The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-12-20

lace 10 1acA with tail, athf6tIc and
powerful MIN of about forty years, who
invited hing to enter.
j The furniture of the room into which
/ Michael was ushered, was of the most
costly aud luxurious description. In
decd considering the time and condition
of the coupSfy, it might have been es-
teemed elegant and tasteful. Rich ear
4 pets of rare manufacture yielded to his
! tread as hesSssed along, and polished
mahogany tG9lcs with skillfully carved
arm chairs n oak, met. his view on every
side. a beautiful clock of most cost
! ly style, ticked upon the mantle board,
which was elegantly ofna'nfented with
vases of pure alabaster and costly be-
Jo'steyle of exquisite workmanship. So
4 rich indeed was the apartment furnish
ed, that Michael could not rerress a
glance of surprise and wonder, when he
compared the interior of the apartment
with the mean dilapidated appearance
of the building from without. His ex-
preston of wonder and astonishment did
not escape the observation of his host,
whose smile. as he remarked it might
have seemed to arise from gratifed vani-
| ty, but for the expression of seorn and
bitterness by which it was accompanied.
Advancing to chair pointed out to
him at the farther side of the fire place
Michael seated himself, while the indi-
vidual who had admitted him into the
house, resumed his place at table a
few feet distant, just in front of the fire.
place and busted himself among a pile
of papers which lay before the entrance
of our hero.
But these two were not the only ten
ants of thereon. Immediately before
our hero on the opposite side of the
hearth was q small wiery, pug-nosed,
red-heads2, ferited little individual, who
from the first moment of the entrance
of Michael had fixed upon him his di-
minutive grey eyes, with an impudent
wondering stare. His pantaloons, that
seemed to shrink back instinctively from
any kind of intimacy with the coarse
and rude brogans that encased his neith-
er extremeties SO tightly encompassed
his spindle shanks, that his ever having
established himself in them could not
be accounted for by any process short of
liquefaction or hydraulic pressure. For
the scantiness of his neither garment,
however ample amends were made by
the huge proportions of large blue
overcoat, that hung about his body, like
the ship sails around the mast in dead
calm.
The other individual who sat with
seyerll papers scattered before him,
-whfeh ne 1s.Ss affnIiE z, as nurficdiy
glanced at their contents, was evidently
man who had seen somewhat of the
world. Though not an Unlocking man,
hisphysiognomy was certainly not an at
tractiyc one. His heavy brows, and q
certain sinistrous expression in the
glance of his eye, which seemed to shrink
beneath the calm quiet gaze of our hero,
caused him 70 regard him somewhat un-
favorably. HIS eye fell whenever he
casually encountered the glance of
Michael Our hero did not fail to re-
mark that be started, and with an ex-
olamation of surprise, glanced hastily
and suspicioualy towards him, as his
comrade left his seat, and hurriedly
whispered few words in his ear. A
sense of Insecurity, and presentiment
of danger began to steal over Michael,
for he was greatly apprehensive of hav-
lug LdAACu III UpulOu6 IOTlC6y
whowere aware of his part in the contest
with the mother country. Descending
his uneasiness, however, he manifested
no symptom of distrust or suspicion.
meantime the storm was raging in all
its fury. The old house rocked and
tottered In the gale as though its decay
ing timbers were about to yield to the
shock of the tempest, and be driven by
the Storm
SAs wild as was the contention of the
elements Michael felt that It would have
been far more prudent and safe to have
encountered the tornado upon the high,.
way than to have placed himself il1e
measure, in the power of two reckless
men who might belong to that class of
desperadoes, who under the name of
loyalty to distant monarch, perpetra-
ted the most repoltingand heiious crimes
At the time of which we speak there
existed between the wings and tories,
the most unsparing enmity The blood
of war was shed in peace with cool aud
fiend-like atrocity, and the foyalists as
they termed themselves asked no other
excuse for their deeds of blood than the
victims of their sanguinary cruelty ad-
hered to political creed different from
their own, and were animated by an un-
utterable devotion to their country's in
dependence.
Michael already began to suspect that
the two individuals before him belonged
to that reckless band of narauding to-
ries that invested the country, and he
well knew that if his surmise proved to
be correct, his safety would depend up
on his concealing from them the part he
had taken in the struggle for independ-
ence. Such being his apprehensions, he
was determined to take advantage of
the first pause of the storm to Withdraw
from the shelter ORA roof, which offer
ed so precautions hospitality, and
make his way at once to the end of his
Journey, where he might rest in safety.
Well my friend,n began the better
looking of the two Individuals, thrust
ing his papers into drawer, and taking
his seat in front of the fire. e-place, g see
you have not escaped without wet
jacket. Join me in a social glass, and
it viii not be the worse for your health.
Here, Stoker, set out our decanters and
glasses upon the side-board."
Stoker bustled about to perform the
bidding of his superior, looking for all
the world in his immense blue over-coat
like some diminutive dog emerging from
under a carpet All three were soon
standing by the side-board with their
glasses filled.
s'' give you toast" said Michael IS
host with meaning and malicious smile
as he raised his glass -" His gracious