Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-03-12


A report has been circulation to the effect
that we are to be married; but it is without
foundation, l assure you. And ifappear.
ances are to be relied upon, you will be
the first to enter the holy state of matri.
mony"
~ hope not" he replied. "My pros.
poets for such change are gloomy indeed
so much SO, that dare not indulge
hope"
"Well, her heart must be cold, indeed
sir, ifit can not feel all the warmth the
most devoted love for one who is about to
hazard his life for her sake"
"She may have father" he replied
with an arch smile, "who thinks such a
marriage would disgrace his daughter,
Would you, in such case, blame her2"
Ida was painfully embarrassed by this
remark, and dared not venture reply, lest
she might betray her conoiousness of its
fit application to herself. It was q random
remark, however, and would never have
been made could he have fore known that
Gen. Holmes had said as much to his
daughter, by way of rebuking her supposed
prediction for him. She feared that
Wilmer had, by some means, heard of her
fathers objection, and, if so, he must know,
too, that il was her supposed love for him
that called forth the utterance of that OBJ
lection She felt humbed by the reflection,
yet saw the impropriety ofsaying anything
that might lead him to believe he had
guessed the truth, when his remark might,
in reality, have been purely supposition
"Mrs, and Miss Elmore-the ladies of
whom l spoke-have neither husband nor
father" He continued by way of relieving
her embarrassment "and 1 hope you will
pardon me for supposing case, and ask
ing your opinion upon it. To you, alone,
have mentioned their names, and freely
would disclose to you their history and
my connection with them, but for the fact
that have vowed silence upon both points
until they are restored to their home and
their rights. The day is not distant 1
hope, when | shall have the pleasure of
introducing them to you, and if you are
still-but no matter-I am growing gar
rulous."
"Nay! Mr. Wilmer, insist on your fin
ishing the sentence"
Excuse me-" he replied. ~ was going
to say something imprudent and wholly
unauthorized by existing circumstances.
Should we meet again, it may be entirely
proper to explain what l was going to say,
or such a change may have been wrought
in our relative positions as to make it, then
as it is now, improper"
Before Ida could reply her father fell
back, and enquired whether she felt fati-
gued by her mornings ride, and if she
did not desire to halt for awhile. To both
questions, she gave an answer in the
negative. They had ridden about twelve
miles but so interesting to Ida, was the
conversation, of which we have recorded
a few remarks, only, that she was not con-
scious of the lapse Of time, nor of the speed
with which they had traversed prarie and
woodland. The point they had reached,
was an elevated one, and commanded an
extensive view in every direction; and
during the halt occasioned by the Generals
conference with Ida, Wilmer had time t.
use his pocket spy-glass in survey of thu
surrounding country.
| "What do you see, Mr., Wilmer" ASKED
Gen. Holmes, who had remarked the steadi
ness with which the glass had rested upor
two particular points.
, 81 see, he replied, ain front of us, Maj
S Dade with company of about fifty men
5 moving briskly in this direction and away
D off to the right, a large band of Indians
e going East--the first about two miles dis
> tant; the latter, perhaps, double tha
J, distance"
I "Then, let us hasten to meet our friendsl
d Exclaimed the General, with, exultatiol
in tone and look. And leading the way
$ at brisk pace, some twenty minutes foun
n the two parties exchanging joyful greet
n ings, and none more heartfelt than be
d tween Wilmer and Maj, Dade. The horse
were permitted to Craze, whilst the Who'll
J. party, congregrated in the shade, and i
y separate groups, interchanged question
n and answers. Ida's was the only sad face
F" and as this was attributed to indispoSitio
i and fatigue, it attracted no special atteu
it tion-indoed, she was not noticed, aftC
ir the exchange of salutatiOns, her fathC
lie being earnestly engrossed with Maj, Dad
a