Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-04-16

he now stood before them, the identical hunter
who had SO opportunity come to their assistance
in the forest. William ran up and grasped the
hand of Waldeford, affectionately, and when
they again looked at Elston, he stood with
folded arms and paIlid countenance gazing upon
the ground.
Waldeford found himself quite a hero upon
his return home; for Elston had preceded him
and, in the pIentitude of his grateful feelings,
had made known the fact that he was the pre-
server of his life.
The means which had led to the discovery he
had not communicated, and the admiration
evinced by all of his cool and collected bravery,
was only equalled by their surprise at the mod
esty which had so long prevented him from ac-
knowledging The deed. He unassumingIy laugh
ed off all compliments, and RETAINED from the
least allusion to the events of the morning; by
far too generous to take advantage of EIston's
indiscretion, and especially the first one that
had been followed by any evidence Of peni-
tence.
From this hour the whole demeanor Of FL
ston toward WaIdeford changed, and he looked
upon and treated him as a friend. Consoling
as this was to Lilias and pleasant to himself, it
afforded but slight alienation of the misery
which had taken its abode in his breast, and Of
which EIston might be considered the inyolunta-
~ cause.
Full of his own sad thoughts, he wandered
in the garden on the ensuing afternoon, and en-
tering a summer house, so thickly covered with
vines as entirely to exclude the sco1ching sun
was surprised to find his cousin wrapped in
sleep, with her head resting upon the latticed
frame against which she reclined. AT her side
lay the poem Of Rokeby, that beautiful produc-
l ZION of the Northern Minstrel, open at the des-
S cription Of WilGid Wyclihe's hopeless love-
He read the passage, and as he laid down the
book, heard, or imagined he heard, a sigh. lie
9 turned towards his cousin. Her Ups were slight.
9 ly parted, and her long, dark eyelashes, were
e dropping over those eyes from which he had sc
), often drank deep draughts Of love.
d He seated himself by her side, and watched
her countenance for many minutes, with a vari
ETY. Of conflicting feelings. He had long
= loved, had long mourned his fate, but all the
is warmth Of his affections, and all the bitterness.
of his grief, seemed to be concentrating thei,
e power, and c%entering in that one hour Of deer
and unrestralned feeling. Reality was fast ex
|, tinguishing the fancy-led light Of Hope, which
still glimmered over his darkened path.
Lilias at length slowly raised her eyes ant
met his, lustrous with halfformed tears. Sht
n uttered a slight ejaculation of surprise, and, as
Is her eyes fell upon the open book, blushed with
e the consciousness that Waldeford must recognize
l. the prototype of himself in the gentle and un
e fortunate Wyclihe. A brief conversation ensu
Is ed, in which Waldeford informed his cousin o
his approaching departure, and for the first time
n since the conversation previously related, spok'
of his attachment, his sufferings, Ind his earnes
y wish for her welfare and happiness.
h The unhappy girl could not conceal her emo
ton, and only replied:
Forget me, George, forget me, and you ma
yet be happy, though | am not
A passing step was at this moment heard, Blu
| when Waldeford stepped to the door to learl
is who had been the intruder, no one was to b.
seen.
The conference of the lovers, for so | mus
call them, here broke up. Waldeford sool
n made known his intended departure to Mr.. Lee
but finally yielded to an urgent invitation to re
main until after the marriage of Lilias, 70
III which preparations were now being made
Days passed on. Wearisome ones they wer
d. to Walde(ord. In vain he assayed to assume
if cheerluIness which he could not feel, or to cor
lie ceal from others the arrow that was ranking i
Ir his heart,
1t was on a calm evening, towards the clos
of July, that WaIdeiord, while walking by tn
Or waters edge, was oy ertaken by Elston, and aftc
-y a brief and friendly discourse upon ordinar
is subjects, accepted an invitation to o%ficiate a
a groomsman at the approaching ceremony. TIL
day was fixed, and, like all other days, how in
RI portant soever the events with which they ar
r charged, came. But a few hours of the preyi
" Gus night had been devoted by Waldeford to hi
n; couch, where he had found sleep without reposc
of and it was not strange that no color fingered O
ed his usually rudy cheek when the little part
e. were assembled.
,ss Smilingly looked the groom and the fathe
but on the countenance of each was the appea
ur ance of thought and feeling. Surpassingl
of beautiful in her bridal array was Lilias, and
her face was more pallid, and shade of MOI
NV melancholy, than seemed to beGt the occas;o,