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Show I The Bow of Orange Rjfoboa f J A ROMANCE OF NEW YORJC I By AMELIA E. BAR.R. I Author of "rrl.nd OIIvlv. Thou and th. Olh.r 0.,- Etc. t J Oopyrtfjht, 1888, by DoJd, Mead and Company. I TTTTTTTTTTtttTT CHAPTER I. (Continued.) On a loungo an ologantly dressed woman was Bitting, reading a notol "La, child!" she cried, "come hero and ivo mo a kiss. So you wear that awoot-fancled suit again. I8 that the Dutch stylo, then, child? It must bo oxtrenioly charming. La, horo cotnos Richard! Ho Is going to ask you to tako a sail on the river; and I shall lend you my new green parasol. I do boliovo it la the only one In the country." coun-try." "I came to alt with you, and work with my worsteds. Perhaps my mother moth-er might not like mo to go on the rlrcr with any one." But Katherine had no time to defend de-fend herself: for, with his cavalry cap In his hand and a low bow, Capt. Ilydo entered the room. In a row minutes afterward she was going Idown tho terrace steps with him; and ho was looking Into hor faco with Bhln-ing Bhln-ing oyes, and whispering tho common-eat common-eat words in such an enchanting manner man-ner that It seemed to her as If hor feet scarcely touched tho low, white stops, and sho was some sort of glorified Kathorino Van Hcemsklrk, who nover, nevor, never could bo unhappy again. They did not go on tho river. Capt. Ilydo did not want a third party near, In any capacity. The lower stops were shaded by great water beeches, and tho turf under thorn was green and warm. A sweeter hour, a lovoller moid, man could never hope to find; and Capt. Hydo was not one to neglect liia opportunity. "Let us stay hero, my bolored," he whispered. "I have somothlng sweet to tell you. Upon mine honor, I can keep my secret no longer." The Innocent child! Who could blamo her for listening to ItT at first with a Uttlo fear and a littlo reluctance, reluct-ance, but gradually resigning hor wholo heart to the charm of his soft tyllablcs and his fervent manner, until un-til sho gave him the promlso bo begged for lovo that was to bo for him alone, lovo for him alono among all tho sons of men. What an enchanted afternoon it was! how all too quickly It fled away, one golden moment after another! . Iji a fow minutes Joanna and tho f.. mmmimu eidor camo in no had called for hor mi en his way homo; for ho liked tho B'f society of the young and beautiful, and B 1 thoro wero many hours in which ho BJ thought Joanna fairer than hor sister. I Then tea was sorved In a pretty parlor Bry with Turkish walls and colored win- Big dowB, which, being open Into tho gar- Bil den, framed lovely living pictures of Bw blossoming trees. Every one was eat- Bl (ng and drinking, laughing and talk- B(l big; so Katherlne's unusual silence HI was unnotlcod, except by tho oldor, H who Indeed saw and heard everything, IS and who knew what ho did not boo H and hear by that kind of prcsclcnco j to which wise and obsorvant yoars at- B Joanna was talking to Nell Seraplo B In tho recess of a window; but Nell's B faco was whlto with suppressed anger, B and, though ho seomod to bo UstonIng B to her, his eyes full of passion wero Bi fixed upon Hydo. Perhaps tho young B soldlor was conscious of It; for ho oc- B casionally addrossed soma trivial re- B mark to him, as if to provont Nell B losing sight of tho advantages he had fl over him. B "Tho vera air o' this room Is gun- B powdery," thought tho elder; "and ano B or tho other will be flinging a spark o' pasBlon Into It ,and then tho dell will bo to pay. I'll o'en tak' the lassos hamo mysel'; and I'll speak to Jorls I for his daughter as good now as any I other tlmo." I Then ho said In his blandest tones, "Joanna, my dearie, you'll hao to tell Noll tho rest o' your talo tho morn; and, Kathorino, put awa' now that bit o' busy idleness, and don your hoods and mantles, balth o' you. I'm going to tu' you hnme, and I dinna want to got my dcatho wl' tho rlvor mist." "Pray, sir," said Hydo, "consider mo i at your sorvice. I have occasion to go into town at onco, and will do your duty to tho young ladles with Infinite ploasuro." "Much obliged, captain, vera much obliged; but it talc's an auld wise- I headed, wise-hearted man llko mysel' to walk safely atween two bonnlo lassos.' Whllo ho was speaking, Noll left tho room. Ho was glad to escape from a position which ho felt to bo both painful pain-ful and humiliating. Ho was in a measure Cnpt. Hyde's host, and subject sub-ject to traditions rogarding tho duties du-ties of that character; any display of angor would bo derogatory to him, and yot how difficult was restraint! 