The New York herald., 1863-08-16

VtSlt9 on the myoS souiAo o's"-e.~' S" -
certain garden gate, and hls sersQaaes under :
oertafn window. they knew that q certain affair
was arranged. and some maciously said that
"that young lawyer was % sure Of them niggon
as il he had them in his pocket"
The glorious summer passed away, and the gold
en- autumn. and with the approach Of winter tho
old Squire Fitzwilliam being called to Richmond
on some business with the Legislature, and Mar
low ON some business with the courts Miss Bette
discovered that she had many little purchases -
make OF various odds and ends for her winter AZ
ings. which could not be procured short of Rich.
mond or Washington. OF course the Squire could
not refuse, and she accompanied him and the law
yer to Richmond. There, at masked fancy dress
ball. in the character OF King Lear, harlow wss
90 irresistibly attracted by . fair and unknown
Ophelia or by the basket Of wild flowers apon her
arm, thathe danced attendance upon her % upos
new divinity. The discovery that OpheIia and
Miss Bette had been playing under the same mask
only treasured him that she was his destiny, and
that he could not escape her, whatever the dis
guise she might assume 1t was the most agree
able night of his fe and If he were to live hun
dred years, and forget everything else or for
swear everything else Of the past, he could never
forget those wild flowers nor the pure and supreme
happiness which Bette, as the heartbrokea
Ophela, had Afforded him as the miserable King
Lear. tl
But the old Squire, whose eyes had been neatly
shaded all this time. began to discern on his re-
turn home the real situation Of affairs: and from
the moment his eyes were opened his house was
closed against "the impudent, fortune hunting.
crack Drained adventurer" and his bouquets.
But young NARROW and his fairy were not thus to
be bafled. They met in spite Of the interdict and
the vigilance of papa. His opposition, in fact, dis
PEELED the doubts and the indecision Of the young
lady as to the time when and the place where the
great event should come on. Her generous nature
rev0lted at what she considered cruel injustice.
1t would be the basest treachery. to desert her
faithful worshipper now, and she believed it her
paramount duty. "for better or for worse." to ad-
here to him and to share his fortunes.
A Gretna Green expedition to Washington was
arranged between them, and they were to start
from the sulphur spring as their base Of opera
tons. The morning was appointed-the bride.
groom elect would be on hand not later than the
first peep Of day. with swift footed steed each for
himself and lady, and with two attending mounted
cavaliers. a.d the Squire's own faithful mulatto
body servant, Bob.
The appointed morning came. the day dawned.
the lady, in 1utter Of anxiety and expectation,
habited and hated for the journey, looked from
her window down the high road and up the road.
but looked in vain. The sun rose; still he came
not. Then there began to be strange whispers
about the house. She OWNED their meaning. She
knew that something terrible had happened. and
made no more a secret Of her hopes and her des-
pair. A few hours later NARROW. PROSTATE and h
an inssnsible condition, was found mile or two
distant on the wayside. He had been waylaid
and beaten until his assaiIants had supposed him
dead. He was taken to his quarters in the village
and tendery cared for. After weeks Of suffering
from his wounds and from violent fever. he slowly
recovered; but, alas! poor fellow, when able agaia
to travel his mind was 80 disordered that It was
found necessary to send him-msy we not say pack
him oG.-to q lunatic asylum. Twelve months
passed by. and it was reported that he had e.
capped. and next it was believed that he had besa
drowncd; but after the lapse Of twenty years. %
changed in features. figure. voice and costume -
to defy recognition, he returned to Warrenton.
Meantime Miss Bette, after mourning his ion
for reasonable period. had, like sensible wo-
man. accepted the Offer Of rich young farmer q
the neighborhood, had married him and become
the mother of numerous family. including .
bearing her name. At the time of Marlow's rs-
turn this daughter. also married woman, and re-
jocing in the exuberant happiness Of mother
over the first toddling steps Of her 6rstborn, was
on visit to her grandpapa, the old Squire. She
was playing with the baby on the grass near ths
garden gate, when our outlandish hero approached
her, and. with an inquiring expression Of counts-
nance, remarked
81 have been on q long journey; have had .
long sleep and dreadful dreams. know not half
the places where have been nor how I have re-
turned, and need not tell you why. I have been
TO my happy hunting ground, however, and have
gathered you still another bouquet. You will ac-
cep. il, dear Bette, and in the moraing, il caa
procure . new outfit shall expect to find you Ct
home. l shall be entirely well in the morning."
As the unfortunate man was advancing with
the bouquet his attention was drawn to the child
standing by its mothers side. when his whole
frame was convulsed - under some terrible shock
In . strangely excited manner bat in . very
husky voice, he exclaimed:-"Do umierstanl
this mystery, You could not wait any longers
You are married Il II not sou
/" To be sure am. old man; but what il thss
to you There is . quarter for you. You are
hungry. II will get you some dinner DOM
waste IL In liquor. Now 60. Take your bunch of
weeds along with you, and remember. before yea
come here again, that Ponto is always on guard"
And. so saying, the lady, with the child, turnedts
wards the house.
From that day, they tell me, the hermit Marrow
has been the unhappy creature that you find him
now. Tho Bette whom he saw was to him his
fairy and his Ophelia Of twenty odd years before
In the confusion Of his troubled brain those twenty
odd years had been reduced, perhaps, to as many
months. Thus overwhelmed with her fathlea-
ncss her heartlessness and crsslty. this poor mss
became our hermit lunatc, dividing his time be-
tween the gatherins Of nowers for his Queen Of
the Fairies, in which employment he sings his
snatchcs Of old forgotten son9s. and in his inco-
herent threatsnings q impotens revenge against
faifhlesa WOMAN