Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-05-10

prisoner was allowed to take the air for a GER
tain time daily, in the small court beneath the
walls of the tower in which he was confined :.
and this opportunity was watched, it would
seem, for the conveyance Of the communication
into the hand of the prisoner.
The conflicting struggle which had arisen
in Gerald's mind, now gave place to an over
powering feeling. He was determined at all
risks, and at whatever sacrifice to himself, to
save his father. The breach of trust-the de-
reelection from his honor-the probability of
being obliged to renounce the hand of the girl
he loved, if detected in assisting in a plot to
favor the evasion Of the old cavaer-all fad
cd before his sight, and appeared as naught
when compared with the hope of rescuing his
father from his cruel situation What the ma
ture of the scheme was which Lord Clyntons
friends seemed to be devsing, iu order to effect
his escape, or how far he could assist in such
a project, be was unable to divine But the
one thought was there, and mastered all-the
thought that, on opening the way of escape
before his father he shonld be able to saw.
Father, bless thy long-eStranged son it is
he who saves thee" The rest was doubt con-
fusion, and darkness.
Again and again did he tarn ever in his
mind thousand projects by which to aid in
the evasion of the prisoner. Again aud again
did he cndeayOr to conjecture what might
have been already purposed. All appeared to
him te be impracticable On the ono hand, and
Il mystery on the other. Already the con-
SciousHeSS Of his secret Induced him to look
upon every one with suspicious eyes, as an
enemy or Il spy upon his conduct. But most
Of oil Wit h0t ind yrl,i 4ol
ont his supposed rival at the object of pecu,
liar hatred, did he look upon Mark haywood
whose violent party feelings, and fierce Repub-
ican adherence Of royalty and the adherents
of the fallen royalty of England, had already
manifested themselves in such frequent out
breaks since his arrival as fresh recruit in
the troop-that Mark haywood who, even
now, kept watch over his fathers prison, and
might, if he discovered the packet which was
intended for the old mans hand thwart for
ever the only meals of the unfortunate prison
erS escape. And as this thought came across
him, Gerald counted in an agency Of mind,
all the possibilities by which the packet might
meet the seut;neIs eye. With beating heart
he reviewed, in Imagination, every leaf which
hid it, every oyerhanging branch which might
add to its conceament Bitterly did he re-
proach himself in his heart, that he had thrown
it back to his hiding place so hastily and care
lesSly uyon hearing the approach of the guard.
1t seemed to him that if the packet were dis,
covered, it would have been he who had de-
liVertd up his father, who had betrayed the
secret on which depended his fathers safety
The thought, however, that the evening was
closing in, somewhat consoled him. Etcrnally
long seemed the time spent in this mute agony
Of doubt. At length the hour sounded for
the relief of the guard, and Gerald's heart
beat painfully. Now he might learn whether
haywood had made the dreaded discovery
placed himself as if by chance in the passage
through which the guard had to pass with the
report to the Governor, and gazed with scruti-
niziug look iuto the face Of the young soldier
as he went by as if he could read all answer
to his dreaded doubts in those dark eyes Mark
Maywood's face, to which, in spite of its beau
ty, the closely clipped dark hair in roundhead
fashion, contrasting with the thick mustache
gave harsh and hard look, was stera, frown.
ing, and expressive o. that sullen severity
which was usually put On by the enthusiasts
Of the day. Ia such a case Gerald could read
nothing to djsSipate his doubts, bat everything
to strengthen them. Anxiously did he await
the return Of the relieved sentinel TO the guard
room. But when Mark haywood came at
last, he iuterchauged bat few sentences with
the older aud sterner Of his comrades, said
not a word to Gerald, and, taking a weIworn
Bible in his hand, flung himself on a bench,
and soon seemed lost in serious devotion. Once
in truth, Gerald fanced that he raised his eye
to scan him, as if with scCrn, aud then indeed
he first remarked that haywood twisted be-
tween his fingers a rose. For moment his
aversion to the young soldier, as an enemy to
be dreaded for his fathers sake, was absorbed
in his hatred to him as a suspected rival
That rose how had he obtained it Could
Mildred be so base as to encourage the hand
some young enthusiast, who in spite of his
gloomy character, had evidently, to Gerads
jealous eye, shown himself feelingly alive to
the attraction of pretty Mistress Mildrcd's
charms? For moment the feelings of jeaI,
ousy so completely oyerpowered all others,
thai he started forward to challenge the young
man TO account for the possession of that rose.
But again the thoughts of his father came
across him Such challenge must necessa-
rily involve him in a quarrel-a quarrel would
be followed by an arrest for breach Of diSci-
-pline-a confinement Of some hours, during
which he, who might have aided bis fathers
escape, might perhaps have left him to perish;
and swallowing with an effort all the bitter
feelings that almost choked him, he again turn
ed away and sought his hard couch.
Sleep he could not; or if he dozed. the
conflicting feelings of doubt, apprehension
for his father and burning jealousy, still fit
ted through his mind like troubled and tor
menting nightmare and the next day Gerald
arose with the earliest dawn, in state Of
mind the uneasness of which seemed intolera.
BILE. The morning broke-the day advanced
and as no new measures seemed to be taken
with respect to the prisoner, Geralds mind be-
gan by degrees to be relieved from its tremb-