The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-08-02

towards the house, and his disordered dress
and haggard countenance told of a restless
night When Isabelle descended to break.
!, fast, she mentioned the travellers strange
/ manner TO her mother, who was finishing
her toilette, attended by her maid
"Mina has just been telling me-" she re-
Piled, tedious fol de rol story Of his
walking all sight around an oak tree and
muttering and throwing up his arms The
foolish girl believes that he is conlurer,"
she added, smiling, as she led the way to
the breakfast parlor. Mr.. Selden and bis
guest were already there, and Frank and
his beautiful wife soon entered. Isabelle
watched the stranger as her sister took her
seat at the table, and saw that his eye was
following every glance of hers. lie ale but
little, and as soon as politeness permitted,
rose to depart. Mr.. Selden courtcously in
vited him to prolong his stay.
"No," said he, 4" / may not longer abide
the probing of q cureless wound. Lady,
he continued, turning abruptly towards the
young Mrs. Seldom, must tell your for
tune. Perhaps" he muttered to himself,
it may avert the catastrophe of evil
The beautiful girl smiled good humor-
edly aud extended towards him her white
and diInpled little hand. Il thought she
said, glancing archly towards Frank, nv
! fortune made
! The stranger seemed not to notice her ex-
tended hand, SO intentIy was his gaze rivet-
ed on her fair young brow. A mournful
tenderness was in his voice as he said
soIemnly-' Lady you will be tpics we'd
ded =
Never exclaimed the young wife, the
crimson current flashing over her neck and
brow.
Never y cried Frank vehementlv, grasp
ing the hand which hung at his side and
drawing the beautifully rounded figure c,o-
ser to himself. as her dark eye filled with
humid lustre. The stranger surveyed the
young pair 4 moment--a rush of deep emo
ton seemed to pass over his features for an
instant, and then all was calm. He thank
ed Mr.. Seldom for his hospitality, bowed
codly to the rest, and walking rapidly down
the lawn to the gate where Jim stood with
the horse, slipped half dollar into the wait
er's hand, and galIoped of. Jim looked at
the coin, half wishingIy, half doubtingIy,
and then after the stranger. 'Gemini may
be it is the devils money said the negro,
and hurting it into an adjacent over-feld,
he hasened to the kitchen to tell his tale.
But Nina the maid was there before him,
harranguing in her own peculiar style Of
eloquence, the assembled scullions of the |
kitchen, who stood round her with staring
eyes and half open mouths.
As ] was sayin,' there is fine spot Of
work in the paror. fetched down a fold
ed paper that the witch man had dropped
on the stairs in his hurry to get to bed this
morning after day-for I peeped into the
keyhole about light, on my way to mistress
chamber, and the bed had never been tum-
b'ed-and Master Frank says it is a horror
score, or horrible scope, or somethin' any
how what tells fortins, and Miss Hslen's is
on it, and It's very bad one
'Loddy NASAL said the cook, how can
he tell her fortin and she n stranger7'
Any how replied Nina, her age is on
it to a minute, and if he could tell that a
bout a body he never seed in all his born
days, ! reckon he can easy tell the rest.
Il know one thing said Jim, breaking
in, know ] filled his hoss's trough with :
oats last night at late bed time, and this {
when | went to the stable the oats ,
were all there and the hoss all Of a foam Of ,
sweat; his neck looked like soap bubbles I
we're blown over it, and his mouth was q
gore of blood q
Where do you think he had been Jim = |
,sked the cook, her white eyes fixed on his e
ace with an expression Of the most pro- 8
ound astonishment, while the whole group =
,f shining faces drew closer together and 4
we're turned simultaneously upon the last :
speaker. r
An ugly journey I'm afeared,' replied I
Jim, with an ominous shake of his head. '
1t is all good enough for Master Frark a
'aid an old house servant, why couldn't he d
marry virgnny gal instead of a stranger, b
md she no,ody1' I
Very true, responded the circle.
But Frank Seldom now approached 4
hastily from the house, and the group dis Z
,ersed, :
Saddle my horse Instantly said Frank b
Ind ia few minutes he was clearing the I
distance between the plantation and the Z.
ligh-road, on rapid galop. In the eve h
ling he returned with slackened rein and a
atigued aspect. q
i could gain no traces Of the strangers II
oute,' he replied to the inquiring circle as b
e entered. No one had seen him. n
The stranger had dropped, it seemed ac- h
identally, paper on which was drawn a h
orroscope of the young brides nativity, il
nd It seemed that maIgn star had presi- b
ed at her birth. r.
Years rolled away, and fortune and good
ealth seemed to set mt defiance the predic- "
on Of the astrologer-and, save that they g,
ad no offspring, the Seldon's were happy :,
air when War, with his dire train ofevi!s "a
hook his blood-red pinion over our land "
nd stooped every hour to his prey. Frank a
'elden listened to the spirit stirring call and $,
lis pulses beat high for the contest. Hsi a
L = IL =