The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-04-26

even ieaVe MS fuIr bride tor half an hour,
and come up to speak about the cutting of
the wood
Twill come by and by" said With,
helm, smiling good-humoredly.
The man hesitated, but Gertrude whis-
percd, Better go at once, Wilhelm, if you
must 20 J" and he went but, at the end of
half an hour, he returned not, aud the bri-
dal party went out upon the green, beneath
the applc-trees, 10 wait for his coming, ere
they began the dance. Scarcely we're they
there, and Gertrude's heart was beating un-
quietly, when there came bursts Of laus hter
through the trees, and The sound of canter-
ing horses, aud up rode gay party of arm
ed cavaliers, headed by him who had some
what perseculed the sweet girl already.
"Arc we in time for the wedding, Doors :"
he cried, laughing loud" are we in iimo
Cor the wedding ?"
"Too late !" replied old Karl Muller,
surlily-
"Too la,e!" answered Karl, his eldest
son, with his eye flashing fire.
MAY, then must cen kiss the bride
and depart" said the cavalier, springing to-
tie ground, and advancing with naughty
boldness, but not without grace, he np-
preached Gerrude, who blushed aud ,rem-
blcd. Wishing yor all happiness, fair
bridc," hc said, as he bent apparently to
kiss her cheek. Bot, as he stopped, he
threw his right arm ronnd her waist, Sc, his
foot in the stirrup, sprang into the saddle,
and with the ease of ole performing some
long practised feat of the manege, he placed
her on the horse before him, and struck his
spurs into the chargers sides. The old
man and his sons darted forward, and one
got hold for momen, of the bride rein
but horseman who followed the other
brought the youth to the ground with the
blow Of mace, aud the whole party rode
Off ut full speed, roaring with laughter at
the curses aud shouts Of the villagers. One
long loud shrek was all that the lips of
Gersude uttered her heart refused to beat,
her brain grew giddy, aud she tainted as
she lny, held on the horse by the firm grasp
Of the cavaliers arm. After time con-
sciousness came bnck, and she opened her
eyes, but she saw the brown woods, and the
large branches of the trees, and the young
green leaves hurying rapidly before her
: sight |; recollection was too terrible to bear,
and she once more tainted. When next
size recovered. sho was in a large hall. splen-
didly decorated according to the fashion of
thur day; and two old women were bend
ing over her, throwing water in her face
but, when she raised her eyes, the detested
form Of him who brought her thithcr met
her sight, and she closed them again with
cold shudder. The women persuaded
him 10 60 away, but when he was gone,'
the words of praise That they held to per-
suadc the unhappy glrl 10 his purposes,
made her weep bitterly. They assured her
tina, no would have gone to seek her week
before, aud would hive prevented her mar
riage altogether, bad he not been held
prisoner by the Palutine, from whose hands
he had only escaped two days.
Wretch ~ she exclaimed, wretch ~
But, ms she spoke, he again entered the
room, and waved the women away. He
sat down beside her; he grasped her hand
in his he used the language of hattery and
Of corruption to the pure ears Of Gertrude
Muller. We will not dwell on what he said,
we will not stain this pure page with the
words he uttered, aud the persnssiohs he
prollered but if hc thought To iigltup ono
unholy feeling in her heart, oh ! how far
was he mistaken. She thought of him she
loved, and Of the full but modest joy With
which she had but that day bestowed her
hand on him. She thoJght Of ihose dear
hopes, now likely to be blasted for ever, for
she felt TINT she was utterly in The power
ola liberiine and ruthless man aud as she
did thus think, the words hc uttered scarce
ly found meaning in her ear, aud her eye
wandered round The room md 10 the high
orief window seeking for means of escape.
II found none, however; no object showed
itself through The open lattice. but the
mountains that hem in the Necker, and the
green waters of tha: beautiful stream flow
ing on between It's mighty rocks; and the
higl, castle Of the Dilsbcrg GROWING the
|. opposite hill. There was no escape, she
saw but fearful resolution presented it.
self to her mind. II was evident, from oil
she beheId, that the hall in which she sat,
was high up ia some tower, built upon the
edge of the precipice, and she thought that
at least she could die rather than, even by
|, force, wrong the faith she had plighted to
him she loved. As she thus thought, and
her eye wandered wildly 10 the easement,
she felt the villains arm seeking to glide
around her small waist. With a sudden
scream she dar,ed from him, sprang through
! the easement, and gained the parapet that
, ran round the tower. Had that parapet
| not been there, the sudden impulse Of fear
| aud desperation nigh, have carried her res
| olu,ion into effect at once. But there ],
! stood, a barrier, easily oyerstepped, indeed
but still a barrier between her and that ter
] rble act which she mcditaied. She paused
y to gaze and found that she stood on the
e extreme verge Of q tower, in one out of thre'
e castles, that, stretching along the cragg,
g bank Of the Necker, oyerhung the waters a
n dizzy height Of many hundred feet. Sh
gazsd down below! TWAS sigh. to mnk
: the brain turn. round the blue thin air bs
. 10Th H.. k~<<t -, so~L. ,.~uod 81 .i,s .,