Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-04-02

ito fnd couple Of draymep carrying gu
trunks and boxes and Ida calmly super
intending the operation. s5 aol
"What does this mean, Ida27 De
manded Mrs. Holmes, in troubled voice
/! at simply means, madam" was the re
ply, "that can. no longer dwell with on,
whose respect l have forfeited, and unde
a roof that does not shelter nie from in
suit" .4-,,g1 ~, w. ~. - ~ 4
"My dear cousin r. Exclaimed Edward
with emotion, "do not leave us--or if yor
will GO" 'ipeli'7' iet5.a = ta11o
"Nay, Edward" said his cousin, inter
rupting him, sit is useless to urge me. ]
would desrise myself could consent to
stay an hour longer" ''e l7ad q A'e..
"But the misconstruction that IL will
lead to r Suggested Mrs. Holmes, who
began to be alarmed at the situation in
which she had placed herself.
"I care nothing for any misconstruc-
ton" Was the reply. "I have not es-
capped it while here, then why should /
fear that it may follow me hence 2--But
there is uncles carriage" And she bowed
formally and departed without another
word.
Warmly welcomed to her new home,
Ida's first step was to tell her uncle why
she had quilted the house of her aunt,
and, indeed, gave him candid and i'm
partial account of the leading incidents of
her life from the time she entered the fort,
up to that moment The old man looked
grave, and after pondering, for while,
the circumstances so naively related, re-
marked: afs
"Ida, my child, of your innocence I
have not shadow of doubt, but the
effects likely to follow the circumstances
you have detailed, cause me no little ap-
prehension. Some one is at work with o
fixed purpose TO destroy your happiness,
If not your reputation. Edward is the
dupe of some william, who has cheated
him into participation in his designs, and
that villain wrote the note and trained the
bearer, and, doubtless, also witnessed the
scene in the garden. If my suspicious
are correct, reports, of prejudicial
character, will be circulated throughout
the city. But never fear, child; will
stand by you, and no means shall be left
untried to ferret out the scoundrels who
are plotting against you. Your friends
may drop you; sneers may greet you,
where you expect smiles; but truth will
triumph in the end. Only meet the storm
with brave heart and clear conscience,
and no fear but you will weather it, and
be the more esteemed for the trials through
which you will have triumphantly passed.
Secure of the affection and confidence
of man so highly esteemed for his
virtues, and for the influence he welded
by means of his wealth, Ida was COM
forted and with such prop to lean upon,
felt that she had strength to bear up
against the censure that awaited her, and
in the mean time to profit by the lessons
she had learned. The storm did come,
and even Col. Mason staggered moment
arily under its force-so plausible and,
so well authenticated were the
ISLANDERS devised; but it was only necessary
to look upou the honest face of his neice,
and every doubt was removed, and forever.
Edward, too, stood by her, and strove
hard to win back the confidence he had
forfeited. Ida freely forgave him, and
treated him with her accustomed sisterly
regard, but he felt that never more could
he revive her former faith in his Justice
and truth. a1 eat 1a d-
One evening, in the darkest hour of her
trials, Ida's maid informed her that A
gentleman awaited her in the parlor. So
announcement startled her, and
fancy was Immediately active in surmising
who he could be that thus sought the
company of one whom society had ostra-
cised. OF Wilmer, she had heard moth
ing since they parted, on the frontier ex-
cept a vague rumor that he had been
killed by the Indians; and he alone, of
all her acquaintanees, she had thought,
would have the moral daring to set public
opinion at defiance, and acknowledge her
as friend. And of him, she now thought
mainly because he had been SO painfully
associated with the forged note and the
subsequent ISLANDERS levelled against her.
In perfect Ignorance of who awaited her
in the parlor, and with q feeling Of perfect
indifference, she tripped down stairs and
entered the room. One glance at the
n