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Show J The Bow of Orange Ribbon I A ROMANCE OF NEW YORK I By AMELIA E. BAR.R. Author of "Friend Olivia." "I, Thou and tho Other One." Etc. 4 Copyright, 1888, by Dodd, Mead and Company. t CHAPTER IV (Continued.) There was something so frank and persuasive about the elegant stranger that Jorls could not refuso the courtesy cour-tesy she asked for hersolf and hor nophow. And, having yielded, ho yielded with entlro truth and conn-denco. conn-denco. Elder Semplo was greatly pleased at his friend's complaisance. Ho gavo Jorls full credit for his victory over his national prejudice, and he did his very' best to make tho concession a pleasant event In this effort he was greatly assisted by Mrs. Gordon. She sot hersolf to charm Van Hoemsklrk, aB alio had set herself to charm Madam Ma-dam Van Heemsklrk on hor provlous visit, and sho succeeded so well, that when "Sir Roger de Covorloy" was callod, Jorls tose, offered her his hand and to tho delight of every one present, pres-ent, led tho danco with her. It was a llttlo triumph for the elder. Indeed, he was so Interested In listening listen-ing to the clevor way In which "tho bonnle woman flattered Van Heemsklrk" Heems-klrk" that ho was quite oblivious of tho gathering wrath In his son's face, find the watchful gloom In Dram's eyes, as tho two men stood together, Jealously observant of Capt. Hyde's attentions to Kathcrlne. Without any words spoken on tho subject, there was an understood compact between them to guard the girl from any private pri-vate conversation with him; and yet two men with hearts full of suspicion and Jealousy were not a match for one man with a heart full of love. In a moment, In tho Interchange of their hands In a dance, Kathorlno clasped tightly a little note, and unobserved hid it behind tho rose at her breast. Tho loving girl thought It no wrong to put It there; she even hoped that Gome kind of blessing or sanction might como through such sacred keeping, keep-ing, and sho wont to sleop whispering to herself: "Happy I am. Mo ho loves; me ho loves; mo only ho loves; mo forever ho loves!" CHAPTER V. .V. ... " " f The Beginning of 8trife. "My dear Dick, 1 am exceedingly concerned to find you In such a tak-' tak-' Ing moping about a Dutch" schoolgirl! school-girl! Pshaw! I had. a much better opinion of you." "I know I lovo her beyond everything, every-thing, and that I am likely so to lovo her all my life." "Upon my word, Dick, lovo may llvo an ago If you don't marry it." 'Xot mo make you understand that ( wish to marry it." "Oh, indeed, sir! Then tho church door stands open. Go in. I supposo tho lady 'will oblige you so far." I "Pray, dear aunt, give mo your ad vice. What is tho first stop to bo taken?" "Go and talk with her fathor. Tho clrl you think worth asking for; but ' It is very necessary for you to know ! what fortune goes with hor beauty." "If her fathor refuses to glvo hor to mo " "That Is not to bo thought of. You come of a noblo race. You are not far from tho heritage of a groat titlo and estate. If you ask for her for- , tune, you offer far above Its cqulva- Ilont, Bir." "Woll, this suspense is intolerable, and not to bo borno. I will go and end it Glvo mo your good wishes." "I shall bo impatient to hear the result." re-sult." At Van Ileomskirk's store Capt. Hyde asked for tho councillor and was taken to his office. "Your servant,, captain. Is there j ny thing I can oblige you in, sir?" Jorls asked the question becauso I tho manner of tho young man struck I him as uneasy and constrained; and 9 ho thought, "Perhaps he has como to I t borrow money." Ho was not, thoro- E ' fore astonished whon Capt Hyde answered : "Sir, you can, indeed, oblige mo, I and that in a matter of tho greatest moment." I "If monoy it be, captain, at onco 1 I may tell you, that I borrow not, and I I lend not." 1 "Sir, it Is not monoy in particu- I lar." "So?" "It is your daughtor, Katherlno." Then Jorls stood up, and looked I steadily at tho suitor. His large, i amlablo faco had become in a mo- I ment hard and stem; and tho light I in his eyes was llko tho cold, sharp light that falls from drawn steel. 