Audrey's Recompense.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 134, 26 December 1885, Page 3

Audrey's Recompense.

BY MRS GBOTOfE SHELDON,

] iuaior, of :to jSfcKUMS* \ sak^n 3rid,e, /'Stella Roaevett," "The i. ' • LUy.bi''Mojjda\int,^etOk . „

A' DREADFUL ALTERNATIVE. ' ; ( <, iitf spite of all Arthur*? care, Miss. Montrose took a severe cotd an& a serious' illness 1 ,fbllowed the exposure and excitement ooff f tfheir adventure on the island. For more than a week' she lay- in a raging fever and was quite delirious. ' ' -< >. Those who attended her never forgot that illness, nor the secrets which she revealed during her wanderings, for any one 'who listened to her, for but an Hour, wb"uld have learned how tenderly and devotedly she had grown to love Arthur Halstead'. . Mrs Halßtead shared the anxious > mother's vigils, and was often moved to tears by the wild, passionate words in whioh the beautiful sufferer rsvaaled hep affection, for her sen. ' ' •'''' ,y" " I'/ When she told her husbanct, he replied^' though somewhat nervdusiy :'• •' *" » (< Well,- well, as <sooii as she gets better it will be all right ; there will doubtless be an engagement and we can announce it to> our friends, though for that matter .everybody is talking about it now as if it were a settled fact." •" • , '•> One morning, after the fever turned and Ida was pronounced much better, Mr Halstead sent word to- his son to come to him in his private parlor. " Well, Arthur, Miss Montrose is pronounced out of danger this morning," he said,- as the young man . entered, and determined to find out his intentions without further delay. "I am really glad to hear' it* father : I . trust she will- soon be quite well again," the young man returned, in all sincerity, but not at all as an anxious, eager lover would have spoken. "Of course we are all glad; but I supposed you would be more rejoiced than anyone else," replied Mr Halstead. " How so?" Arthur queried, though a hot flush arose to his cheek as he said it. " Why, everybody believes you are as good as engaged to Ida, and it is but natural to suppose that a lover would feel no small degree . of anxiety over such a severe illness as 'she has passed through, and be proportionately elated when learning thatall danger is passed." " Father, I am not Miss Montrose's lover," Arthur answered abruptly and decidedly t " What ! Do you mean to tell ms, after having followed her about for weeks like a pet dog, that you have no serious intentions regarding her ?" cried Mr Kalstead* with some % warmth. r " The force of circumstances, and nothing else, sir, has" tKrown (me continually into Miss Montrose's society— Has, in fact, compelled me to act as her. escort on aU ocoaaions. I have felt from the first t)hat it was placing me in a false position, and I should have been glad if it could have been otherwise j but I could not refuse to accom-pany-her upon on r excursions without appearing rude s and ungracious. You knowhow the others h?ve paired off/ leaving me" no choice in the matter. . I regard her very highly— shall always <esteem Tier a valued friend ; but I have not given a thought to any nearer relation than that." '• Well I must say lam astonished. Why, the girl loves you to distraction." " How do you know that, sir ?" demanded Arthus, growing pale at the intelligence. " She has been raving about you ever since she has been taken ill." • if lam very sorry," said the young man, sadly, "for I do not, cannot, return her affection." " Pooh, pooh ! Arthur ; most fellows would jump at the chance you have had to win a beautiful girl like Ida Montrose, not to mention her handsome fortune." if Perhaps ; I only regret that' some one who would have esteemed it such a privilege, couid not have had my opportunity," . returned the young man, stung to the sarcasm by - the false, uncomfortable' position in which he found himself. "Nonsense. Arthur. Do be reasonable. I had set my heart on this match ; so has •Mr-Montrose '; and ii will be a bitter .disappointment to us both if- you are obstinate. V "Father, lam not obstinate. I love another. lam as good as engaged to a Miss Waldamar, whom I recently met in New York," the young man confessed, in a repressed tone, though his colour came and went, and his eyes glowed in a way which betrayed he was no tame lover in this instance. "Zounds!" cried his father; aghast at this announcement. "You don't mean it! What Miss Waldemar?" "Miss Audrey Waldemar, daughter of Hon. Dudley Waldemar. They are now traveling, or were. I heard from them only yesterday. They have been' detained in Chicago for several- weeks by the illness of Mrs Waldemar." - . • ' ' " I know them. So I sits the wind in that quarter?" muttered Mr Richard Halstead, looking very grave." "They're of good blood, fine family— unexceptionable ; but, I Bay, Art, it won't do !" he concluded sternly, "I do 'not understand you, sir." t . ! "Well, then, to be plain, you£re bound to marry Miss Montrose in spite of all. I wish, for your sake, that I had known of 1 your penchant for Miss Waldemar in the' beginning for I could .have helped you to steer clear of this bad fix ; but " r "Do you mean to tell me that I must' marry Miss Montrose whether I will or not?" interrupted Arthur, the indignant blood dyeing his whole 'face. "Can't you [see for yourself,' Art, that you have compromised her in the eyes of everybody? , Why,' it is common- talk that> you are going to marry her, and the people, have been expecting ■the announcement of your engagement for sometime— they will certainly look for- it as, soon, as Ida. is able to be.abo.ut again, after what" happened last week." „ .. •• i " But 1, -have never spoken ,one, word, of love to, her ; I have treated her only as ,any ; friend or brother might have done. " I- don't know- aboUt'thati" retorted his father. "You have ridden and < walked,, danqed and bpafed with her^; you, have been in her' society almost constantly ; and I. doubt if tKe public- wbuld; consider you as disinterested as you affirm yourself, to " I could npt help it, I v telt, you*. It.has a]l been forced t uponj me, find I < will qpt.be compelled to marry any wwn£n,;against,my, "But aon't you see -.can't you undbry stand , how 'ypu^hayje 1 Hep ?'.' demanded Mr ( Halstead/ r imp*aHently,,' J j *J.No, Ijoo^not^see; Lh|ve oonductedj myself toward her only as an honorable, man should^opnductihimself tofrarcts'c.any lady,"t, responded*, the- young man, with, dignity. </. f ;.,.;j,, > - &»;! ;-.m>,->

