Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-08-12

smiles that Ereathed themselves on
feminine faces to greet him.. many
the kind invitations, he received.
And he could scarcely quell his risi-
bles when he saw ,the ridiculous
change that lis fortunes had effected
in the manners Of the good people
Ct the little burgh. But he still
chose to divide the time between
those lie loved-the day he spent
with his betrothed, and the night
with his parents. i
And now the day, that the elegant
Bob and his burly friend Ned, had
appointed d fer the abduction Of the
unsuspecting maiden, was at hand
Our hero had, as usual, spent the
evening with bis beloved Mary. As
the twilight began to darken over
the merry bosom Of earth, he took
UP his hat to retire. The maiden
timidly asked,
Dear Henry, why not spend the
night with Us? You have never
done sJ, and Papa has often invited
you :
L suppose I could-but why is
my sweet Mary so anxious on the
matter?' he replied with smile.
sOh, nothing particularly; only I
thought | should be happier in the
solitude Of my own chamber if /
knew yoa were under the same roof.
Now 40 stay?' she continued, twining
her soft :; rms around him and look
ing ple4dingly up into his face.
'Be it as you wish said the lover,
imprintiIig a kiss upon her ruby lips,
And he stayed.
Mr.. H4nderson,a middle aged man,
was of a soci,ible and talkaive Dis
posi- tion, and It was late, ere Arden
retired to bis chamber for The night.
Arrived there, he sat down by the
window, and Id dokcd out upon the calm
beauty Of the summer night. All
was silent save the sigling breeze,
and the dreamy tiglsling Of the dis
t;nt foun tain, echofng softly on tho
meonlit air. In the stiffness Of the
Summer night, and in the hallowing
spell of the moonbeam, there is
something that invites to meditatiye
reyery. What heir e1eeterni{y, whose
embryo cradle is rocked beneath the
stars, has not felt the serene. the
soi,eningI influence that steals upon
the heart and the brain when alone
in the moonlight and star-beam! !
And so it was with our hero. The /
past and the future ,enveloped his
sonl, and the present world was for
gotten. A labyrinth of dreams |
bwined its gosk kamer meshes around |
him, and he S truggled not. Deeper
and deeper he sank into that waking
sleep Of, the ficulties that men call I
abstraction. But suddenly a sound !
from the living world broke in upon
the revery and its spell was over All
shrek, a pielclng Shrek, rang wildly
m the airl TT snraro IA lis fat /
hid stood breAthleES aud spell-boand
With a beating heart, waiting if again
ne might catcA tha5 mysterious, That
lne Xpected, thh It blopd-clilling sbund! +
Presently hf fancied that he heard
below the rushing Of feet and the
Of voices. The next IN
stan the sharp report of a pistol +
with deafening roar
the Hollow airl With the
speed of a mahman he rushed down
the stairs. Ih the centre Of the
room, and struggling on the floor, he
saw, in the pale reflection of the
through the window, the
LIN forms Of tao mortal combats.
At the farther end of the room AN
other man of COLI dssal stature and
md giant proportions was dragging
| female figure to the door. At one
pound he stood beside them.
who are your demanded the
,ohgh voice Of Ned Jones.
"a foe to the midnight murderer
Arden, with concentrated
age, as the long knife Of the assas-
in grazed his cheek; and he imme-
lately closed with bis foe. There
vas "a rush and a plunge-and they
yhirled round and round-and the
-ery building shook beneath the lion
age Of the deadly contest. BY
lexterous and rapid whirl, the cocl ]
Arden threw his giant antagonist to
be floor, and wrested the dirk from !
lis upifted hand. In the mad ex-
itement of the moment he thought {
lot of mercy, but raising the glitter
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