The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-08-02

dy and unsocial step.Ethcr, with whom
she continued to reside up to the date
OF our story. lnhcr'ting from her
father an ample and even splendid
fortune, yet without relatives or friends
i'll whose sympathy she could conlide,
the beautiful woman, now in her twen
ticth year, felt all that utter isolation
and loneliness Of heart so painful to
even the manly and sclfdcpendcnt,
but especially SO to warm hearted
and sympathising woman, whose heart
ycarncd for the tricndshig- and afcc.
tionatc companionship o; Dcr sex. even
rs the dying sazcl!c n the sultry
desert longs for the b., bling fountain
and the grateful sha > The mode
and circumstances Of her life had,
however, impressed upon her charac.
ter somcwhat Of the noble and gener-
Gus traits Of the heroine. Naturally
of proud, though gentle spirit, her
very habits Of scclusion, which in an.
other might have produced painful
dlftidcncc and timidty, had added
strength and sclt:rcliancc to her cha.
ractcr.
Her sorrows, poor creature, had Of
late been greatly multiplied by the
distractions which cnsucd from the
contest with the mother country
Entering with all the ardor of hero
inc into the feelings and sentiments Of
the patriotic and bold defenders of
Liberty, SO s"on as she could cumprc.
bend the principles upon which they
based ,hc:: :cs:stcacc e ;!.o :mv.:a:.
country, she uniortunatcl, encounter.
cd the bitter opposition Of Isaac Whar
ton, her step-fathcr, wnu, though dc-ir-
Gus of remaining neutral in the contest.
yet ut heart favored the cause of the
royalists, and riIicuIed and denounced
what he considered the folly and crime
OF the wings in catering into a contest
with the mother country. The undis
suisci Sc Iii ments of his fair stcp.
daughter, WHO openly r.loced al every
discontinue Of the Eritis,1 ARMS. but
increased his dislike aud hutrc9 to the
cause OF Independence. On all occa
sions, even in the presence of British
officers themselves, she ttarcsslv and
warmly cspoused the cause Of her
countrymcn, TO the great modification
OF Isaac " barton, an imperious and
overbcarinS man, who could not endure
such inllc>ihlc opposition in member
of his own household.
The visits of Michael to his house
had long since been forbidden. and
lattcrly ho had met his betro,hcd only
by stealth, sometimes ut the house Of
Il friend, and ut others in the opcn
grcenwood-aiways apprizilg her of
his presence in the nci shhorhood bv
some Preconcerted signal which she
readily recognised. Many a stolen
interview had taken place between
them, little suspected By her unr,a.
clous step.iathcr, who little dreamed of
the articles to which lovers will resort
to cludc the vigilance OF those who
would sundcr them forever.
Michael well knew how auyiousIv
Dora lonSed for his coming, and what.
ever dangers bcsct his way, he seldom
talcd to hasten TO her side. when the
pubIic service permitted his absence
from the camp. Sometimes his sip
nal greeted her cars from the forest
near her dwelling, when the sun had
Dut Il lew hours conncnccd its morn.
Ing course, and again when it had sunk
to rest, anu the stars Of heaven were
shining brightly in the il.imitah!c vault
some note uttered from at;.r, unrc
gardcd and unrccognized save by
herself, would cause her youn. heart
to fluttcr with that strange sensation
OF delight, only felt BY those who
have loved passlonately, and only to be
experienced by them when after long
absence u husband or u lover returns
to repay them for the long vigil of
love.
The sun was within an hour Of his
setting, when the line of hazy vupor
which had long lain motionlcss ON the
horizon began to grow dark and dense
rs 1t looned up te.rtulIy in the dis.
tance, and the wind, which had luIled
Tor nearly IN hour, again sprung up;
but this time from the thunder cloud
in the west, in litful blasts, now sur
charged with vapor, und now hot and
sulphurous as the rcckins breath of a
volcano. The muttcrcd thunder began
to groan and growl in the west fearful.
ly and deep, and with its wings wide
spread, the cloud rode wildly down
upon the gale, turning day into night
US its black shadow rolled over the
earth. In an instant all nature was
mingled in confusion. The sheeted
lighsnings glimnercd aud flashed
incessantly; the deep toned thunder
shook the earth with its terrific tongue
and the tall trees of the forest bent
shlvered and snapped in the gale-the
crash Of their fall swallowed up and
lost in the louder thunders of the bel.
lowing storm.
AS accustomed as Michael Ind
been to scenes Of poiil and danger n
feeling of superstitious awe came over
him, and he felt like frail and helm.