The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-02-20

make an impression on her heart. She has a
voice like an angel. You must be a favorite with
the sex, suppose you try to conquer this uncon-
querable one. She is prize worth taking.
by Jove! I'll CO. said Tasting. 'And now
let us uncork the other bottle
CHAPTER III.
1t was the beginning of June, and the trees
were all in leaf; while thousands Of wild flow
ers, the violet, anemone, and quaker lady, span
gled the hillside and blushed in the meadows. A
fresh breeze rippled the calm waters of the Wis
sahickon; birds caroled gaily overhead, and eve
ry thing promised day ofpleasurc. At an car
ly hour the party began to repair to the place OF
rendezvous, and soon a crowd of carriages had
congregated. The old woods echoed with laugh
ter from gay and happy hearts, as they had not
done for years before.
| Hastings had determined to ride out on horse
back, and instnctively he chose the route he had
pursued when he last visited the spot. Before
he was aware Off, bend in the road brought
him in sight Of the place where he had rescued
the fair stranger three years before. He drew
up his horse, while crowd of emotions swept
over him. We will not say that he had constant
ly dwelt, during his absence, on the image of the
| unknown; but certainly, in his hours of reverie,
her memory had strangely haunted him, and his
bosom had thrilled with wild hope when he paint
cd her unmarried on his return. By the lonely
watch at sea, on the shores ofthe distant Ganges,
in sickness and health, one thought had cheered
his desolation and spurred him on to renewed
energy. And now he had returned. But where
was she? Perhaps the wife of another. The
thought chilled his bounding spirits, and he rode
on sad and dspirted.
| AS he wound down the rocky road, the beauty
of the landscape gradually opened before him.
Perhaps there are few rivers more romantic than
the Wassahickon. The stream steals along at
the foot of high, wooded hills, whose almost pre-
cipitous sides seem lost in the clouds. Here and
there strips of level land intervene between the
prcclpice and the water, and on one of these the
picnic had now assembled. Fair forms, chaste-
y attlred in white, were fitting to and fro among
the willows: here pair, perhaps lovers, had
wandered off arm in arm; there group was en-
barking in boat; were fishing, others
were strolling after flowers, and the enlivening
music of Johnson band, at this moment striking
up, gave notice that the dance on the green
sward was about to begin. The whole scene
presented gay and stirring picture. The groups
| sitting under the trees, the voyagers on the wa
ter, and the parties hurrying to the cotillon fill
ed up the foreground, while in the rear the wood
ed hill scared to the sky, crowned with stately
mansion on the extreme top, whose white walls
glistened in the morning sun, like the tabled pa
laces of the genii.
MIR. Hastlngs' was the general exclamation
OF surprise, as our hero appeared on the ground,
and many bright eye grew brighter the ia
vorlte acquaintance of other days so unexpected
| ly appeared; for Ernest More had faithfully kept
the secret Of his friends arrival.
Congratulations crowded on him; the dance,
tor few moments, was postponed; and all Join
ed in welcoming back one, whose departure had
been felt such loss to their circle Perhaps
tons Of which might be the result Of a renewal
of the acquaintance between her and the hand
some and now wealthy Hastings
Let me introduce you to partner, pray take
4 side in the cotlllion, said half a dozen, and
our hero found himself vis-a Wis to very
beautiful girl whom he did not recoIect to have
seen before. But the grace of her motion, and
the wltchery of her smile made the eyes of Hast
ings follow her, until the raillcry of his partner
recalled him to himself
where is your paragon, this Belle Conway
said Hastings to his friend, Ernest Moore, when
the dance was over:
Il really 40 not know. | have been looking
tor her for an hour But believe some one said
she had strolled off with young Harcourt; he is
rich, you know, and hear whispers to-day that
they are engaged. l thought she was heart
whole. | hope what | said yesterday has not
made you fall in love, though it would be char
acterlstlc OF your romantic turn, my dear fellow
'Pshaw! said Hastings, but he felt strangely
interested to make the acquaintance of Belle
Conway, for he had presentiment they had met
before.
In short while, Ernest Moorereturned
why, Hastings said he, you have been dan
cling vis-a-vis with Miss Conway, and never
knew it. She has since gone off with Harcourt,
as told you. 1t looks suspicious.
The day wore on. The dinner hour approach
ed. Slowly the absent members of the party
dropped in from their various excursions, and
most of them were now gathered around the ia
bic, witch spread on the green sward and
covered with all the delicacies, Of the season.
Conversation became general; and for awhile
Hastings amused himself with the various char
acters of the group There were blues and CO.
quotes, beauties and bellies, girls of sense and
mere fashionable automatons, as usual on such
excursions; but our hero felt Interested in none
OF them. He began to be annoyed at the con-
tinued absence ofMiss Conway. At length she
appeared, leaning on the arm of Harcourt. She
replied with vivacity to the raillery of some of
her friends, and moved to position which brot
her near to Hastings. At this instant their ewes
met, for the first time. A look of inquiry, gra-
dually changing to one Of recognition, showed
that she had seen our hero before. She extend
ed her hand, with the sweetest Of smiles. All
at once the truth broke upon him. 1t was the
beautiful stranger whom he had rescued from
death, near this very spot, three years before.
Harcourt was witness of the recognition, and
his brow clouded. Our hero saw this, and the
sting of rivalry, as we'll as his long smouldering
love, called up all his powers, and he exerted
himself to please, taxing to it's utmost that con-
versational faculty for which he had once been
so celebrated. And, whether it was the remem-
brance of his past service, the natural coquet-
nv of the sex that PROMPTED her. Miss Conway
certainly devoted most of her attention to our
hero. Her powers Of mind were scarcely infe-
rior to his and soon a large circle of interested
listeners had gatlercd around them for the din