riot be iw tiJtt«^l|ptji(dbiu^i &b\oTO«ifoiBey; Bat^oonfounditilllxit^^terribl^lmMdl^t husband; all thft't.h'ag > pashedf will bfeiooked upon ■as 'all riglit; otherwise ! there? will fojlowla iscahdar.w^kjhimust -prdyefa. great injury, to her ? n ; said his father; -greatly; disturbed.^,;!":? s^o'iit n>l< :^J >Lth "u y ',i'' fi And wha*,- of J^myi relations Ito> Misß; Waldemar ?^< flow, fs it about oomproraisingt my own name and honor in her; estimation; ahdthatof'herfriende?" demanded Arthur, at^riily^ .• i " - c t< < • •i1»/'j <• ■- .*-i I• 1 ?.* Hangs jfc, my, boy ) I am, really soriy-jv ,but man 'can stand such things betterith'an^ a ( woman— — " c■ - ■ >sr "- " " Audrey Waldemar is a woman," interrupted : tho i young , lover, , hotly-; " a lovelier brie you cannot find, go ihe world lOve'rV 'Wtiaf'dq. y'bul suppdsfe the Hon.y Dudley .Waldemar- jWOjUld say/about my ' compromising ' her^ri^way vfhicK'would appear most dishonorable^ ' *')But, according to jrour; own story, y oii d(d , not ( kno^, thejgir.l more .than threfo weeks any t4 wav jjjoa nere you have. bee. ri ; , dancing atta'riaanc© ypon 1 Ida' Montrose for almost as many months, and everybody, in' this place, at least, things you are going to marry her, not to mention her own father anfl brothers." ' ."I tell you, sir, that idea cannot be enter* tamed by, me for,a jmopaent... l,, am, pledged.. fco.Miss Waldemar.' and I n afiall be true to - that pledge, " said Arthur/firmly . ' .„ MrHalstea^l flashed, hotjy. ? v < , -• He .had always demanded implioit obedi,, ence from' his ohi,ldrpn ; Jtjis word Jt^ad. ever been law in his household during their youthful days, and since they had reached' -the years of .maturity} the law of respecfc and mutual love had restrained them -{from, all disagreement and unpleasantness. It was, therefore*, a new- departure, which both startled and -{angered the., father, to, havo hiSjSon assert so firmly and/ independently a determination to go contrary] to his wishes and plans.' ' ; , ",Then ypu will do so. at the' expense, of your relations with me. Ifo son of mine shall conduct Himself as you have gone during the past two or three months, and then turn his back upon the mischief Ayhjch he has wrought with impunity," be said, in a low, determined voice; , "Father," began Arthur, and he was very pale. "I will not argue the matter further with you," the elder gentleman 1 interupted, in a peremptory tone. -*'You can make up your mind||to propose at once for the hand of Ida Mbntrosein an honourable, manly fashion, or you can take yountelf out out of my sight and consider yourself honceforthsmn alien from your home. I will, not countenance a son of mine in playing 'fast and loose ' witti the daughter of my dearest friend, who, I know, would feel that he had been irreparably wronged through his idolized child. As for Miss Waldemar, I acknowledge it will, be rather hard on her, as'weli as on you, and; I wish for yourjsake it. would be different ( but not half the mischief could result in breaking witE her that there would in thd dasertion of Ida*, for you were in a crowded, city, coming - and .going with . different people all. the time, while you cay tha6 your relations with" her were known only to yourselves and her parents. I will give you just one week in which to decide this matter," and with these words Mr Halstead, senior, walked with an air of stern dignity from, the room. , ' Arthur gazed after him with a perfectly blank expression. His father's command had fallen like a thunderbolt upon him. . • •■ ' . To be charged with having done beautiful Ida Montrose ah irreparable injuryr-or at least irreparable