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ishing dressing, she went down and joined
him in the music-room. .
A carriage rolled up to the door, as she
entered, but she paid:no attention to it, as
she passed on to meet her husband. Ie
opened his arms.
“This heart shall be your, resting-place,
in future,” said he, fondly, “and nothing
shall ever change the love I now. bear you,
my wife.”
Jael laid her, head upon his bosom, and
warm, delicious tears sprang to her eyes.
Even as she stood there, a bustle was
heard at the hall-door, and a clear, decided
yoice said,
“ Where is my daughter—Jael Glenn ?”
“T just now saw her enter the music-
room,” replied the voice of the ; matron.
“ Will you be good enough to walk up stairs
till I can speak to her ?”
“Thank you. I prefer to join her, if
you will show me the room,”, was the brief
reply, and steps were heard approaching.
Jael trembled from head to foot.
“Tt is my mother,” said she; “let me go
to her.” rat
Horace Glenn, turned pale and held his
breath. He wound his arm more closely
around her waist. a
“Stand here,” said he,.in a. low, firm
yoice, “your place;is by my side. Upon
my word, I rather like the idea of this meet-
ing.”
At this moment, the door was thrown
open. _Mrs. Glenn Ingraham stepped over
the threshold, but at the sight of the two
who stood there embracing, she started
back in astonishment.
Never, to her dying day, will the matron
forget the tableau ‘then presented to. her
eyes. The huge old room, with its faintly
burning lamp, its shadowy corners, and
dark, heavy turniture—tne slender - form
and pale, terrified and tearful face of Jael,
contrasted with the half-mocking, half-sav-
“age smile that lit up the beautiful counten-
ance of her husband, and last, not least, the
dark, haughty, yet beautiful. woman who
stood there gazing upon them as a de-
throned empress might gaze upon the usurp-
ers of her crown.
Mrs. Glenn Ingraham first recovered her
presence of mind.
“Can I have the pleasure of seeing these
young persons alone?” asked she, turning
courteously to the matron.
The worthy woman, though nearly dying
with curiosity, was overawed by the grand
ways of her guest, and setting down her
light, hurried from the room.
Altha turned the key in the lock, and
sent the heavy curtains sweeping to the
floor, before she spoke. Then turning to
Jael, she said,
“My daughter!”
Jael, would not be restrained longer.
Springing forward, she threw her arms
around her. mother’s neck, and burst into
tears. Altha pressed her lips to the golden
head that laid upon her bosom, and then
raising her eyes, looked steadily at Horace.
He stood leaning against the mantel-
piece, with his arms folded and his head
bent slightly forward. A new expression
was upon his face. Perhaps it was his real
nature that was thus brought out. A sav-
age mirth rioted in his large, blue eyes, the
scornful movement of his thin nostrils, and
the defiant curl of his short, upper lip told
that he was ready to withstand any combat.
For a moment, the memory of a girlish
Dodge's Literary Tuseum,
“ You are the son of your father, at all
events. I congratulate you.”
“T thank you, madam,” replied the boy,
seemingly unmoved. i
Altha’s passionate nature: was stung by
his ease of manner.
“You are like him in every way,” said
she. “Just so he gazed upon me when I
met him for the last time. When he knew
that he had broken my heart, and destroyed
my peace of mind; when he knew that life
had nothing now to offer me—just so he
stood and smiled over the wreck he had
made.”
“T was not aware that you had the honor
of my father’s acquaintance, madam.” |,
Altha was about to reply hotly to this im-
pertinent speech, but one glance at the ma-
licious smile upon his face checked her, and
she only said, drily,
“ Ah! he had the honor of mine, at all
events.”
“My father was a singularly fortunate
man, madam.” .
“As how?” replied Altha, sharply. ‘ For-
tunate because he deceived one woman, and
nearly broke the heart of another? Be-
cause he turned smiles into tears, laughter
into weeping, and then died, haunted on his
death-bed by the remembrance of all the
evil he had done, all the suffering he had
occasioned? . Do you call him fortunate for
this? Horace Glenn, you resemble your
father in features and form, and, for aught
I know, in character. In all probability, if
you admire him, you will do as he did, and
God knows I pity the woman that loves
you!”
