Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-03-26
From Gruhams Magazine.
The Oath Of Marion; a Revolutionary tale.
CHAPTER /.
BT CHARLES ,. PETERSON.

ChAPIEh L.
"Did you get the pass, Macdonald" said .
young man, looking up, as his servant entered
the room Of alodging-house IN Charleston, IN the
latter part of the year 1880.
ayes, sir, and the baggage and horses are rea
dy," was the reply Of stalwar youth, whose
dress betokened condition removed from that o.
an ordinary menial, and partaking rather oil ina
of a familiar, though humble companion u
think we can give them the sliP' slr-Lordi nov
wish for a crack at thesefeilows! ana once win
Marion, We'll not long want an opportunity. =,
"Be in waiting for me at midnight, Ihen, salo
the first speaker; and as Macdonald retired, he
threw himself back again in bis chair, and fixing
his eyes on the floor, resigned himself to the alb
straciion out of which he had been reused.
Howard Preston, the hero of our story, had
Just returned from Europe, where he had been
fulfilling the injunctons Of his fathers will, by a
course of study and travel until his twenty-iourth
year. The first great sorrow of his life had been
his parting, at sixteen, with the only child of his
guardian, Kate Mowbray, then lovely little girl,
who for years had been his pet and playmate
Many were the tears she also shed at the separa-
lion, and faithfully did she promise not TO forget
her boy lover. Such childish preferences usual
" end Sith youth; but it was not so in the pres
ept instance. With every letter from abroad
came gift for Xatc, which she requitted with
some triae worked by her own hands. But as
years elapsed, and Kate approached womanhood'
these presents were no longer returned, and Pres
ton, piqued at what he thought neglect, gradually
came TO con6ne himself, in his letters home, 10 a
cold inquiry after her health, instead of delotng,
as heretofore, two-thirds of the epstle to her,
Yet he never thought Of America without also
thinking of Kate; and when he landed at Char
lesion, month before our tale begins, he was
wondering into what kind of a woman she had
grown up.
Still his old feeling of pique was uppermost
when shown into her fathers magnificent parlor;
and this, combined with his astonishment at see
ing graceful and high.bred woman announced
as his old playmate, lent an air OF coldness and
embarrassment to his greetings. Whether 1t was
this or some other cause, Kate, who was advanc-
ing eagerly, suddenly checked herself, colored,
and put on all her dignity. The interview, so In
auspicously begun, was short and formal, and to
Preston, at least, unsatisfactory. lie had eXPec-
ted in spite of their tacit misunderstanding, that
Kate would meet him as rapturously as OF old,
forgetting that the child had now become wom-
on. He overlooked, also, the effect his own re-
straint might have produced. Thus he returned
TO his lodgings, dissatisfied and angry half dlspo-
sed to dislike, yet hag compelled to admire, the
beautiful and dazzling creature from whom ne
had lust parted. The truth was, Preston, though
hitherto ignorant of it, had loved his old play.
mate from boyhood. This had made him feel
her neglect so acutely, and this had led him Sc
cretly 10 hope that her welcome on his return
would heal the past. No wonder he went home
angry, yet quite as much in love as ever!
Preston and Kate often met after this, but they
seemed destined TO misunderstood each other.-
Kate was really ignorant Of the mischief she had
done. She had come down to meet him with a
heart full of the memories Of other days, and, ii
truth must be told, little nervous and anxious
how he, of whom she had so often thought in Sc
cret would receive her. His proud demeanor
had chilled her. Nor on subsequent occasions
were their interviews more satisfactory. Indeed
Kate was puzzled and vexed at Preston's manner
No one could, at times, be more interesting; yet
no one was so often naughty and disagreeable.-
Kate sighed to think how changed hehad become;
then she was angry at herself for signing
Kate was accordingly aswayward as Preston
and who, indeed, had greater excuse! Rich and
well born, beautiful and high-spirited, she was
positively the reigning belle in Charleston during
the whole of that gay winter. 10 acomplexlon
delicatey fair, and person OF the most exquisite
proportions, she united those graces of mind and
manner, which, in that courtly day, were consid-
cred the unerring Accomplishments OF high breed
ing Report awarded to her numbers of unsuc'
cessful sutors; but all had tacitly resigned theil
claims in favor of Major Lindsay, an English of
ficer Of noble blood, between whom and an earl
dom there was only single life. Gay and splen'
did in person and equipage, the Major no sooner
laid siege to the heart of the heiress, than hei
less favored sutors gave over in despair; and
what between lounging most OF his mornings a.
way in her parlor, and attending her abroad on all
occasions, he speedily came to have the held
nearly altogether 10 himself.
The arrival of the Major anticipated that o.
Preston about month, and when our hero re-
turned, he found his rival almost domestcated al
Mr.. Mowbray's house. Jealousy soon revealed
10 Preston the secret Of his own long hidden love
but it made him heartily hate the Major. The
two gentlemen seemed perfectly to understand
each other. But the Engshman knew bette
than his rival how to suppress his feelings, anC
accordingly possessed every advantage over hin
in superior ease and self-command. Had Kate
wished otherwise, she could not but have gver
the larger share of her attention to the graceful
brilliant and composed man of fashion, rathe
than to his more irritable and wayward rival
whom fancied slight, in word or look, was sufi
cient to make dumb for whole evening. De
pend upon it, the worst possible use to which
lover can put himself is to be sulky.
Perhaps twas the enmity he nourished agains
his more successful rival; perhaps it was the nat
ural indignation of frank and noble heart a
gainst oppression; perhaps, which is more natu
raj, it was both combined, but Preston had no
been long at home before he formed the resolu
iion to take part with his countrymen in the wa
then going on; and the sudden appearance o
General Marion on the Santee. where he hegan