1 "My daughter is not for you to I name. Sir, it is a wrong to hor, If 1 you spoak hor namo. Llko to llko, 1 that 1b what I say. Your wife seek, I captain, among your own women. My U daughtor i to another man prom- 1 lsod." I "Look you, councillor, that would be monstrous. Your daughtor loves mo." Joris turned whlto to tho lips. "It Is not tho truth," he answered In a slow, husky voice. "By tho sun in heaven, it is truth! Ask her." "Then a great scoundrol aro you, unfit with honest men to talk. Ho! Yes, your sword pull from its scabbard. scab-bard. Strike. To tho heart, strlko me. Loss wicked would bo tho deed than tho thing you havo dono." There was somothlng very impressive impres-sive in tho angry sorrow of Jorls. Yet Hydo persevered in his solicitation. "Do but hoar me, sir. I havo dono nothing contrary to the custom of pcoplo In my condition, and I assuro you that with all my soul I lovo your daughter. No man con lovo hor better." bet-ter." "What say you? How, then, do I love hor? I who carried her-r-mljn wltto lammotjo In theso arms before yet sho could say to mo, 'Fader!'" His wrath had been steadily growing, and suddenly striking the desk a ponderous pon-derous blow with his closed hand, ho said with an unmistakablo passion, "My daughter you shall not have. God In heaven to himsolf tako hor cro such sorrow como to hor and mo!" "Sir, you aro very uncivil; but to bo plain with you, I am dotcrmlncd to marry your daughter if I can compass tho matter In any way. It is now, then, open war between us; and so, sir, your servant." "Stay. To mo listen. Not ono guilder will I glvo to my daughter, If " "To tho devil with your guilders! Dirty money made in dirty tralllc " "You Ho." "Sir, you tako an Infamous advantage. advan-tage. You know, that, being Kather-lne's Kather-lne's father, I will not challengo you." "Chrlstus!" roared Jorls, "challenge "chal-lenge mo ono hundred times. A fool I would be to answer you. Life my God gavo to me. Well, then, only my God shall from mo tako it. Seo you theso arms and hands? In thorn you will bo as the child of- ono year. Ero beyond my reason you move me, gq!" and ho strode to tho door and flung it open with a passion that mado every ono In the a tore straighten towards tho two men. Whlto with rage, and with his hand upon his sword-hilt, Capt. Hydo stamped his way through the crowded store .to tho dusty street. Then it struck him that ho had not asked tho name of tho man to whom Katherlno was promised. Ho swore at himself for tho omission. Whothor ho know him or not, ho was determlncdi to fight him. Now he must seo Kathorlno Katho-rlno before her father had any opportunity oppor-tunity to glvo any ordors regarding him. In tho meantime Jorls was suffering as only such deep natures can suffer. Capt. Hyde's proposal and his positive posi-tive assertion that Katherlno loved him, had fallen upon tho fathor's heart with tho force of a blow, and the terror of a shock. After Hydo'B departure, ho shut tho door of his ofllco, walked to tho window, and stood there somo minutes, min-utes, clasping and ilnclasplng his largo hands, llko a man full of grief and perplexity. Ere long ho remembered remem-bered his friend Semplo. This trouble trou-ble concerned him also, for Capt Hydo was In a, manner his guest; and, If ho woro informed of tho raar-riago, raar-riago, arranged between Katherlno and Nell Semplo, ho would doubtless feel himself bound In honor to rotlro. Jorls found Somplo and In a few short, strong sentences, put tho case beforo him. "My cortlo! Whon girls aro auld enough for a lover, they aro a match for any gray head. I'm thankfu' man' that I wasna' put In charge o' any o' thorn. I shall hao to speak my mind to NIol, and Ukowlse to Col. Gordon; and you canna put off your duty to your daughtor an hour longer. Dear mo! To think, Jorls, o' a man being be-ing able to sit wl' tho councillors o' tho nation, and yot no match for a lasslo o' sovonteen!" As they walked homoward, tho older talked, and Jorls pondered, not what was said, but the thoughts and purposes pur-poses that woro slowly forming In his own mind. Whon tho evening meal was over Jorls rose, and laying his hand on Kathorlno's shoulder said, "Thoro is somothlng to talk about Sit down, Lysbct; tho door shut close, and listen lis-ten to me." It was Impossible to mistake tho stent purposo on hor husband's faco, and Lysbot sllontly oboyod tho order. "Kathorlno, Katrljntjo, mljn kind, this afternoon thoro comos to tho storo tho young man Capt. Hydo. To thy father ho said many ill words. To him thou shalt never speak again. Thy promiso glvo to mo." Sho sat silent, with dropped eyes, and chcoks as red as, tho pomegranate flower at hor breast. "Mljn kind, speak to me," Weeping bitterly, sho rose and