"
As he spoke, he extended his hand and grasped the delicately rounded arm of
his little girl.
"What induces you to go amongst those people; hasn't your mother again and
again forbidden you to do so. Why do you go, I say?" he continued, shaking
her roughly by the arm, and frowning savagely. "Why don't you
answer?--speak!"
The child, with the tears streaming down her lovely face, was only able to
answer in her defence. "Oh, pa, I do love them so."
"You do, do you?" replied her exasperated father, stamping his foot, and
pushing her from him; "go to bed, and if ever I hear of you going there
again, you shall be well whipped." The tearful face lingered about the door
in hope of a reprieve that did not come, and then disappeared for the
night.
"The children must not be suffered to go in there, Jule; something I've
learned to-day will----" here Mr. Stevens checked himself; and in answer to
his wife's impatient "What have you learned?" replied, "Oh, nothing of
consequence--nothing that will interest you," and sat with his slipper in
his hand, engaged in deep thought.
Now for Mr. Stevens to commence a communication to his wife, and then break
off in the middle of it, was as novel as disagreeable, as he was generally
very communicative, and would detail to her in the evening, with pleasing
minuteness, all the rogueries he had accomplished during the day; and his
unwillingness to confide something that evidently occupied his mind caused
his spouse to be greatly irritated.
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