Oswald gazed upon his father’s emotion in astonishment. He could not understand why the confession of his love for Essie Troy should com hah this agitation in the breast of his pa- rent. “You love her, Oswald?’ questioned Tre- maine, as if unable to believe the evidence of his own senses. ‘* Yes, sir, I love her.” “Oh, no!” cried Tremaine, violently agitated, ‘‘it is impossible!” Oswald stared, at these strange words. ‘* No, sir, it is not impossible,” he replied; ‘‘it is the truth.” ‘¢ You forget—she is a penniless girl!” cried Tremaine, Bad argument for the father to use. He had forgotten his own youth; he had forgotten that he had once loved a girl who was uot only pen- niless but legally another’s. Poverty is a bad argument to hurl at the head of a young and anxious lover. *‘Y love Essie for herself, father,” replied Oswald. ‘I should not love her any better if she were worth a million; I should not love her less than I do now, if she were poorer than she is. ‘‘Oswald, this is folly!” cried Tremaine, ex- citedly. Another bad argument; the young do not like to be told that they are acting foolishly. Oswald bit his lip, but replied not to his fa- ther’s speech. “Oswald, you will forget this girl?’ and Tre- maine looked pleadingly into his son’s face, ‘‘ Father, Ican not,” quietly replied the young man. ‘* T tell you that she is no match for you!” ‘** Because she is poor?” ‘* Ye—yes,” Tremaine answered, with some hesitation. ‘Then I will make her a fit match by giving her some of my wealth!” ‘‘ Why, Oswald, you forget all you have in the world comes from me.” ‘No, father,” replied Oswald, firmly, ‘‘ my health, aprengyD and brain are my own. Ido not fear but that I can hold my own in the world. Heaven willing, I can support Essie with the work of my two hands. Father, I do not ask one single penny of your money; only give me ton consent to my marriage, and VU go out into the world with a light heart, and battle cheerfully for myself and mine, Oswald’s nature had the ring of the right metal, and Tremaine could not help feelin sroud, as he looked upon the handsome face o is son, and listened to his respectful but man- ly words. ‘*Oswald, be warned, You know well enough that I have never grudged you any thing in this world. have been any thing but a stern father, and now I ask you, in return, to give me one favor—mind, I do not demand it; I simply ask it.” Tremaine’s voice was full of entreaty, ** And that favor is?” = s That you will give up all thoughts of Essie roy. ‘* Wather,” answered Oswald, “ the favor you ask I can not give you. It is impossible.” ‘* [mpossible !” ‘‘ Ves; in the first place, I love Essie too well to resign her, and even if I could control my feelings and yield to your request, I am in honor bound not to do so,” ‘Bound! How?’ asked Tremaine, in amaze- ment. ; ‘‘T have asked Essie to be my wife,” Oswald answered, . f hand she consented?” asked Tremaine, in agitation. wy sir.” “On, I had no idea that it had gone as far as this,” murmured Tremaine, slowly, in an un- dertone. Oswald did not hear the words. “So you see, father, it is impossible for me to retreat in honor, even if I wished to do so, which, father, I do not. I love Essie; she loves me; her own lips have told me so, and why should I resign my happiness?” ** There is a reason, my son.” Ebooks Cc (0) : (co) im