Litchfield enquirer., 1860-06-28

=. ike nln, TO TAKE Iue dIlS III us way, II
passing to or from bis own place of abode
Towards the close of the entertainment--that
is, somewhere about nine o'clock-the con
versation, among group of some dozen who
had remained at their wine, turned, first
upon the political character of the unfortu
nate member of Congress, and next upon the
very delicate one of his private personal
affairs. He was not, it seems, joseph O,
a Scipio-without, at the same time. com
hitting any breach of those minor morals
which not unfrequently supersede the grand
Since an Observance OF the former is found
to exempt most men and Gin some commune
ties most women, too, from the conventional
censorship Of public opinion. In short, at
the identical moment when he and his had
become the topic of conversation at the wine
table, lie himself was at supper with the
most beautiful woman of the place-the
Lais of the Hills!
Whatw exclaimed GLADDEN., "can it be
possible? He? I'll wiring that gem from
his Ethiop ear, before morningw
Well aware as his friends were of his char
acter, still they doubted as to his being seri-
GUS in making declaration like this; and
one of the party attempted playfully to parry
it. He was, however, silenced by the en-
phatic rejoinder.
"Sir! lie is not worthy of her. I'll take
her from him"
Saying this, he rose from the table. He
was now gravely demonstrated with by those
who, also rising, gathered around, as if to re-
strain him, by gentle violence, from attempt
ing to put into execution the perilous threat
for such Of course they regarded (which
he had though proper to utter Finding him
bent OH mischief, and knowing how useless it
would be to seek to reason him out of the
desperate project he had formed, one of the
party put gay face upon the matter, and,
by way Of banter, jocularly remarked:
"Gladdon, I'll wager you the finest horse
in these hills, that your undertaking proves
a failure?"
"Donew was tue response; Major Glad
don left the room.
The moon, broad and unbroken in it's ef-
fulgence, was looking down upon the hills,
lighting up two avenues of oak, that travers-
ed each other; while the most profound re-
pose reigned over everything.
In spacious garden, in the most seques-
tered part of the TOWN. for such, in fact,
was the settlement, "-exhibiting, in its ELL
tire circumference, the tall aud graceful out
lines of the poplar tree, like so many sylvan
deities guarding the enchanted spot--made
redolcnt by balmy airs that were dallying
with the rose and jassamine.--in broad
gravel walk that lay midway between those
realms of bloom, light be seen two forms
advancing, as with reluctant steps, to the
door of the mansion, into which they glided,
or, rather, seemed to melt from the eye
for all appeared Elysian enchuutment. But,
alas! upon those "realms of Faery" the
death wind was about to blow! The soft
pulsation Of two hcarts--or, at any rate, of
ome--was soon to be accelerated into the
wild throbbings Of terror; and the sweet
moon was yet to go down upon that happy
garden, transformed into tomb.
An absent air sat upon the delicate ira
Gerry of features, in which the soul, and not
the eye, read, as it were, the language Of
other worlds. Worlds it would not hest
tate to exchange for moments pressure of
any one Of those costly, rapture-breaihing
lneaments.
The gentleman, on the other hand, who,
though handsome, seemed as cold as marble,
looked pale, and was manifestly purturbed.
Had looming events cast their shadows
before?"
"He has returned to the Hills, you say"
"Yes!
And the two relapsed into silence.
This was suddenly broken by loud
knocking at the outer door. The lady rose
slowly to her feet, with one finger in express
sive pressure upon the lip. Her guardian
deity had left the room. The knocking was
repeated louder yet. She walked, with a
reserved air to the window, and, gently
opening it, askcd-"Who is there?"
Il! Henry GLADDEN.. Open the door, if
you please"
Impossible, sir; we have retired for the
night"
"Nay, open the door! Pardon me, Mad
anne, but if you do not, shall be under the
unpleasant necessity of breaking it open."
The gentleman within now thought it was
time for him to speak:
"You had better not attempt that, STRIP
care you there? O, then, shall GER
tainly come in"
The door,-subjected, below, to his foot as
to a prise, aud with the handle like an osier
wand in his strong grasp,-gavo way, and
Major Henry GLADDEN. coolly and deliberate.
ly walked into the house, whcre-bowing to
the lady, and apologising for his untimely
visit and the unseemly manner Of it-he took
his seat near table from which the wine
and cake had not yet been removed He
was in full military dress-only that be
wore richly-mounted Turkish atagAam, (pre.
sented to him in 1925 by Achille Murat,
and originally owned by the handsome
sabreur, his father which had the effect Of
imparting to very elegant person adorned
Tin all other respects at least) with scru.
pulous attention to propriety "a new and
striking aspect; or one, at any rate, that ap
peared to engage the attention of the lady
Filling glass, an expressive smile upon bis
lip the while, and bowling to her with a neg
ligent but not inelegant air, he made known
to her, in his peculiar way, the purport o.
his visit; and actually succeeded in SO far in
teresting her in it, that he might have been
seen the next morning, seated at the break
fast table, the lOcun teaens of the fugitive
member Of Congress, who, terror-strickea, had
abandoned his house, with all it contained
to the ancient enemy of his politics and bis
person!
So far, the wager had been won; the point
was carried. Further emphasis, however
was about to be given to it.
Ihe gallant Mosn. h. L:r