Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-01-27
$500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

the Blockhouse until the second night,
and was brought by an Indian runner,
who had made detour of fifty leagues,
10 pass in safety. The letter told also
that large body of Ottowa warriors
were hourly expected at Moore's Fort,
to sweep the woods of hostile Indians,
and that Norman Reed was to join them,
aud, when the service was performed,
return to repor, himself to Capt. Thorn
castle. FL
sand to you. too, Villa" exclaimed
Thorncas!le. after he had joyfully read
the letter aloud. HE must be brave
boy, this Norman Reed, though well nigh
stranger to us all. Why, he has only
just joined us; it was the very night, by
George, that Yankee letter was captur
ed."
"He is good youth, l have heard" :"
said Stephenson. ale comes from
Lake Erie, Of true and loyal family,
and lis said that nobler hearted boy
never fought for King George"
VILLAS heart throbbed with pleasure
at these words. Accustomed from hel
childhood to tales of heroism aud dan.
ger; chivalrous feeling had grownup in
her heart-an admiration OF all that was
noble, and brave, and generous. And
when the enthusiastic girl dreamed--as
the young are apt to do-of unborn
hours, and of an ideal, whom she might
love. ii was always of scenes of high
souled devotion and lofty sacrifice, and
OF hero sans peur ct sans reproche,
winning deathless glory in the battlefield,
and twining unfading laurels round a
name which every lip should praise; but
love was to her but dream 10 whose re-
ali,y not all the wooings of her numerous
suitors could awake her, when, on the
night this narrative opens, her father
words struck deeper cord in her bosom.
And 1t was with the feeling that it was
a great sacrafice-yet not for this the less
readily or sncere--lhat she consented to
make her hand the reward of a daring
on which so many lives depended.
But she had thought all past and,
mingled with her sorrow for the suppos-
ed massacre, had been an unbidden
sensation of relief, though even she
wondered whether it was for good or e.
vii to her that her hand had been left un-
won. Now. however, all agan was
changed; she was still pledged, if he who
had gained the right should claim her.
Yet her cheek glowed and her bosom
swelled, and TO feeling that i. would be
a sacrafce stole over her. For did no,
every one speak the praise of Norman
Reed. And TO her orng and ardent i'm
agina,ion he already seemed the hero of
whom she used TO dream. Alas! none
of lhe yonng men who had been used to
court and datter her could ever have been
hero in her eyes. But romance is ev.
er ready 10 weave ats fairy web round the
unknown, and when Villa Thorncastle
laid her head that night upon her pillow
il was to dream of Norman Reed scarce
more brightly in her sleeping than her
waking visions. boz
Before the sunbeams looked i'm TO the
fort the following morning, score of
sharpshooters were ready to start, under
Stephenson's command, to cooperate, il
possible, with the Otiowas in driving their
hostile counirymeE from the woods.
"And what am | to say to Norman
Reed!" asked the Heulenan, of Villa,
with frontier bluntness, as he took his
last cup of coffee from her hand. .Shall
| tell him you are ready to keep your
word as your fathers child should do.
perhaps Norman Reed may no. wish
me to keep it, replied Villa, in low
voice, as she turned her head away.
Thorncastle laughed as heartily as his
lieutenant. Too many had at other
times asked his leave for their useless
wooing, for him TO doubt that any would
regard his beautiful child, and her fine
dowery aprize well worth winning. All
that he feared was, that she would lie,
youth pass by in cold indifference, and
be, at his death. left alone in that ne W and
disturbed region.
"Butie he should happen to wish it,
what then" Stephenson added, laugh
ing.
Villas color grew deeper, yet she
made an effort to answer firmly. "They
were no idle words spoke the other
night. | meant them then, aud mean
them now."
"Spoke like a frank hearted girl =
God bless you! Now I'm off," said
Stephenson, as he grasps her hands with
cordial mingling of admiration and fare
well. and ran down the block house stairs
to lead away his lirle band.
CONCLUSION NEXT WEEK.