Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-04
HARLEY HARTMAN:

Y HARLEY HARTMAN
The snagge-s Of Memphremagos
Tale of the canada Border counterfeiter
-~.e~-..se. .e-~4s-s
CHAPTER XIV
RECOGNITION
When Alice reached Rolph's quarters, sh
found him lying upon his cot, "A bandage wa
bound about his head his eyes were red an
swollen, his hand pressed his forehead and TEN
pies, and an ll-suppressed groan which he oc
easionally uttered, sufficiently indicated to he
that he was suffering severe bodily pain II
was too much abstracted by his own trials t
observe her presence, and she, without waiting
for her services to be required, deposited th
provision she had brought and applied herscl
Forthwith to q careful tendance of the suffering
man. He submitted quietly to her carea, anG
whoasle hld removal tha blnllg9 from his
had; applet co)lins dralsati t. his hot tenn
plN; a1tt1 t1,ptin WIS partially as3llg1l, the
gaze he had fastened upon her as she stood neal
him watching the result Of her efforts, becamf
more and more earnest and searching, as the
retreating pains lent more intensity to his Wis
ion, and more power Of concentration to his
thoughts. There seemed to Alice to be an ex-
preston Of generosity and gratitude in his look,
and yet another expression. more intense. vet
wholly undciinable, more full Of meaning, vet
TO her all vague and utterly incomprehensible :;
and while it pleased and thrilled, yet it per-
pl'xM her, for its uncertainty. The workings
OF her mind were visible in her eouptonance and
in the look she gave him back and these added
keenness to that strange, earnest, and pleasing.
gaze 1t was evident that Rolph was indulging
some kind, and very grateful thought.
Afraid to speak lest she should disturb the
t'a,r of his thoughts, yet anxious for th.ir de :
veopm lat; Alice, with an unlff .ctad air of
sympathy presented him the broth, of which he
partook sparingly, yet gratefully, and with ap-
parent relish While he was refreshing himself
VITA the 10 'd sAs rendered, Alice, with dclica-
cy which seemed to imply wish for diversion,
Begin to busy herself with littl, hous ,bold
cares, and theregulation Of his disorlered room.
All these movements Rolph watched h,tentlv,
as If there was something peeuliar in her man
rlsr OF performing heusaheld abors, and when
her eyes met his as she occasionally bestowed
fartivo glance, she observed the sam, kind look
mingled with an enquiting air. She was sur- !
prlsI by his changed demqanor, and no less |
surprised than oyerjoyed. She had been accus- |
tom,d, when she had met him hitherto. to look !
upon him as cold, relentless man. having no |
sympathies in common with mankind; and one
who7' feelings had b,on embttered by aisfor-
5un, till ftful passion, or wild frenzy, had |
naarped the empire of his mind. She had in
dulgod toward him neither hatred, nor respect
but fear as of one who wAs swayed by tumul-
tuous passion, or vindictve hatred toward real.
Or imaginary foes, and whose powerful frame
would woll-nigh enable him to execute whatey-
or his will should command.
But now that his sternness, and sulen air,
had given way to a milder, and more natural as
p9ct' and she had opportunity to view, and
time to contemplate him without fear she be-
gan to descry, one after another, signs of sim
5uar comeliness in his features. and her bcort ,
'agan to Hutter with strango emotions. What
ne peculiar state of feeling presaged, to which II
'ota were subject, neither could divine. Rolph k
aw, Or fancied he saw, something in tbe I
eatures. or the manners, or the action Of Alice.
hat turned his mind backward over a long Sc S
les OF years, to the home of his earlier days II
tue wife OF his bosom, and the children of il
lls love. Was it a phantom? He could not t
'clleye 50. Was he crazed? He would not adj h
lit it. Yet what did he behold in the fair.
are beng before him to remind him Of his a
arly home? Nothing palpable nothing spe- p
lllc; identical nothing to which he could d
ffx material form, or a definite image. in bis II
llnd. Again the thought recurred. as he p
rove to realize what he seemed to see, was his a
yc sight dim, Or was his mind partially es-
'anged that he could not comprehend what he s,
wv OF that what he fancied he saw was a te
'ere phantasln Of the brain Who was she?
Until the instant that the last enquiry sug- sa
estad itself to his mind. not even the most re- til
ote thought occurred t) him, that Alice might
his daughter. Then it seemed to him to be a
We possibility, but not one probability in ten is
ousand to afford such presumption. Jr
Aiice was lost in her eG1rt to determine what be
range spirit had overcome her, thus to sum- ha
on 50 abruptly from the deep wells in her 81
art, tender emotions toward the mortal an. re;
ny OF her brother, and one who had treated gel
: only with rude insult and contempt tn
let sac reJolced that it was 50. She reoiced an
at her heart Was 80 moulded and fashioned lils
AZ she could conform to the rule, " Do good to sti
en- that hate you,' and as she approached ioi
Jpn 70 remove the vessels in which his food
Is served, smile indicative of u pure. and tn,
waited Joy' the result of this, and other SEN c9I
hents combined, was beaming in her f,ee. ne
Jpn nal ss+n just sdch emanations ON anotb ar mi
intonance full fifteen years before. Imnul- de-,
ely clasplng her hands in his, and looking up KIN
her face as If his hopes of Heaven were hang
on her tongue, while his eyes filled with the
LIS, and his utteranee was partially choked it
the name of Heaven, my dear child,n he vii
d, -" what is your name?, kn
Markham" she replied, and it was all the I
wer that her surprise ut his extraordinary the
nner would then admit. ran