The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-06-23

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'It is the, strangest narrative | ever
heard!" said Seldom.
''In my time, have encountered reali.
ties that would beggar romance; but as vet,
you know not the half"
"Truly yours has been life of adven-
ture; but were you totally insensible when
thrown into the water?'
| "Of that remember nothing; but fan
cy the villain considered me dead before
throwing mein. A servant, who Witnessed
the whole scene, afterward described it
minutely to me; and my wife-that is, Isa-
BELLA
"Your wife! Pardon the interruption;
but are you married, and to her!'
81 am. 'She loved me for the dangers
had passed, and loved her that she did
pity She took me out of the grave, as it
were; and an excellent doctress she prov
ed; for under her nursing and that Of her
mother, you see | am rediuirus."
He then proceeded to narrate how, after
his recovery and marriage with Isabella,
in st. Juan, he returned to Buenos Ayres
to have justice dealt to Simpson, but learn
ed that that person had long quilted that
city, with whatever of value had been en-
trusted to him; how, after long-continued
enquiry, he failedto discover the escapade;
how, at the solicitation of his mother-in-
law, now grown feeble and sickly, he had
together with his wife, to travel with her on
her quest for health, over nearly all of Eu-
rope; how he returned with her to Porto
Rico, where she died; and how, at last, he
discovered the abode of him, who, so long,
had gone 'unwhipt ofjustice.''
Sand such is Captain Simpson," ejacu-
lated Seldenl after a long drawn breath.
''Such is Robert Simpson, rather: the
term captain is the most venial of his ap-
preparations. The only military trappings
he ever paraded were those on that night
of his masquerade"
"But in the multitude of questions, for
got to inquire how and when you arrived
here?"
"Eight months ago, | walked, unmask-
ed, in midday, the street before your office.
discovered not myself, however, but re-
turned to ST. Juan, and told my wife | had
unkennelled him.
He then went on to state how he had
proceeded to Buenos Ayres, sought out the
statesmen employed by Simpson, procured
an inventory of his property, and an esti-
mate of its value; proved his legitimate
put every thing in train for their prosecu-
ton. "My preparations continued he,
''were fully made before my return hither,
and as he has purchased fair estate here,
my prospects of becoming indemnifed are
good. The measure of punishment to be
inflicted on him personally, | shall leave to
the proper tribunal in due time.''
"And how long since your second return
hither!" inquired Selden, with almost
breathless interest.
''About month"
'And where have you lived during this
time-how concealed YOURSELF"
81 have been partly vagrant and partly
resident with an humble family near the
Bears Gap AS to concealment or mys-
tiication, Selden, Pm an old Proteus."
''Is there no one, then, in the secret of
your bodily presence, in Georgia, but my
self!''
"'Bodily presence' That's good. You
must have heard the stories about my
ghostship."
"Have you?'
"Ah, | have heard closer secrets than
that; for as made it point to be speech
less, had much to listen to-"
"Speechless!" thought Selden, looking
very hard at his friend.
ga cunning secret that was," continued
Reginald, while his eyes sparl1led with glee,
communicated by Simpson to old Talbot
about my having been hanged as picca-
roonl" and he narrated to Selden the af-
fair of the catawba tree.
''And you heard that?"
s..To be sure did; and the best of the
joke was, that the Spanish paper he pretef-
ded to read the account from, happened to
be a French paper-the paris Quot
dienne!" t9'd g..
"And do you know any thing of this un-.
fortunate affair, of which Hamilton is ac-,
cused?" DE t-rti
"Every thing: Simpson fired the shot.
saw him do it. w.
"You saw him do it?'' echoed Selden,
who now looked as though he had discov-
cred Mephistophiles himself in the person
before him. e .ecw l4 FACED cog
"Certainly. He put himself to all this
trouble to kill the young man and saddle
the crime on my nephew, for the purpose
of blasting his hopes of marrying Miss
Talbot" G1jii
j II think | understand" musingly re-
sponded Selden. raa
b sit was great blunder, however; but
it is the vice of such men to make great
Mistakes" a Nops iEt
o"Did none of the parties see you at the
tme?" u 4eE libHf
"Not before the deed was enacted; al
terwards they did, but they needed me
not."9 t b ttgI
sis there no one--has not Hamilton
seen you!'' Niisg qu