The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-08-01

| Savagcly. "lhlS glrl IS MAJOR branuoh
ward, as well as niece, and shall return to
her lawful home! Stand back" continued he
addressing the servants, who. at gesture
from Miss Dalston. barred his progress,
"Withstand me at your perllF'
"Furce her from him" exclaimed Lady
Cumpton, recovering her voice. Gently!
geutly | will be answerable for her safe
custody till the morning"
The athletic fellow struggled desperately;
but, however powerful and determined, ne
| was only one maa against a scT nearly all
the byslander being tenants or Iaborers on
the Compton estates; and spite of his furious
eHWls, and menaces of law and vengeance,
| Clara was torn from him in, a twhkhng. and
himself hurled with some violence prostate
ON the road. "Do not let them hurt the
man." said Lady Compton, as the servants
placed The lnsensblc girl in the carriage (she
had fainled;) "and tell him if he has really
any CLAIM to the custody Of this unfortunate
person, he must prefer it in the morning."
immediately on arrival al the castle. the
escaped prisoner was conveyed TO bed, and
medical and Immediately summoned. When
effect of an access of fever producing tenn.
porary derum, or from confirmed mental
disease, her speech was altogether wild and
| incohercnt-the only at all consistent Por-
tons Of her rawlings being plteously i'erated
appeals 10 Lady ComNon not 10 SURRENDER
her to her aunt in.Iaw, Mrs. Brandon, OF
whom she seemed 10 entertain an overpow'
erng, indefinable dread. 1t was icvldent
she had been subjected to extremely brutal
treatment--such as, in these days OF iii
proved legislation in such matters, and great
ly advanced know edge of The rigin and
remedy Of cerebral infirmily, would not be
permitted towards the meancst human being,
much less tender -nurtured delicate le-
male. At length, under the influence OF a
composing draught. she sank gradually to
sleep; and Lady Compton having dctermin-
ed to rescue her if possible. from the susPlc.
ious cus,odyiof her relatives, and naturally
apprehenslve of the legal difficulties which
she could not doubt would impede the exc
cullon other generous, If fsomewhat Quixotlc
project, resolved on at once sending off all
express for NJ. Ferret. on whose acumen
and zeal she could place the fullest reli-
ance.
Clara Brandon's. simple history may be
briefly summed up. She was the only child
of Mr. Frederick Brandon, who, widow
err in the second year Of his marriage, had
principally resided at the "Ems," hand
some mansion and grounds which he had
leased of the uncle Of the late Sira Harry
Compton. At his decease, which occurred
about two years previous TO poor Clara's es-
cape from confinement, as just narrated, he
bequea,hed his entire fortune between two
and three thousand pounds per anEuln, chet.
Iy secured on land, to his daughter, and
appointing his elder brother, Major Bran.
don, sole executor Of his will, and guar.
dian of his child; and in The event of her
dying before she had attained her majority;
of which she wanted, al her fathers death.
upwards oflhrce years-or without lawful
issue, the property was to 60 to the major,
To be by him willed at his pleasure. Major
Brandon, whose physical and mental ener-
gies had been premalurely broken down; he
was only in his fifty second year-elher by
excess or hard service in the East, perhaps
both, had married late IN life The widow of
a brother officer, and the mother of grown
up son. The lady, a woman of infiexlble
will, considerable remains of somewhat
masculine beauty, and about ten years her
husbands junior, held him in slate Of pu.
plage; all unchecked by him, devoted all
her energies to bring about, by fair or foul
means, a union between Clara and her own
s)n, a cub OF some TWO or three-and.twenty
years of age, whose sole object in secondlng
his mothers views upon Clara was tie ac-
ouistipn of her wealth. According to pop
ular sur:nise and report, the young Iady's
mental inGrmily had been brought about by
the prosecutions she had endured at tn.
hands of Mrs. brandon, with view TO lorce
her into marriage she deles,ed. The most
reliable authority for the truth Of these ru.
nors was Susan Hopley, now IN the ser.
vice of Lady Compton, but who had lived
for manv wears will, Mr.. Frederick Bran.
don and his daughter. She had been dis.
charged about six months after her masters
decease BY Mrs Major Brandon for allcdged
impcrtnence; and 50 throughly convinced
was Susan that The soon afterwards alcdgcd
lunacy Of Clara was but a Juggling pretence
to excuse the restraint under which her
aunt. in law, for The furlherance OF her own
vile purp ses, had determined to keep her,
that although out Of place at the time, she
devoted all the savings of her life, between
eighty and ninety pounds. to procure justice
for the llIused orphan THIS article, Susan
was advised, could be best obtained OF the
lord chancellor; and proceedings were ac-
cor lingly taken before the keeper of the
kings conscience, IN order to change the
custody oflhe pretended lunatic. The al.
6davils filed in support of the petition were
however so loose and vague, and were met
with such positive counter allegations, that