Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-06-09

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virtuous young girl, az Iimid as she Is modest
to steal out of her mothers house at midnight
in order to come clandestinely to her lovers,
when only few hours more win confer upon
her the right Of entering Il openlyl What
mystery can be hidden under such an under
takingi"
"DO you believe that she loves you ?" in
qured the doctor.
"As truly as love her she has sworn it TO
me thousand times. '----,'-'--
"TranQuilize yourself, then it can mean
nothing that will afflict you. You will only
have to listen to some girlish confidence from
one who has already more reliance on you
than on her mother"
"NO-nO I" exclaimed IsidrO; " some storm
I ls inPending-sotne fatal secret remains 70 be
revealed that will prevent our marriage. But,
no nothing shall prevent 1t. Rather would
die thousand deaths than relinquish the fond
pFivil, ~ Of becoming Carmen's husband 7"
Th.1. Afler 4 pause of some minutes, during
which he paced up and down the room in the
! grcateSt agitation, ne resumed Doctor, you
are friend sent hither by Providence to sup.
port me In this trial; you must hear all that
passes between Carmen and myself, but un-
Rcen by her. Place yourself against that
hanging, which makes one Of the little Moor
ish arches that pierce the wall between my
room and yours, you will be able to hear dis
tinctly every word that passes between us,
and will thus become acquainted with the
powerful motive that leads Carmen to take 80
singular q step. Seat yourself there, extin.
guish the lights, and, above all, make no
movement that can betray your near vicinity.
must now 60 down stairs and wait for her
coming"
A few minutes afterwards, Doctor w. heard
the two young people enter the adjoining
room perceptibly and close the door after
them. The first words uttered were rendered
indistinct by the sObs Of the young girl.
You are astOnished," said Carmen, ct last.
You ask why come to your house in the
middle Of the night like one guilty or mad 7
1t is because fiovc you, ISidro, aud because I
will not marry YOU"
At this unexpected declaration Isidro ut.
tered cry Of indignation.
"Listen," continued Carmen, gently but
firmly, II will not marry you'll You must
fly, you must leave Ronda Immediately! My
heart would have broken had any ono but my.
self forced you to this fatal separation, or had
not been able to tell you-tO swear to you
that II is because love you better than my.
self that refuse to become your wife,"
Speechless with emOtiOn-i indignant at what
he supposed to be hcartless nystiHcation-
IsidrO remained standing before Carmen, una.
ble either to interrupt or reply to her strange
declaration. The young girl drew him toward
her, and forcing him to place himself on the
same armchair which she occupied, she passed
her arm round his neck and continued: I'VE
are both very young, IsidrO, and very inexpo.
rienced because VIC have been absorbed In
ILL IL
nothing but love in the world. Instead Of
which, another time life, and other interests,
bring with them other passions. Remember
your father and mine, and think what your
fortune is compared with ours"
"Wellf" calculated IsidrO, gasping, wells"
swell, my beloved" replied Carmen, ''those
rich pasture lands which constitute 80 great
part Of your wealth, formerly belonged to my
father. They were to have been my marriage
portion, they we're my mothers portion, and
ought to have become the patrimony Of my
brother, JOSE"
"Ycs, Carmen, know It those lands be.
longed to your family, but your father owed
money to mine far beyond their value; and II
they have now become my property, it was
because my father consented to accept them
as very insufficient compensation for the
sum due him."
"You are right, Isidro; but every thing
relating to that transaction il calculated to
wound my mothers feclings-thc debt itself,
and the way in which It was paid. But this
is not ell. There is blood between our two
families; and whose blood, great GOd!-my
fathers"
"ToO true, alasi my Carmen, but"
"Ycs-yes," interrupted the poor girl, ve.
hemently, ia worthless woman caused oil the
mischief! She was beloved by both Of them
both forgot they had other and legitimate
ties; they fought, and your father killed mine.
These, then, are the motives for the hatred
that must separate us; my mother and her chill.
dren ruined for gambling debt; my mother
deprived, in the flower Of her youth, Of hus-
band whom she Adored In spite Of his faults
her children made iatherless"
~ know It ALL knew it long ago! And
so thoroughly was penetrated with the jus.
tice of the animosity that was entertained by
your mother for my fathers son, that when
first those lovely eyes enthralled my heart, ]
despaired Of ever obtaining the blessing Of
your hand. But ct last your mother consented
to listen to my suit; she looked with pity upon
our mutual love; she nobly sacrificed her re.
sentiment to our happiness; and now in return,
all that possess will revert 10 her family.
cannot, alas restore to her the husband she
has lost, but can give her son who shall be.
come the most devoted and submissive of her
children"
"Oh, how mserably are you mistaken" cx-
claimed Carmen. Eyes, brought up as | was
to hate you--to execrate your very name--nO
sooner had love, despite those fierce prejudices,
crcpt into my heart, than foresaw, as you
did, that our attachment must end unf0rtu-
nately. What was my astonishment when
found that my mother encouraged i'll Thought
that your merits had caused her heart to soften
at last toward you, and that she was glad to
accept the rcparatiOn you offered her. And
why nOti II was not you who killed my faith
crit was not you who impoverished us all
But oh how great was our error when We be.
Iieved that such hatred ever could be extin.
guishcd-such thirst for vengeance die away
Know, then, 1sidro, that my mothers hate is
still so strong that your death alone could sat.
isfy it; that she OontemplAtes in you only the
offspring Of the man whose memory she exc.
crates. Know that IL brother Jose has not FL.
ready called you to account for the precious
blood split by your father, Il has not been for
want Of courage, but because my mother cast
herself at his feet, and besOught him to for
bear. She knew your strength, and the skill
with which you handled every weapon, and
she trembled lest she should lose . son as she
had lost husband. No-she aspired too ven-
geance more ceartain-a vengeance which you
placed within her reach, when you threw your
self into the arms that have only opened to
smother you. Tomorrow you are to marry
me, and from that forward your life will no
1numAu ha vo.,u ass. q UvslI hAlnnn An Ahnna