The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-11-15

test, yet at heart favored the cause of th,
royalists, and ridiculed and denounced wha
he considered the folly and crime Of thu
wings in entering into contest with the
mother country. The undisguised sent
ments of his fair step-daughter, who openly
rejoiced at every discontinue of the British
arms, but increased his dislike and hatred tC
the cause of Independence. On all occa
sions, even in the presence of the British
officers themselves, she fearlessly and warm
ly espoused the cause OF her countrymeD, tc
the great modification of Isaac Wharton, an
imperiOus and overbearing man, who coult
not endure such infexible opposition in .
member of his own house.
The visit of Michael to his house had long
since been forbidden, and latterly he hac
met his betrothed only by stealth, sometimes
at house of a friend, and at others in the
open greenwood-always apprizing her o.
his presence in the neighborheod, by some
preconcerted signal which she readily rec
ognized. Many stolen interview had taken
place between them, little suspected by hel
ungracious step-lather, who little dreamed
Of the artifces to which lovers will resort tc
elude the viglence of those who will sundel
them forever. ....-.
Michael we'll knew how anxously Dors
longed for his coming, and whatever dangers
beset his way, he seldom failed to hasten to
her side, when the public service permitted
his absence from the camp. Sometimes
his signal greeted her ears from the forest
near her dwelling, when the sun had but O
few hours commenced his course, and again
when it had sunk to rest, and the stars oil
heaven were shining brightly in the ilimit-
able vault sometimes not uttered from afar,
uuregarded and unrecognized,s save by herself
would cause her young heart to futter with
that strange sensation of delight only fell
by those who love passionately, and only tc
be experienced by them when after long
absence husband or lover returns to re.
pay them for the long vigil Of love.
The sun was within an hour of his setting,
when the line Of huzy vapor which had long
gan to grow dark and dense as it loomed up
!earlully in the distance, and the wind, (which
had lulled for near an hour, again sprang up;
but this time from the thunder cloud in the
west, in fitful blasts now surcharged with
vapor, and now hot and sulphurous as the
reeking breath of valcano. The mutter-
ed thunder began to groan and growl in the
west fearlully and deep, and with its wings
wide spread, the clouds rode wildly down
upon the gale, turning day into night as its
black shadow rolled over the earth. In
an instant all nature was was mingled in
confusion. The sheeted lightnings glim-
mered and flashed necessarily; the deep
toned thunder shook the earth with its ter
rife tongue and the tall trees of the forest
bent shivered and snapped in the gale-the
crash of their fall swallowed up and lost in
the yet louder thunders Of the believing
storm.
AS accustomed as Michael had been to
scenes of peril and danger, feeling of sup
ersttious awe came over MIN, and he felt
like frai and helpless creature of the dust,
in the contemplation Of SO imposing and ter
rife scene. The harrow pathway along
which he rode, stretched away through a
dense pine forest, and on every side the tall
trees were broken and scattered around him
like stubble before the wind.
Michael would fain have turned aside to
seek shelter from the storm in some of the
scattered habitations that lay by the road
| side, for the hurricane was now upon him in
all its fury; but his past experience had
taught him to act with cautious circumspec-
ton in country where civil war had loosen
ed the bands of society and set neighbors in
bitter and exterminating strife. Well known
through all that portion of the country as an
active and uncompromising whig, he was
equally an object of terror and bitter hatred
to all who were enlisted against the inde-
pendence of their country. Fearing lest in
seeking shelter from the storm, he might
unawares place himself in the power of the
tories, in whose hands his fate would soon
have been sealed, he hurried by dwelling at
ter dwelling, preferring rather to suffer to
| $l,o H. t1o 10 IL, folI Iss.r
into the hands of bloody minded and un.
scrupulous men.
As the road, however, emerged from the
forest into an open clearing considerable
extent, he found himself within few rods
of house which lay upon his right, too d.
lapated in appearance to render it probable
that he might there meet with dangerous ad
versaries. The rain too, was nearly upon
him, just as he reached the narrow lane
which led down to the building. Hesita.
tingly only for a moment he turned hi.
horse's head and galloped up to the house
turning his horse into the shelter Of an un
occupied stable, the door of which opened
into into the lane. Entering the gateway
where, half torn from its, hinges, the gate
hung obstructing his way, with few easy
strides he mounted the steps of the piazzs
that tottered under his tread, and raped
loudly at the door for admittance.
Il Everything about the place wore desert
ed and chaerless aspect, The magnificen