Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1854-10-28

tar, The marriage should be broken off
This threat was very painful, as showing the
i'll feeling which sill existed in Mr.. Hays mind !;
but as Alice knew tha, her lover never played, it
soon ceased TO vex her, and she began, with great
Joy aid easerness, TO make preparations for her
marriage.
"Now, whether it was that Alice being his ia
vorite child, he could not bear the prospec, ofpart-
ing with her, and Sc repen,ed the consent he had
given, cannot tell but certainly my uncle grew
more morose and strange in his manner especially
towards Major Ridal. who being very proud man
could scarcely BROOK The way in which he was
! received. Sill, however MT. Hay might regret his
compliance, he was too much man of honor TO
withdraw it, cxceptin the event he had lairly VAIN
ed them OF, and which Alice lelt certain could nev.
| er arise.
~ ought, perhaps, 10 have said that my uncle
was very unpopular person, especially with
young people, who thought he had used Alice and
Eyda! very cruelty; and many knowing his horror
OF gamblers but neither the threat 10 Alice, nor The
misery that would accrue TO her in The case her
father suspected Major Rydal of playing, would
have gone 10 almost any extremity 10 torment him.
was talked of so much that al last it began to as.
sumo dangerous shape and from being spoken
OF as dislike OF his, came to be whispered about
as habi, OF his intended scn-in-law
mo one Of course asserted it, because no one
could trace whence or how the rumor had risen,
but every one hinted it; and at last, one day after
large public dinner, that report reached Mr. Hay
"All that was said vague and lille enough :;
but, heated with wine it was sufficient TO enrage
and decide preiudiced man like my uncle, who
went home commanded his daughter 10 break off
all communication with the Major, and then wrote
TO him, Withdrawing his consent to The marriage,
and forbidding him not only to enter the house
again, but 10 hold any correspondence with his BE-
| rothed.
As you may suppose, this was terrible blow
TO both Alice and ber lover; the happiness OF each
was bound up in the other and proud though he
was the Major made every effort 10 soften and
concale Mr.. Hay. But in vain; my uncle had
never liked The handsome soldier; never forgiven
himself Tor the consent hs had vcuchsafed and be.
leving all lAe while that by this inAexiby he was
consulting his daughters welfare slurtiily refused
to listen to word. For long time this was car
red so far that neither OF the parties most deeply
and nearly interested, knew The cause OF the sad
and sudden change which had fallen like a blight
| upon their happiness; bnt at last Major Rydal did
learn The reason, his Indignation was boundess-
Positively and haughtily he denied The charge, de-
manded the names ofks accuSers and their proofs
and when Mr. Hay refused 10 give either, urged
Alice, with all the vehement passion of which he
| I,,IG
wickedy broken, and keep her pledge, even il her
! father violated his.
" But Alice, although she loved he5 berothed
with all the truth and iahfulness other nature. was
| too gentle and duuful child TO seek even her hap
Pness al the expense other fathers. And there
fore, although her heart breaking, and in part
ing with him she had so long looked upon her
husband, she knew hat she was bidding farewell
10 all earthly Joy, she did part, and listened 10 the
Majors passionate npb.aidrgs and prayers un-
shaken, though, as The event proved, no, unmoved
Frantic with rage and disappointment, unable
10 discover his enemies or dispro, reports which
| were even al the worst BIZ, vague and shadowy,
Nj jor Rydal exchanged with regiment under or.
ders for India, and within week Of his landing
tell scIim 10 yellow fever
q From the day the intelligence reached Eng
land, Alice who had never rallied from the shock
cfpar'ing, dropped visby and at last even her
father, to whom she was as the apple of his eye,
could not but see that she was dying.
"S!iIl, agonized and miserable as he was, his
conscience seemed tree from any selfrcproach, for
believing most thoroughly that Major Ryda had
been guilty Of that sin which above all others, was
inexcusabe in his sight my uncle persisted in
maintaining that he had but done a parents tuly
in preserving his child from marriage with gam
bier and that, sad was her fate now, it was in
lini'ely preferable TO that which, by his means, she
| had escaped
" II was strange, seeing hoe completely his ,lar-
ling's happiness depended upon it, That Mr. Hay
had never, after that FIST passionate night either
investigated the accusation made against The sol
iior, by lhosc If he had been candid and unpre.
JUDGED, he must haze seen talked idly and a, ram
dom, or suffered Alice TO know their names tina,
she might do so. But now that she was dying, and
implored him. by her constant dn'y and obedience,
to crafty her last request, and give her the mean.
choIy satisfaction of at least attempting TO exoner.
ale the memory OF her lover, NJ Hay could hold
out no longer !; and the words so idly uttered, so
terribly remembered were repeated 10 the dying
girl, with the names of those who had spoken
them.
"ht this crisis was sent for. My cousin and
had been friends from infancy, and now that had
| returned TO settle near her, she sent for me, and
telling me all, entrusted 10 me the inquiry which
was TO eIculpae or condemn the dead.
"Ah! young lady, what an inquiry that was
One halfth men whose idle words had done such
horrible mischief, had utterly forgotten that they
had over used them uniounded, and almost in
vented at the moment they had been forgotten as