The Scarlet Feather

CH

out of sorts with all the world. In the bright daylight, she looked a little older; her fair skin showed somewhat faded and wan. She was nervously irritable just now, for last night

the carriage; but, as she stepped upon the porch, she stopped short

oyed by the fellow's obvious lack of deference, fo

am, and he's gone out to get the

an, my

I come to levy-executio

hreatened jestingly many times. But the one actual visit of a like sort in the past had been kept a secret from her. Now,

rriedly for the ride to her father's house. Her hands were trembling, and tears streamed down her che

n the man until they became the dominant force of his life. By reason of this stinginess, his daughter was 23 made to suffer so much that she abominated her father. It was a long time now since he had ceased to be a familiar figure in the world. For some years, he had been confined to his bedchamber at Asherton Hall, his magnificent estate on the Hudson. There, from a window, he could survey a great

the long, white hair fell to his shoulders, where it curled up at the ends. His sunken eyes gleamed like a hawk's, and his dry, parchment skin was stretched tightly over

his gardeners, and woe betide man who permitted a single leaf to lie on

al, for the ebony bedstead had a French canopy of black satin embroidered with gold. By the window stood his writing-desk, at which his steward and his s

ned femininity that for a long time past had been absent from Asherton Hall. The old man grunted at the sound, and stared straigh

have come t

is eyes darted an upward look, ke

nt something

father

time with a bitterer 25 spirit and a deeper sense of humiliation. The result of

nd his affairs, and of the immense amount of wealth he was storing up for her son. At least, it seemed impossible that it could be for anyone else, although the old man

it now?" as

ousand dollars! You know you promised John a thousa

man, in horror. "A thou

John talked to you a long time of what was expect

is inso

mised a thou

scratching the coverlet with hooked fingers-always a si

generously; but, when it came to drawing a check, he whiningly pr

in a tight fix. Misfortune has been assailing

roat. "I always told you he was a fool. I told you, but you wouldn't listen to me. You

There is a man at our house-a

aughed the miser. "Now, he wi

, father. Dick

eeing fro

going to volunteer fo

told you before that you 27 have no justification for regarding your son as my heir. Who told you that I wa

ather, it is e

" snapped

to advance me some of my allowance, as well

and! Two, you mean. Get me my c

h the matter through. She took the blotting-pad from the desk, and placed it on her fath

, father," sh

g in his anger. He filled in the date, and again looked around at

tting-pad. "That's all you'll get out of me." He filled in the figure two below, and straggling 28 noughts f

am not giving you this money, you understand? I am advancing it on account. Every

there was nothing to be done when he was in a mood like

mechanical fashion; but her face was white with ange

d the old horror from the bed

y; "I am tired of your jests," and, with

the old man in h

ition to raise money. She wished to ask the fellow the amount of the debt for 29 which the execution was granted, but could not bring herself to put the question. She went

pt miserable subterfuges and swallow his pride on every occasion. She opened her purse and took out the check, intending to destroy it in her rage, but s

terly, as she spread out the c

They would indeed be ciphers to him, for how could he feel the difference of a few thousands more or less in his immense banking-account? A bedridden old man had no use for money. Indeed, it was impossible that he could know how much he was worth. She had

up with a sudden

old, spluttering pen, and added the word "tho

then paused. She knew vaguely that it was a wrong thing to do. But-her own father! Indeed, her own money-for some of

hand, and added the two ciphers. She let t

No, she could not imagine herself facing the rector's gray eyes, and telling him an awful lie. It was

ce any inquisitive, staring clerks; and, when it was exchanged for notes,

ented thi

mining a check for two thousand dollars, and a cashier stood at his side. Vivia

resented it, sir," t

rrowed as he scrutinize

he commanded, "and c

e went to a cupboard and t

to apply to the old man himself. If the young bounder has altered the figures-well, if he has-then let it go through. It will be a matter for us then, not for Herresford, who wouldn'

is cashier, and ha

," he d

nstead of his twenty-two years, with a kindly face, like his father's, brown hair, hazel eyes, and a clean-shaven, sensitive mouth more suited to a girl than to a man. Now, Ormsby smiled sardonically at the unconscious s

presently-when the money was spent, and ere