Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-05-14
WHEELING, VA. MONDAY MORNING. MAY a. 1860.

royal personages Are addressed said
"My lady, Colonel Hastings's respects,
andhc awaits your lndyship in thelibrary"
"Yery well, Williams; go Gud say TO
Colonel Hastings that will attend him
Immediately" answered the lady. rising.
This quecnly woman, then. WAS Laura,
Baroness Etheridge OF Swinburuel For
ever and for ever unattNinable by him -
oh, dcspairl His castle in the air tumbled
all about him, and buried all his hopes aud
aspirations in its fall.
After greeting Colonel Hastings on her
| entering the library, Lady Etheridge took
| a parchment from q drawer in the centre
table, and handed it to her gnndiau. On
examining the document, the Colonel found
it to be deed of gift, absolute, of her
entire magnificent estate, to Albert Has
tings, her Intended husband. The Colonel
pretended much surprise, and refused to
accept the deed, alleging that such an act
might give rise to unpleasant criticism.
"Oh, Colonel Hastings there can be
no question of mine and thine between me
and Albert. The deed of gift that trans-
fers all my possessions to my future hus-
band is made out; let it be executed, He
shall then never be jealous of his wife's
riches, for she will come to him ms poor ns
cottage girl" exclaimed Lady Etheridge,
cheek and lighting her eyes.
Afterprotcstngs somewhat fartheragains
such noble generosity, the colonel allowed
himself to be persuaded to accept the
deed, and called in Cnssinove to witness
its execution in due form. The poor sec
retary could scarcely hold the pen which
the colonel handed him, so great was his
agitation. His employer could not help
remarking upon the unusually poor sigma
ture which the Italian fixed, as witness, to
the decd but little did the colonel or the
baroness knoV tie terrible passions that Icerc
Seething in the SCcrrtdry'S soul, OF the import
ant results that Mey ttere destined to bring
about.
We will now return to the bridegroom
elect, whom we left at the Swinburne
Arms.
Colonel Hastings had scarcely left the
room, ere Mr.. Albert Hastings arose,
stretched himself with weary yawn, and
the floor, murmUring-
''Men think me very fortunate and
happy man; and, doubtless, an unusual
number of good gifts have been shOwcrcd
upon me by the favor OF the blind god
dcss-not the least among them would be
esteemed the hand of this wealthy young
baroness, my bride expectant. Well, we
cannot have everything We want in this
world, else sweet Rose Elmer only should
be the wife of Albert Hastings. Poor
girl! she little dreams that the man who
has wooed her, under the name of Will
liam Lovel, is really Albert Hastings, the
cnvied bridegroom of the high-born Lady
Etheridge of Swinburne. 1t cannot be
helped. ! cannot pause for lndy's right,
or mnidcn's honor. Here, then, for a di-
vidcd life; my hand to the lady of Swim
burne-my heart to the lovely cottage
girl; only Lady Ethcridge must never know
of Rose Elmer and William Lovel, nor
must Rose Elmer know Lady Etheridge
and Albert Hastings. And now to per-
suadc Rose to go before me into Wales,
where myself and my lndy-bride are to
spend our honeymoon"
And so saying, he took his hat and
strolled out into the street.
Taking an opposite course to that which
led to Swinburne Castle, Albert Hastings
soon came to a cross country road, which
he followed some two miles, and then
turning into by-path, he went on until
he came to secluded and lovely cottage.
Opening the door of this elegant retreat
with a latch-key, he passed in. 1t was
lovely abode fit for the home of Al fairy
And for Il fairy Albert Hastings had had
it furnished. The fairy'S name was Rose
Elmer, and she was the daughter of the
village laundresS. Albert had accidental
" met her on one of his visits to the Cas-
tic, aud, as his soliloQuy, givenahovc, will
show, had fallen desperately in love with
her; and, under the assumed name of Will
liam Lowell, had won the beautiful and
innocent maiden's heart.
He had the cottage furnished, and was
that morning to meet Rose there, where
I,,l hu M m
Rose came Mt last; and soon as the
first joyous greetings were over, the in
triguing lover set to work to persuade her
to consent to secret marriage; as he well
knew, by thousand tests of character,
that he could never gain his purpose un'
less Rose believed herself to be his wife
His task was hard onei hut he finally
succeeded, by promising that she should
stay with her mother just the same, rs
long as she lived.
This was not at all that Mr.. Hastings
wished but neither logic nor cloquence
could convince or persuade Rose Elmer to
desert her ailing mother: and upon no 9TH
or condition than that of being allowed to
remain with her would she consent to the
secret marriage.
And, finally, lie obtained a promise from
Rose that she would meet him at the cot
| tnge that same night, where by previous
arrangement, his confidential servant, dis
guiscd as Clergyman, was to be in at
tendance to perform the marriage cercmo-
nv. After which, Rose should return to
her mother, to remain during the few
weeks of his absence in Wales, whittier,
he said, important business forced him.
This agreed upon, they took leave of each
other for a few hours. and returned to the
village by different routes. Mr.. Hastings
went to his inn, and summoned his conf
Dental servant to his presence. And Rose
Elmer, full of hope and joy, turned down
the street leading to her mothers cottage.
When Rose entered the house, there was
smouldcring fire in the CRATE, and beside