Glenn flashed a meaning glance towards
her daughter. She went on,
“Yes, I know what you would say. You
think you have won her heart; and the child
may loye you.now; but depend upon it;
when she leaves this place with me, she will
forget you.”
”
" “May I ask when you expect toreturn?”
said he, with mocking courtesy.
“ To-morrow, sir. I will not leave her
another day where she will be left to your
tender mercies.”
“You can go, if you please. I shall make
no objections to that, pleasant as your com-
pany must be, but Jael remains here.”
Altha gazed at him in mute astonishment.
She had been so long accustomed to the per-
fect obedience of her well-trained servants,
that the least attempt to resist her authority
love came back to the haughty woman; her
eyes’ softened, her lips quivered, but the
weakness died away, and she said coldly,
startled her as much as an earthquake would
have done. if
“ Pray, who asked you to interfere ?” said
she, shortly.“ Your opinion is of very lit-
tle consequence—keep it to yourself.”
Glenn smiled an evil smile.
“ Jael will remain here, as I said before.
My opinion has some weight with her, and
she will obey my wishes.”
“ What insufferable impudence! I can-
not comprehend it. Will you be good
enough to explain your conduct and lan-
guage ?” said Altha, frigidly.
It was evident from the “laughing devil”
in the boy’s eye, that he relished the wordy
strife, and was willing to make it a still more
angry one. Ile answered, drily,
“T see that you are fond of explanations.
You shall have one to satisfy you now.
The reason why Jacl will remain here is
this—she is my wife.”
“Good God! What did you say? Jacl!
Jael! tell me if this is true!” thundered
the excited woman, springing to her feet,
and turning the drooping face of her child
Jael at thismoment.. She drew herself sud-
denly up to her full height, and replied
proudly,
“ Mother, it is!”
“My God! What shall Ido? What
will you do? Jael! Jael! He is your
brother !—the son of your own father, Hugh
Glenn !”
“O mother!, Not that! It. surely can-
not be so, We is my husband. Nothing
can take me from him. I shall go mad and
die!”
“Tt would be well for you if you could,
girl!” said Altha, sternly. “ When was this
miserable blunder made ? ”
Horace Glenn's face was buried in his
hands, and he uttered no word. Jael an-
swered,
“We were married to-night. We had
only just reached home when you came.”
“Then you had received my letter, and
disobeyed my request. Jael, how could you
do this? See the effects of your disobedi-
ence |”
“O mother! mother! do not reproach
me!” groaned the unhappy child. “God
knows I am wretched enough without that.
It cannot be as you have said.. You must
have mistaken him!”
“Tlis face is that of his father; do you
think I could forget it, Jacl? Since you
will have the particulars, here they are.
Remember, it is not my fault if. the story is
unfit for your ears. Ilugh Glenn met me
when I was about yourage. Ie loved me—
or said he did—and day after day found him
bending over me, telling the same fond tale.
I believed it, fool that I was! I gave him
my hand and heart. I fled with him, Jael,
as you have done this night with his son. A
ceremony was performed in a lonely little
church, and I returned to my quiet home.
Our histories are alike, Jacl. It was also
my first disobedience, and my father forgave
me. One little day had hardly gone by, ere
131
we ever met. Do not blame her for this
marriage. Ionly am wrong. .I pursuaded
her to disobey you; but I have been fear-
fully punished. As the only restitution I
can make, I restore her to you, pure as ever.
She is my wife—but only in name.”
Altha grasped his hand, and covered it
with kisses.
“TIorace,” said she, with great emotion,
“you are a noble boy. You are worthy of
her. Would that I could give her to you.
Since it must not be, I know you will en-
deavor to forget her. You will never meet
again. How can you, who have called each
other husband and wife, meet as brother and
sister. Could you do this, Horace ?”
