Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-07-23


CHAPTER ".
In a parlor in the mansion, at the corner q
Fourth and West streets, Wilmington, might
have been seen Edith and slender girl with
faxen hair and high forehead, in deep CONVEX
sation. II was the morning after Joshua mad
taken his departure on his precarious Grand
The girl appeared to be aged about sixteen
years and was exceedingly delicate and fragile
Her high reflective forehead, and slight inclina-
ton forward, gave her the appearance oil
thoughtful being. Edith was seated in an
old faghioned high back chair, which doubt
less had once crossed the Atlantic, and the
young girl stood by her side swallowing every
word the old lady uttered. Edith proceeded
Fanny. it cannot be more than day, at
farthest. before Joshua will return in fact
his preseoe will not be required in Phiiadel-
phia any longer than he barely delivers his
message, and then it will not require but a
few hours to make the journey back. Besides
intend sending William with the chair to
meet him. and he will not have more than
and strong and If not interrupted by the to-
ries will soon bring Joshua home again. Ny
orders are that William shall proceed on TO
Philadelphia or until he meets lin, would
have sent the young man on horseback al
first, but knew that we were surrounded
with Tories, and that he would have been
made prisoner before he could have proceed
ed a mile upon his journey Thy fears, Fanny
are groundless. ! know that he is circtm-
spect-that lie will do nothing that will com
promise his character or place his liberty in
jeopardy. To be sure the road is infested
with Tories, which may delay him, while,
but he understands his business well enough
to pass them without much difficulty" The
fragile girl that we have introduced a. Fanny,
listened with marked attention to Edith. But
she was not at all convinced that Joshua was
altogether out of harms way-that lie could
pass the boards of Tories that secured the
country, plundering the Wings and destroy
ing the property Of unprotected families.
Fanny had dreamed the night before that a
great calamity had befallen her fathers fami-
ly. That the Rebbles had suspieioned her
father for giving protection to some tories
that had been committing depradations upon
the defenceless families the heads of which
were in the American army. Her parent
had stoutly denied the accusation; but they
would listen to no denial and their home was
fired to see if it were the lurking place Of the
tories. She awoke screaming fire. Sleep was
banished from her eyes for the remainder Of
the night. A. soon as she was released from
her family duties she visited Edith, to tell
her the dream. This accounts for the inter
view Of Edith and Fanny at such an early
hour ia the morning. When Fanny heard
Edith say that she would send William To
meet Joshua, the idea struck her that she
could accompany him, and it would be a re.
lief to her mind to know that he was safe
long before he should arrive at his home.
With that intention she closed the 'conversa-
tion by asking permission TO accompany Will
lam on lis journey. TO this Edith would
not listen, but Fanny persisted in her deter
mination to do 50. At length Edith consented
to the proposition with the instruction to b..
expeditions and not let the poor boy walk
any more than what was actually necessary.
Expedition was the order of the day. With
out consulting her parents Fanny made all
necessary preparations to prosecute the Nv
ney. Before noon William and Fanny pro-
ceeded in what might have been considered a
fashionable vehicle, in its day, at rapid gait.
The road that led from Wilmington to Phila-
delphia crossed the Brandywine at a point
near where Riddles factory, at present is To-
Gated. When theycame to the ford the stream