The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-06-01

stand, but which she knew she did not
entertain toward Seth.
"Well," said the stranger, drawing n
long breath, :" am Derrick Van nam!"
A vague SurmiSe that such might be
the Inct had already enicIel the mind Of
the girl, and for nm Instant her heart beat
wildly; the next moment she brcamc
deadly pale. Derrick seized her hand in
both Of his, aud poured forth his p, oteS.
tations Of devotion in language TINT might
have melted hnlf-n dozen female hearts (;
but there is something unnrcounlnblr in
the wavS Of u woman, ana he who wnnld
trace out the winnings UC her heart must
he mnic profound philosopher than
nm for, although hut n Snnrt time before
she had been hoping aud lnn.il. fnr this
very occurrence, rs her only cnancc of
escape, yet now, when DcliicK stood he.
fore her. glowing with manly beauty Car
greater than she had expected, aud had
ventnrcd to utter the wm,;S which She
had been so anxious to hca,, she rec, ivcd
him with an mir Of chilling l., serve, and
did not fail to let him know that his boast
If wOoing and winning her hand had
reached her ear. Indeed, shr carried "Cr
iinpudcnce farther, for she concluded by
telling him that he might look for bride
among those who held themselves more
chraply than She did.
Dcrrick'S hopes, which had been hieh.
were completely dashed by tins sudden
change Of tone. lie was bold fellow
where hard blows and round knocks were
going on; hut his heart waS rs tender ms
n child'S. Her reception cut him to the
qniek for all that he had Of love. he had
umcnnSciou>ly bestowed upon her, and
what with dreaming aud p0ndrring over
her pcrfrctionS, he had become deeply in-
vOlvel.
Here was ali his ,lay.d cams scattered To
the winds. lie was a manly, faux hearted
fellow, who did not understand the ca
prices Of the little heart which was heat.
ing beneath the trim bmldrc b, fnre hlm,
nor could he iathom the glance Of the suit
vet mi>chicvouS eye, which Was already
Ir'rn,ing, MS il watched him. So he t0ok
l'r hand SpcciIully aS he sail I" sup.
p">c it was wrong To speak aS | did, and
yUu have done right tn tell me 81. | am
II stranger to you, and yet | have loved
you well. more than can ever love any
one else. should not have spoken ln
y"u to-day. but had heard that you
we've 10 hc married soon. against vnnr
will aud the time was 81 >hmt that
Jared not wait. Ii twould have brcu wi>,r
! if /! had delayed. G"od by"
, lie bent over her ,linplrd haul aud
pressed it to his lips. A. he drl 81 the
>"I'. warm ting,rS rla>pcd mis- own. lie
ln"kcd up; two dark eyes, moist with
. tears, were hraun. nn his face.
"Dnn't go. don't 20, was all she "ou'G
utter. The next m"lnent She gave way
To II parOXv>m Of tears and hurled ncr
face ia her hands.
Derrick was hrs;lc himS ',f. lie r, tier.
atcl his proteStatinnS "f attachment he
>wolr that he would never leave nrr he
begged her I" let him know the cau>c "l
h,r sorrow. lf there was ANYTHING She
would like to have done. hc would do it,
lf there was Anv one whom She would
like m have cXt,rminatcd, he would
>tranSlc him with pleasure; she had but
to say the word, for he was her most ab-
jrct slave.
Frcrlovc gradually became composed
under these assurances, and cnmmunica.
ted the cause Of her trouble - her ap-
preaching marriage with Seth Pinchon.
She said that matters were prosr, >>ing
with alarming speed.
1--WE arc to DC married in a week"
A week !" exclaimed Derrick, "lt'S
an agc. Ill marry you in an hour.
II cannot he 1enied that Smile Of sal
iSfactinn frightened the GIcc Of the girl at
the ar'lnr uf her youthful Suitur; and that
this hrahlonS mode "f court>hip was
playing the very deuce 18th the p' O>ntct>
! of Seth PinchOn. 1t is useless t0 dwell
upon scene where hnth were &c accord,
and nothing hut maiden mmie>ty prc-
vented the mailen fnm yielding To the
wishes Of her new Suitor. Still il was
agreed between them that this interview
should be kept secret, and that they
should meet ON the following day Ia drvi.r
means Of thwarting her father and Seth.
| The proprirtv Of makinSa II formal ,lcmand
Of her hand was suggested by Derrick,
but the girl seemed To fear that it misnt
prcccipitate her marir.e with Seth. M
conclusion was arrived at except that She
pledged herself to bccoms Mrs. Van Dam
ut all hazards.
Matters being thus adjusted between
them and sealed in due form. Derrick
j mounted his morse. which had been tied
To tree close at hand. and gallopel oil
to Maiinrc0ck 10 take TruniS Geldrr into
his confidence while the fair Frcelovr
stole back 10 her home with heart lighter
than it had been since the shadow Of
5, tn PinchOn had first darkcncd her
threshold. TcumiS listened To his conf,d.
crates story with kind Of parental in.
trreSt. \ feeling Of grim satisfaction
pervaded his bO>"m at the idea Of circum
venting Ehenezer aud his hard fighting
Son.in law. Yet for moment his rv"
was troubled, and placing his hard, brnWn
finger on the arm Of the yOun. man, he
looked full in his face aS he said; "Rr.
member! she is but girl; you would not
wrong hcr:"
Good forbid !" was the earnest reply.
"Tncn am with ynu. But you hal
better marry her without asking Ehene.
Ger. It would save much trouble aud u
great waste Of words. He's u very windy
/ fellow"
This advice harmonizrd well With the
wishes nf Derrick, AMI he concluded Ia
sleep an it anl to make up his mind in
the m"rnns. The result Of the night :
dcliheraIi0n was determination t. nhlaim
u second Interview with Frrcl0ve tn rrcou,
nnitre the Gr"uWd again, and tn hr guided
bv circumstances In the Meanti,nc, il
was necessary to keep = watrhlul Eve
over EheneZtr and Seth, for ut that time
u >pccieS "i law, administered in late,
days by Judge Lynch, was in vogue nn
the borders, aud DERRICK irlt that With
Ehrneztr and Seth aS Judge and jury,
anI himSclf aS culprit, thc law would he
risiliy enforced. lle was, however, n
per>nn nnt apt to trouble himself ah"ul
grievances which m,ght never ecur, and
besides, there was something pleasant in
the Iarr idea Of invading the Stronghold
II tho TIC -, and carry ing "tf their tn as
urr. Moreover, he was raised above all
pallry considerations of danger by the
-. l.. L. A.. a.