“ God knows I could not! No, Mrs. In-
graham, you speak truly. We must never
meet again. Jael is lost to me forever!” ,
Ilis voice trembled as he gazed on the
graceful form of his sister, and large tears
filled his eyes, but he brushed them away,
and went on hastily,
“T shall leave this place after she has
gone, and never return to it again. It only
remains for me to say farewell to her. Af
ter she has gone, I give you my word of
honor that I will never attempt to see her,
or hold any communication with her in any
way. You cannot expect me to forget her
entirely. I. must always remember her,
wherever I go; but all that is in my power
I will do to leave her happy. You will
probably travel with her. She will see new
scenes and faces.. Keep her mind occupied
for a time, and she will form another tie,
more fortunate than this has been. Her
nature is an elastic one; it will sink for a
time beneath a heavy misfortune, but noth-
ing can break it. Iam glad that this is the
case. My love is not selfish in the least. I
hope she will learn to love another as well
as she has loved me—one who is not re-
strained by the knowledge of such an im-
pediment, from making her his wife. God
I found that he had deceived me. I had a
cousin Mabel—a sweet, graceful little thing,
with whom he had been very intimate before
hemet me. On the evening after our clope-
ment, I heard him say to her who was then
his mistress, that she only should be his wife ;
that his marriage with me was utterly ille-
gal. Some acquaintance of his had played
the clergyman, and I was betrayed. I met
him that night; and that night we parted.
Three weeks afterwards he married Mabel,
and I was left alone. My father forgave
to the light, with a swift movement.
, All the blood of the Glenns awoke within
him, and died. I cursed him, and lived.
The world pitied me, and condemned him.
He left my uative town, and went far away,
where no one knew him or his treachery.
I too went away. 1 passed asa widow. I
taught school for one long year. In that
distant home of his, Horace, your half-broth-
er, was born. Two weeks afterwards, I
pressed my lips to yours. You had grown
up in different States, and I hoped you
would never meet. See what my care has
amounted to!” / :
Jael threw herself upon the sofa in a
paroxysm of despair; but Horace, pale and
cabn, advanced towards Mrs. Glenn Ingra-
ham, She dashed the tears from her eyes
as he approached, and sat erect and haughty
as ever, She thought he came to insult her
in her grief; but she had entirely misunder-
stood his nature. He raised her hand re-
spectfully to his lips.
bless her and keep her! She has been the
light of my life. May she be happy ”"—
here his voice trembled—“ happier than I
can ever be!” _
“ You will both be free,” said Altha, com-
passionately. “ This marriage is illegal; it
cannot bind either forone moment. I hope
you too will find some noble woman, who
will be all to you that she would have been
if God had given her another father. Hor-
ace, I already love you as if you were my
own son, as indeed you should have been.
Mine was the first claim upon him. But we
will not speak of this. You have borne this
misfortune nobly, Think of me as your
own mother, Horace, Can I assist you in
any way? I see that you are a teacher
here. Will you not accept a part of your
sister’s fortune ?” -
Horace drew back with a hasty motion.
“Not for worlds, madam! I know your
delicacy of feeling prompted the offer; but
pardon me if I say that it would seem too
much like purchasing my feelings. I am»
dependent upon my own exertions. My
father left a large property, which I have
secured tomy mother. I am able to make
my way in the world, thank heaven! If I
wish to become great, I must not be clogged
by wealth. I shall become an artist, if I
live.” .
“I will pray for your success, my noble
boy,” said Altha, much moved. “I ean
“Let me hope, madam, that you will for-
give the impertinence I have this evening
been guilty of. I must have been mad to
insult you as Ihave done. I heartily regret
my share in this transaction. Dear as Jael
is and ever will be.ta me, Fam sorry that
never forget you. And if, at any time, you
need a friend, you have only to apply to me.
You would be dear for your father’s sake
even if your own nature were not good and
high as T find it to be. God bless you, my
son! You deserve a glorious destiny.”