went to hor mother, and laid her head upon Lysbot's shoulder. "Look now, Jorls. Ono must know tho 'why' nnd tho 'wherefore.' What mean you? Whlsh, mljn klndje!" "This I mean, Lysbet. k0 ,noro meetings with tho Englishman will I havo. No lovo secrets will I boar. Danger 1b with them; yes, and sin, too. "Mljn kindjo, listen to me thy father. It is for thy happy life here, It is for thy eternal life, I speak to thee. This man for whom thou nrt weeping Is not good for thee. Mljn besto klnje, do I lovo theo?" "My father!" "Do I lovo theo?" "Yes, yes." "JDost thou, then, lovo mo?" Sho put her arms round his neck, and laid hor cheek ngalnBt his, and kissed him many times. "Wilt thou go away anil leavo mo, and leavo thy mother, In our old ago? Katrljntjo, ray dear, dear child, what for mo, and for thy mother, wilt thou do?" "Thy wish If I can." Then ho told her ol the provision mado for her future Ho reminded hor of Noll's long affection, and added, add-ed, "To-morrow, about thy own house, I will tako tho first step. Near my house it shall bo; and at tho feast of St. Nicholas thou shalt bo married. And monoy, plenty of money, I will givo theo; and all that 1b proper thy mother and theo shall buy. But no more, no moro at all, shalt thou see or speak to that bad man who has so beguiled theo. Wilt thou theso things promiso mo? Mo and thy mother?" "Richard I must, seo onco mote. That Is what I ask.",,.- "Richard I So far Is It? Well, then, I will ns easy mako It as I can. Onco more, and for ono hour, thou may seo him. But I lay it on thee to tell him tho truth, for this and for all other tlmo." "Now may I go? He is anlgh. His boat I hear at tho landing;" and Bho stood up, intent, hastening, with her fair head lifted, and her wet eyes fixed on tho distance. "Well, bo it so. Go." With tho words she slipped from tho room; and Jorls called Baltu to bring him somo hot coals, and began to fill his pipe. As tho Virginia calmed and soothed him, tho sweetness of his nature was at once in the ascendant; and ho said, "Lysbet, como then, and talk with mo about tl?j child." ' Sho turnedtho, UoASn-hor -"press slowly, and stood by 4 with them in hor hand. "What has bcon told theo, Jorls, to-day? And whoihas spoken? Tongues ovll nnd envious, I nm suro of that." "Thou art wrong. Tho young man to mo spoko himself. Ho said, 'I lovo your daughtor. I want to marry her. " "Well, then, ho did no wrong. And as for Katrljntjo, It Is In nature that a young girl should want a lover. It Is In naturo sho should chooso tho ono sho likes best. That is what I say." "Yes, it is in naturo tho child should want this hnndsomo stranger; but with mo thou wilt certainly say, 'Ho Is not fit for thy happiness; ho has not tho true faith, ho gambles, ho fights duels, ho Is a waster, he lives badly, ho will tako theo far from thy own pcoplo and thy own homo." Sho drew close to him, and laid hor arm across his broad snoulders; and ho took his plpo from his lips, and turned his faco to her. "Kind and wlso art thou, my husband; and whnt-over whnt-over Is' thy wish, that is my wish too." "Right am I, and I know I am right And I think that Nell Semplo will bo a very great person. On tho Judgo's bench ho will sit down yet." "A good young man ho may be, but ho Is a very bad lover; that 1b tho truth. If a llttlo less wlso ho could only bo! A young girl likes somo foolish fool-ish talk. Llttlo fond words, vory strong they aro. Thou tbysolf said thom to me." "That is right To Noli I will talk a llttlo. A man must soek a good wlfa with moro heart than ho seeks gold. Yes, yes; hor price abovo rubles Is." At tho very moment Jorls mado this remark, tho older was speaking for him. Nell was walking about tho terrace, and ho Joined him. "You aro stopping in a vera majestic way, Noll; what's In your thoughts, I wonder?" "I havo a speech to mako to-morrow, Bir. My thoughts wore on tho law, which has a certain majesty of Its own." "You'd better ho thinking o' a Bpcoch you ought to mako to-night, if you caro aboot Bavlng yoursol' wl Kathorlno Van Heomskirk. You hao a rival, sir. Capt. Hydo asked Van Heemsklrk for his daughter this afternoon, af-ternoon, and an earldom In prospect Isna a poor bait. Tak a word o ad-vlco ad-vlco now. You aro fond enough to plead for others, go and plead an hour for yoursel.' Certlo! When I was your ago, I was ayo noted for my per-Buadlng per-Buadlng way. Yourfathor, sir, nevor loft a sparo corner for a rival." (To bo continued.) |
