St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-23
BLACK THURSDAY,
THE RIDE FOR LIFE.
CONCLUDED.
A TR UE SKETCH.

We will not attempt to divulge theil
conversation on the way but will lei
the reader little into the mutual re
lations of these two families and these
young people. Miss Ellen Maxwell
and her brother George were the sole
remaining members Of their family
AS the nearest neighbors of the Pat
tersons, they had grown to be intimate
friends. George and Robert had beer
play-fellows in Van Diemen's Land
and here, where they had come in their
boyhood, they were school-fellows.-
Since then they had gradually grown,
from similarity Of tastes and modes
Of life, to be the most intimate friends
1t was not likely that Robert Patter
son and Ellen Maxwell could avoid
liking one another. They possessed
every thing in mind, person, and es
tate, which made such an attachment
the most natural thing in the world
Ellen was extremely attached to Mrs
Patterson, for whom she had the high
est veneration /; Ellen had received an
excellent education in Edinburgh,
whittier she had been sent to her
friends. In her nature she was frank,
joyous, and affectionate but not with.
out a keen sense of womanly pride,
which gave a certain dignity to her
manner, and a reputation for high
spirit.
All had gone we'll between herself
and Robert till some six months ago.
But, since then, there had sprung up a
misunderstanding. Nobody could tell
how it had arisen nobody except El-
len knew and whatever was the Sc
cret cause, she locked it impenetrably
within her own bosom. All at once
she had assumed distant and haugh-
ty manner towards Robert Patterson
From him she did not conceal that she
felt she had cause for dissatisfaction,
but she refused to explain. When,
contounded at the circumstance, he
sought for an explanation, she bade
HIM search his own memory and his
heart, and they would instruct him.
She insisted that they should cease to
regard themselves as affianced, and
only consented that nothing as yet
should be said on the subject, to her
brother or Mrs. Patterson, on the
ground that it would most painfully
afflict them.
Ellen, who used to be continually
riding over to see Mrs. Patterson with
her brother, now rarely appeared, and
proudly declined to give her reasons
for the change adding, that she must
absent herself altogether, if the SUBJ
ject were renewed. To her brother
she was equally reserved, and he at
tributed her conduct to caprice; bid
ding Robert to take no notice of it.
Ellen was not without other admirers.
but that was nothing new. One
young man, who had lately come into
the neighborhood, paid her assiduous
attention, and gossip did not failto at
tribute the cause Of Robert Patter-
sons decline of favor to his influence.
But Ellen gave no countenance to such
a supposition. She was evidently un-
der no desire to pique her old lover by
any marked prediction for a new
one. Her nature was too noble for
the pettiness of coquetry, and any de-
sire to add poignancy to goodness. On
the other hand. it was clear to the
quietly watchful eye Of her brother,
that she was herself even more un-
happy than Robert. Her eyes often
betrayed the effects Of secret weeping,
and the paleness Of her cheek belied
the assumed air of chserfulness that
she wore.
Things were in this uncomfortable
state at the outbreak Of the fire. 1t
was, therefore, a most cheering thought
to Patterson that, in her distress, she