80 his father's Intcrfcronco was a wolcomo ono; and ho was reconciled to his own disappointment, whon, Jooklng back ho say tho old gentleman slowly taking tho road to Van Hooms-kirk's, Hooms-kirk's, with tho protty girls in their quilted red hoods, ono on each sldo of him. Tho elder was very polite to his charges; but ho noticed that Kathorino Kathor-ino was Bllent and disappointed, and that sho lingered In her own room after her arrival at homo. Hor subsequent subse-quent protty cheorfulnoss, hor delight in hor lilies, her confiding claims upon hor father's love nothing in theso things doceived him. He saw benoath all tho fluttering young heart, trembling, trem-bling, and yet happy In the new, sweet feeling, nevor felt beforo, which had como to It that afternoon. But he thought most girls had to have this initiative; it prepared tho way for a aoborer and moro lasting affection. In tho ond Katherine would porcolvo how Imprudent, how impossible impos-sible a marriage with Capt. Hyde must be; and her heart would turn back to Nell, who had been her lover from boyhood. Yet, ho roflectcd, It would bo well to havo tho mattor understood, under-stood, and to glvo it that "possibility" which is best attained on a monoy basis. So, whllo ho and tho Van Hecms-klrkB Hecms-klrkB discussed tho matter a littlo reluctantly, ho thought, on tholr part Katherine talked with Joanna of tho Gordons. Joanna had not a suspicion of tho Joy and, danger that had como to tho dear Uttlo ono at her side. She was laughing softly with her, even while tho fearful father stood at tho closod door, and lifted up his tender soul in that pathetic petition, "Ach, mljn kind! mljn kind! mijn llofste kind! Almighty God preserve thee from all sin and sorrow!" CHAPTER II. Oranje Boven. "Well, well, to-day goes to Its foro-fathere, foro-fathere, llko all the rest; and, as for what comes after It, everything la in tho love and counsel of tho Almighty One." This was Jorls Van Heomsklrk'a last thought ero ho fell asleep that night, after Elder Semple's cautious disclosure disclo-sure and proposition. In hlB calm, methodical, domestic life, It had be'on an "eventful day." Wo say tho words often and unroflectlngly; seldom pausing paus-ing to consider that such days aro the results which months, years, perchance per-chance centuries, havo made possible. Thus, a long courso of reckless living and reckless gambling, and tho consequent conse-quent urgent need of ready money, had mado Capt. Hydo turn his thoughts to the protty daughter of tho rich Dutch merchant. "She Is a homespun Uttlo thing," laughed tho colonel'B fashlonablo wife, "and quite unfit to go among people of our condition. But sho adores you, Dick; and sho will bo passably happy with a houso to manage, and a visit from you when you can spare tho time." it was in this mood that Kathorino and her probablo fortuno had boon discussed; dis-cussed; nnd thus she was but ono of tho ovonts, springing from lives anterior an-terior to her own and very different from it. Also, in her fathor's case, tho motives mo-tives influencing his decision stretched backward through many generations. Nono tho less was their Influence potent po-tent to move him. In fact, ho forgot entlroly to roflect how a marrlago between be-tween his child and Capt. Hydo would bo regardod at that day; his first thoughts had been procisoly such thoughts as would havo occurred to a Van Heomsklrk, living two hundred years beforo him. Jorls' ago was not an ago Inclined to analysis, and ho wns still less Inclined In-clined to it from a personal standpoint. stand-point. For ho was a man of fow, but positivo ideas; yot theso Ideas, having onco commended themselves to his faith or his Intelligence, woro embraced em-braced with all his soul. Semple's communication regarding Capt. Hydo and his daughter had aroused In him certain feelings, and led him to cor-taln cor-taln decisions. Ho wont to sloop, satisfied sat-isfied with their propriety and Justice Ho awoko In procisoly tho samo mood. Then ho dressed and wont Into his garden. It was customary for Kath-erlno Kath-erlno to Join him thoro; and ho fro-quontly fro-quontly turned, as ho went down tho path, to see If sho wero coming. But this morning she did not come. Ho walked nlono to his lily bed; but his faco brightened when ho heard her calling him to breakfast and vory soon ho saw hor leaning over tho hair-door, hair-door, shading hor eyes with both hands, tho bettor to watch his approach. ap-proach. Lysbot was already In hor place; so was Joanna, and also Bram. Jorls and Bram dlscussod tho business off the fay; Kathorino waa full of her visit to Soraplo houco the preceding ovoning. DInorah was no rostralnt. Tho slaves Jorls. owned, uke UlOH0 Q, Abraham, woro born or brought