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

nearly rotted away at the base. Altogether
the building was as dilapidated and cheer
less as if it had remained untenanted for q
whole generation. .-..
His first summons failing to attract atten.
ton Michael knocked more loudly than be.
fore, and in moment after, firm and mas
culine step was heard advancing within the
aPartment-the door was thrown open, and
he found himself face to face with tall, ath-
letic and powerful man of about forty years,
who invited him to enter.
The furniture of the room into which
Michael was ushered, was of the most costly
and luxurious description. Indeed consider
ing the time and condition Of the country, il
might have been esteemed elegant and
tasteful. Rich carpets Of rare manufacture
yielded to his tread as he passed along, and
polished mahogany tables, with skillfully
carved arm-chairs Of oak, met his view on
every side. A beautiful clock of most
costly style, licked upon the mantle-board,
which was elegantly ornamented with vases
ofPure alabaster and costly hsiouterie of ex-
qulsite workmanship. So rich indeed was
thh apartment furnished, that Michael could
not repress a glance of surprise and wonder,
when he compared the interior of the apart.
ment with the mean dilapidated appearance
of the building from without. His express
ion of wonder and astonishment did not es-
cape the observation Of his host, whose smi e
as he remarked it might have seemed to arise
from gratified vanity, but for the expression
of scorn and bitterness by which it was ac-
companied.
Advancing to chair pointed out to him
at the farther side of the fire place Michael
seated himself, while the individual who had
admitted him into the house, resumed his
place at table few feet distant just in
front of the fireplace and busted himself
among pile of papers which lay before
the entrance of our hero.
But these two were not the only tenants
of the room. Immediately before our hero
on the opposite side Of the hearth was a
small wiery, pug-nosed, red-headed, ferited
little individual, who from the first moment
of the entrance of Michael had fixed upon
him his diminutive grey eyes, with an i'm
pudent wondering stare. His pantaloons,
that seemed to shrink back instictively from
any kind of intimacy with the coarse and
rude brogans that encased his neither ex-
tremeties so tightly encompassed his spindle
shanks, that his ever having established
himself in them he 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 several
papers scattered before him, which he was
arranging, as hurredy glanced at their con-
tents, was evidently man who had seen
L
looking man, his physognomy was certainly
not an attractive one. His heavy brows,
and certain sinstrous expression in the
glance of his eye, which seemed to shrink
beneath the calm quiet gaze of our hero,
caused him to regard him somewhat unfavor-
ably. His eye fell whenever he casually en-
countered the glance of Michael. Our hero
did not fail to remark that he started, and
with an exclamation of surprise, glanced
hastily and suspiciously towards him, as his
comrade left his seat and hurriedly Whisper
ed few words in his ear. A sense of in
security, and presentiment of danger be-
gan to steal over Michael, for he was greatly
apprehensive of having fallen in with un-
scrupulous tories, who are aware Of his part
in the contest with the mother country
Descending his uneasiness, however, he
manifested no symptom Of distrust or sus-
picion.
Meantime the storm was raging in all its
fury. The old house rocked and tottered in
the galeas though its decaying timbers were
about to yield to the shock of the tempest,
and be rven by the storm. a..r. .........,..
! AS wild as was the contention Of the ele-
ments Michael felt that it would have been
far more prudent and safe to have encoun-
tered the tornado upon the highway than to
have placed himself in a measure, in the
power of two reckless men who might be.
long to that class of desperadoes, who under
the name Of loyalty to distant monarch
perpetrated the most revolving and henious
crime. ... ..,- .... i.....r.
(To BE coNTINuED.) ...
Do AS You PRoMIsE.-There is no ne
cessity of breakingyour word. InAhe first
place, never promise any thing, unless you
know it to be in your power to fulfill; and
| Al 4 l.. s..1 l.