Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-01-26

sacrifice
And with these words she arose and hurried d
the door, and opening it, hastily cried out before
her father had reached the threshold.
IA little while dear father; spare me littl
while yet"
aft is late now, Blanche" he replied stearnly
at lacks scarcely quarter of an hour of moor
now.s
"Spare me that quarter of an hour then,'' she
replied beseechingly.
'eThis is mere trifing, girl" he answered
esThis thing is to be dore must be done, and tina
being the case, it were as well done quickly
Once done, I know that you will never forget tina
you are Nerestan, never dishonor your race, Of
disgrace your name.'
"Never indeed'' she answered firmly "Bt
sure of that, never! never!'
"Then come-come at once. There is no hope
of avoiding this thing. So come along"
She knelt down before him.
ssYou have said often," she cried, "that you love
me. / know that you loved my mother, have
obeyed you hitherto in all things, l implore yot
now to grant me this quarter of an hour-I i'm.
plore it by that love, by that obedience, by the
soul of that mother, who had she lived, had moi
seen her Blanche in this strait"
81 am not so abjured as to refuse you. But to
what end this time?"
"To pray-to reconcile my soul with my Maker,
before-before-O!m my God, father, father!''
He looked on her coldly, he frowned on her,
and, as he turned away, said sharply:
rrT. e 7 1t
that find you in a different train of mind.'
"You shall find me,' she began; but he closed
the door, and was gone before she could finish the
sentence, and she gazed after him with wild and
painful smile, and concluded her speech by the
one word "dead.'
Then she knelt down before a priedtea buried
her face in her hands, and seemed to pray, though
the convulsive shuddering which shock her whole
frame, told a state of mind which scarce allowed
the possibility of rational prayer.
In few moments she arose and recovered the
dagger, which she set aside when she heard her
fathers step, felt its edge and point with her fin
gers, and then lifted her fine eyes to heaven.
zone little blow,'' she murmured, some short
pang. and then-what, whatl' She paused for
second, and then added sit matters not. Better
any thing, come the worst, than Adrian, than a
coward
She raised her hand as to strike, but dropped it,
saying, II will look there may yet be hope.',
At the same instant there rose from beneath
the window one short eager note, or mot as it is
called, from bugle.
She sprang to the window, and there, 20! Joy!
close in the shadow of the WALL so close that unless
exactly above him no eye could observe him, upon
a powerful Andalusian horse, sat tall, sunburned
cavalier, clad in the half martial custom of the
day, but covered from head to foot with mire and
clay of twenty different hues, showing the speed
at which he had rode, and the variety of soils which
be had traversed. There was blood on his spur
and foam on his horses bit and poitrel, and the
proud snort of the noble beast showed that he was
unwearied and instinct with fiery life and yigor.
Not SO, however, with the slighter and less high
bred animal which he held by the rein, and which
seemed already half exhausted.
The eye of the cavalier was anxious yet full of
hope and daring, and his quick glance met the
lovely face of Blanche bending out of the window;
a bright smile lighted up his face as sunbeam
will illuminate thunder cloud
He stretched out both his arms towards her, and
"Blanche, am yet in tme-say that am in
time, dearest"
ain time! in time!" she cried, clasping her hands
ioyously, 80, God be thanked, in time-but speed;
we must speed"
"Come then sweet girl; come quickly"
Her hand was already on the the latch of the
door, when the first stroke of noon changed heav-
lily from the castle clock, and as she crossed the
her fathers figure met her eye scarcely
ten PAGES distant, in the corridor to the left hand.
But she was quick witted, and her all was at
stake. With the speed of light she darted down
the passage to her right and before the lord could
conjecture what she was about, passed to heavy
iron door which crossed an intersecting passage;
shot the bolt with firm hand, and bounced down
the turret stair case communicating with post
ern in an outer wall.
But ere she made ten steps, she heard her
fathers voice shouting loudly:
"Treason! ho, treason! To the court! to the
postern Adrian, no to arms treason to
arms!'
And instantly the rush of many feet below and
without announced that she had little time to lose.
She flew rather than ran; she reached the stair
foot, and her hand was extended to unlatch the
postern door, when Roche en- Reginer crossed her.
"Ha, my sweet lady," he said, with his foul
sneering smile, "whither away SO suddenly? You
have mistaken your way little, allow me to lead
you back to the hail." and he put forth his hand
as if to detain her.
But she had not relinquished her dagger, and
with an eye of lightning, and hand as true as
steel, she lifted it. s-.z....sgz
"Back, sir! back, or you run on your DEATH !
meant it for myself, but back!' she said, more