up in his own household,' And'' yot. this morning, Jorls wnltod until Lysbot dfsmlsBod her handmaid, beforo ho said tho wordB ho had determined de-termined to speak ore ho began tho work of tho day. Then he put down his cup with an emphasis which mado all oyes turn to him, and said; "Katryntjo, my daughter, call not to-day, nor call not any day, until I toll you different, nt Madame Sera-plo's. Sera-plo's. Tho people who go and como there, I llko them not. They will bo no good to you LyBbot, what say you In this matter?" "What you say, I say, Jorls. Tho father Is to bo oboyed. When he will not, tho childron can not,' Katherlno had drawn her chair close to hor father's and taken his big hand between her own and was Btroklng and petting It; then aa Bhe answered sho loaned hor head upon his breast "Father, I like to see tho English lady; and she Is teaching me the new Btltch." "Schoone Lammotjo! Thoro aro many other thlngB far better for theo to learn. In these things the best of all good tcachors is thy mother.' "I can do theso things also, father. Tho lady lovos mo and will be unhappy not to seo me." "Then, let her como hero and seo thoo. That will bo tho proper thing. Why not? Always honor thysolf, as well as others. That is tho Dutch way; that Is tho right way. Mind what I toll theo." HIb volco had gradually grown sterner, and ho gently withdrew his hand from her clasp, and rose as a man pressed with affairs. When ho had left the room Lysbot instantly began to order tho wantB of tho houso. Katherlno still sat at the tablo; her oyes woro cast down, and sho was arranging without a con-sciousness con-sciousness of doing so her bread crumbs upon her Delft plate. Roused from her revery sho comprehended in a moment how declsivo her fathor's ordors woro intended to be. Yet in this matter sho was 00 deeply interested inter-ested that she instinctively mado an appeal against them. "Mother, my mother, shall I not go onco moro to seo Madam Gordon? So kind aho has been to mo! Sho will say I am ungrateful, that I am rudo, and know not good mannors. Yes, mother, I mny 'go once. A young girl does not llko to be thought ungrateful and rudo." "Moro than that, Katherlno; a. Toung girl should not llko toVsobey Va gooe father. You m,uu,Sf$o fooMaston ishod and sorry. Hortvia tho Key ol tho beat parlor; go now and wash carefully tho flno china-ware." So Lysbot turned and left tho room. Sho did not notice tho rebellious looh on hor daughter's face, tho lowering brows, tho resentment In tho glanco that followed hor, tho lips firmly sot to tho mental purpose. "To seo her lover at all risks" that waB tho purpose; pur-pose; but how best to accomplish It was not clear to her. Sho lifted tho key given hor and wont to tho parlor. It was a largo, low room, with wainscoted walls, and a big tiled fireplace noarly filling it. The blinds wore closed, but there was enough light to roeal its quaint and almost foreign character. Tho oval tables wero full cf curious bits of china, dainty oriental wicker-work, ox-qulslto ox-qulslto shells on lacquered trays, wonderfully won-derfully wrought wrkboxes and fans and amulets. As aho movod about among tho strange carvon toys and beautiful ornament), sho couold think only of him of lis stately manner and dark, handsoae face. Sio recalled re-called every word ho said to her as thoy sat under tie water beeches. More vividly still se recalled tho ten-dor ten-dor light In his tfos, tho lingering clasp of his hand, Is low, porsuaslvo volco, and that naieless charm of fashion and culturewhlch perhaps impressed im-pressed her moro tun any othor thing. Among tho artlcis sho had to dust was a square Indlaibox with drawers. It had always boertalled "the writing box," and it was prtly filled with paper pa-per and other moerials for letter-writing. letter-writing. Sho stoo beforo tho open lid thoughtfully, cd a sudden overwhelming over-whelming deslro t send somo mes-sago mes-sago of apology tcMrs. Gordon camo Into her honrt, SB could wrlto protty well and she had en hor mother and Joanna fold and ral letters; and, although al-though sho was ttally lnoxperionced In tho matter, sholeterminod to make tho offort. All difficulties rere overcome, ono by ono; ind the following noto In-truated In-truated ttho car of DIedrlch Becker, tho old wan who forked In tho garden and mM:od tho ciwi: "Tollstress Cil. Gordon 'Honored Molam: My father for-bldathat for-bldathat I como 0 tee you. Ho thinks yoyahould upon ty mother call. That yqf will Judge m to bo rudo and ungrateful, un-grateful, I fear ery much. But that y not true. I to happy, Indood. I jlhlnkall tho day of you. "Your oboclent sorvant, "Katherit Van Heemakirk." (To bo continued.) |