except in a way. from which his whole soul revqlted— gave him a shock which osmpletely unmanned him '; while to be told that he must give up the youny girl, whom he idolized and marry a woman whom he did not love, was a most preposterous command. " I will never do it !" ho criod excitedly, his lips quivering, his whole frame trembling ; " my darling is my one love, and I will be true to her as long as I live. I will make all suitable apology to Mr Montrose, if he considers that I have done his daughter- a wrong, but more than this I cannot— will not do." With this resolution. made, something of the pain in his heart subsided, though he well knew that his father's stern decree would be carried out to> the tetter -if he did not accede to 'his demand; while, too, a sense almost of guilt stole over him as he thought of what Ida Montrose would suffer if she really entertained the feelings attributed to her by Mr Halstead. -As he reviewed the few past weeks he could not fail to see how she might have njisinterpreted his. attentions to her, even though he had spoken no word of love to mislead her. It was ■in vain he' told himself that he could be guilty of no. greater aot of dishonour than to break hiß troth with Audrey and, for the cake of appearances, marr? another — one, too, who had' no power to kindle a sentiment deeper than that of "mere friendship' within his bosom, The words and threat of his father -pursued and haunted him continually, while it seemed as if he had fallen all' at once under a ban, for a certain constraint appeared to have suddennly taken possession of every one about him. T ■ He was sure that Mr Montrose avoided him, or, when obliged to meet him, that there. was a coldness and dignity in, his. manger entirely unusual, while he imagined ■that the rest of j fch"eir -'itnmediate party regarded him with \'»- sort of reproachful in-; quiry and curiqsity. , .• *"> \ AlLthat day he bore it, and part of tb,& :iiext also ; his father scarcely addressed htm 1 or noticed him in, any way then he grswdesperate. , "'•'s' '"' , " I will end this," h&said to himself, with 1 a sort of savage resojnfcip.n.., •« I wJU-lgo to' Mr Walderaar and my ' dear love ; I will •make' a clean»'vbveast <.of4his disagreeable, business, .and b.eg. jbhem to allow our engage-, ment tp be announced at once. , That wjll settle-all this, trouble., forever. Then, my father's decree of b&nishmeut taking) effect — && it will,, for he' never yet broke his word ,, — I will put my shoulder jto Fortune's wheel and .wait, with'what patience I can, until she rewards my labours and puts me in 'a 1 position* to oliam my, boripy bride." , Haying arrived atthis decision, he hastily packed his portmanteau, and telling his mother that.he should be* away for a .week' or so on a matter of business, he departed' Without! taking le?ve of, any one else,,, arid, w^B soon flyings over the.ioojantry towards that great Western ,,oity^ where the, Waldemar's wer/9tstill .de.tairiedi waiting , for.-Mw [Waldemar, , ,who r was convalescing, to regain strength- to reauri^her journey, " \ -.[] _, «• - ftp. 'u:dp^liwno,)^ ' ■ * .-V

The* Marquissofrßute/ has. just finished; |inptb.er palace,: be .j known aSv'Bute' Castle, and described as itx> every way beau- v tiful; a -fyjs b ', .fi.h vjw^j <> -f,|?,-u^i . A man (offß.rittnß wick st,a^ed,ott his bTidal, tour, .and n dfeQO,vere,d wj^a^lie ..oonduotori t oame f around; that jh,e) b&fy puroh^aedfitfniy^ one-j;icket,Tf^e /fiai^isibi^gljad, *just^pri>-i nounced l th6in t M,on J e,''xbutino ( 'railrpa"ivlPt% .any» 3 suq^f t^utho|i,ty. JnH.bontradiotiohJbf' fmatbenjatioajWaots. ,< •» -J^irs »; .' <\~ ft c, I*>