Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-07-21

! to wed this man tomorrow or be turned
out into the world beggar, to feel that
the ties of father and daughter are dis
solved forever, and never again to cross
the threshold of your once happy home.
Your choice shall be irrevocabe.
/ The last word had not died upon his
lip ere the unhappy Clara gave one faint
shrek, and sunk scnsclcss in the arms of
her weeping sister. The anguishing l.
| dea of rending asunder the ties of kindred
nature, and of being driven forth disown-
ed and disinherted, was more than her
! tender heart could bear, and it withered
| the energies Of her soul The mother,
still possessing the feelings of all gcner-
Gus women, seeing the sorrow of her
! daughters could no longer hold out and
became an advocate for Clara, but the
father remained inhexibe. They all re-
tired, and left Julia to watch over her
insensible sister. Towards noon the un-
! happy Clara revived from her dream Of
sorrow only to a sense Of still acutcr ag-
ony. "A thousand fears and con ecturcs
racked her brain, and drove her almost
to frenzy. How should she give no
tice to Brandon Of what had passed, ere
he became cntanglcd in the snare? How
should she escape with him, and propitl-
ate the anger of her father after mar
riagc? Thus she sat in her prison,
forming schemes for the future, s dread
ing least some unseen obstacle should
Illustrate them.
Brandon, in the mean time, had been
called upon by his uncle to relinqush all
pretentons to the hand of Clara; who
sternly refusing, had been exilcd from
old Uowland's house, and was pacing
the hall at the hotel, when he received
the following letter, much oblitcrated by
tears
"My dear Brandon-If you still feel that re-
gard which YOU have often expressed, s. which
| have read in your eyes, oh, inplore You by cv-
cry sacred feeling to snatch me from the ilnpcnd-
ing fate which hangs over me. Fly to me this
night at twelve, or YOU will be eternally too late
Tomorrow | am destined under the most cruel
penalty, to wed the never can love. You
will SEQ me at the window Of my prison. Adieu!
| remain thine forever-your unhappy
CLARA"
! This letter was sealed, delivered to
Julia, and despatched by her to Brandon,
who now read it with a mingled spirit of
hatred and hope. The day slowly rolled
away, and Clara, at the approach of that
night which was to determine her fate,
sat at the window, sad and disconsolate.
She could distinctly hear the din ofprep-
aration below, for the wedding next day,
and her tears streamcd atrcsh when she
thought of the happiness she must forsake
and the years of misery she must endure.
With bursting heart the miserable girl
sat leaning in the window, gazing at the
moon, and counting the hours as they
slowly rolled away. In the bright moon
light her eye could penetrate down the
avenue, even to the summer house,
where she had spent so many happy hours
with him whom she loved even to adora-
ton.
The hours of nine, tens eleven, had
tolled on the ear of the listening Clara,
and still she sat gazing upon the once
loved object from the window. All were
apparently wrapt in sleep, and weary with
grief and loss of sleep she awaited the
coming of Brandon, as the harbinger of
hope and happiness. The clock at length
tolled the hour Of twelve, and yet he
came not. He had never forgotten the
hour before. The cold chill of despair
crept over her heart, and she flung her.
self upon the bed. 1t is well known that
grief invites to slumber, and it was not
long before she had forgotten her woes.
Brandon came at length, but what
were his feelings to find no fair form in
the window as she had promised
"Then she has been removed" he ex-
claimed mentally, "But will be salts
fed"
AS he spoke he discovered the rope
which Clara had let down from the win
dow, and Immediately asceDded. The
moon shone full upon the beautiful Clara
as she lay like beautiful Venus, and
he bent over her and gazed upon her fair
brow and faded cheek, until he almost
forgot that he was indulging a critical de-
sire. There she lay, the beautiful being
whom he knew lived but in his own eX-
istence. He feared to awake and de-
stroy the beautiful vision that lay before
him. But delay was ruin-one moment
lost might doom him to blasted hope and
her to life of misery and regret. A
gain he bent over her and softly breath
ed the much loved name of Clara. She
started from her slumbers, screamed with
alright ere she could recognize him, and
then threw herself into his arms. The
scream had penetrated the wakclul ear
of old Summerville, and ere that last long
embrace of mutual love had passed he
burst into the room with two servants, g.
secured the unhappy Brandon.-IIc was
prosecuted as midnight burglar, and