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T5
A FATHER'S RIGHT
By Harold Carter.
The interview was naturally an
eiabarrassing ont Uut Roger Lewis
had never, had a moment's doubt of
the result He was a young lawyer,
with a good practice; his antece
dents were irreproachable. And old
ndrew Bannister was a gentleman.
Roger was' therefore hardly able to
believe his ears when old Andrew
"urtley refused his permission for the
engagement.
"I've seen this coming for a long
time, sir!" he thundered. "And I
knew from the beginning that you
had wormed your way into my house
in order to steal my only chld away
from me."
"But, Mr.Bannister," protested Rog
er, "surely it is not stealing to fall
in love with "
"Bah! Don't talk of love to me!"
interpolated the old gentleman bit
terly. "You shall never marry my
daughter, or I cast her adrift Leave
my door, and never darken it again!"
Certainly old Bannister had always
1 been a little queer, but Roger could
imagine no reason for this brutal
1 selfishness. Amy listened to his ac
count of the interview in amazement
She went direct to her father.
"What have you been saying to
'oger?" she asked.
"Roger? You mean Lewis, that
mpudent jackanapes that dared to
ropose for your hand!"
'.'But, father, I love him. What
we you against him?"
"I will not be bulldozed by you,
" ny!" stormed the old man. "I will
)t permit you to think of the scoun-
el. He makes love to you without
king my leave. He "
'If he had gone to you first, father,
hould have had nothing to do with
Ti," said Amy firmly.
'You will have nothing more to do
ith him. You can choose between
us. You can marry that young scoun-
-drel, or you can remain at home, in
stead of bringing your father's gray
hairs in sorrow to nis grave.
Amv heeran tn ween. She left the
room and thought her problem out
And it seemea to ner tnat ner nrst
ilutv was to her father. Roeer and
she were both young; she was an
only child, and her father lovea ner
in his way. He had had a hard life
until late years. There had always
been unfulfilled hopes which had tor-
Old Bannister Himself, Armed With
A Gun.
mented him. He had lived a narrow,
straight-cut life. He had made bit
ter sacrifices to duty. In the end
Amy wrote to Roger, telling him that
their engagement must be postponed
until she was able to bring her father
to reason and discover where the
trouble lay.
But she pined all that summer,
and, once or twice, meeting Roger in