Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-06-28
VOLUME XVII.

they've afound IN" found him, found
whom ?-RachePs heart stood still, ooh
not him, not Maurice, good God, not him y
Then she felt as If she were praying fol
the death of another man, and besides was
it not better that he were the murdered
than the murderer?
Her suspense seemed to make her live
hours in the minutes that passed, before
the boy who had gone down, in his mad
excitement, to the pond again to see for
himself, rushed back to her.
1t was neither, Maurice nor Leverton, no
one knew the FACET was strangers.
The crowner sat upon the body" but
he did not elicit much There was a vague
rumor of man of the same height and ap-
pearance having been seen at --, ten
miles off, but it was a thriving and fire.
quented port, where many strangers came
and went, and nothing followed from the
clew. Old Lovel knew nothing of his son.
A night or two afterwards, however,
Rachel was sitting sadly at the foot of her
little bed the moon threw the shadow of
the quarries of the window-panes over her,
not breath stirred, when handful of thin
gravel was thrown gently against the win
dow. She looked out a dark figure was
standing in the moonlight, and she flew
down stairs and gently opened the door
Maurice was leaning sadly against the
dOorpost, but st the sight of her he seemed
for moment to forget his troubles, and
snatching hold of her he covered her with
kisses.
90 Maurice" she whispered as he drew
her into the little orchard, where they could
see all round what has thee done p
Where's Leverton ?"
" Dost ask first for him, lass ?" he an
swered sadly. He's all right, for aught
know"
Dear, thee should remember ighbors
say thou hadst killed he, or he thee, or both
yon stranger"
Nay, | know naught O any stranger,
nor O. Leverton either. He's hiding,
watching for me- I'll be bound ; he we agot
whatll send me to prison any day l were
a-coming home cross the beech grove, Just
awhistlin' and thinking o thee, when l cum
across a snare and hare in it. | never
laid it, Rachel. I'd aswore for thy sake to
give up poaching, but flesh and blood can
not stand hare in on, s path, and a took
it out when out lept Leverton and dree
more. He could MT beat me running" he
said, with a bit of his old smile but,
there he has his proof I'd go to prison an
it would win thee, but thy grandfather
would allus be acasting it up to me and
Pm acum to tell thee thou'rt Free" and he
shook with his own deep sob "Thou must
ma think O one as will not know where to
lay his head"
NAY" said Rachel, very quietly and
steadily, Pm troth-plighted to thee, Mau-
rice. feel all one as if we were married
i Summerhurst Church. Fll not leave low
ing thee nor forsake thought of thee till
death do US part. If thOu'st courage to
wait, come and seek when The storms be
| overpast, and thou'lt find me the same"
He took her iii his arms again. "Thou'rt
true and holy, like the angel in the church,
Rachel, and Pm ma worthy O. thee God
bless thee and reward thee"
AS they stood under the fruit-trees the
white petals showered on them like snow
in the light breeze their hopes seemed
falling as fast under the moonlight, which
looked TRANQUILITY down on their sorrow.
Art thou safe here 2" said Rachel at
! length.
No; nun be gone," he answered,
peering anxiously round. Leverton will
leave no stun unturned to catch me, and
he'll seek me sooner here nor anywhere
God bless thee, darling, true heart and
brave " and he disappeared in the shadow
Of the great trees.
A woman's share in such partings is
much the hardest man has to do battle
with life, and cannot brood over his sor-
rows, while with her cit walks up and
down with her, sits with her. lies in her
| bed and talks with her" AS she crept up
stairs she felt stunned. Her life had made
plunge, indeed she felt ten years older
than four short days ago. Leverton had
altogether vanished. The nine days won
der Of the murder and the disappearance
of the two young men died away; the
rather stolid life of No Mans Land did not
trouble itself about anything for very long,
and except to his father and Rachel, poor
/ Maurice was as if he had never been. The
days went on long and drearily to her. No
one can conceive the utter solitude of dn
outlying cottage in so thinly peopled a dis
trict, and " if it had not been for the little
white hen," Rachel thought sometimes she
should have gone out of her mind.
Maurice gave no sign he could neither
| Icdu uOI WIlte. Inc pOSIS were SLOW anu
uncertain in those days, and rarely used
Rachel herself could not write, and only
d" read in Bible and Prayer-Book" Any one
who has had much intercourse with the
poor knows how, in almost every family
there has been lost one never heard Of
since his departure into the wide world
and expected vainly and patiently some
times /" a matter o fifty year"
At the end Of about three years there
was dull booming of cannon heard from
Hurst Castle, Portsmouth, wherever, il
short, there were forts in reach, and We
hement ringing of bells at church, where
they heard there had been a famous vic
tory; and later more guns and more ring
ing for the peace after it. Also, six weeks
after, the only result of it that seemed
much to concern No Mans Land, viz a: Lev
ertOn's appearance. He had been seizeC
by press-gang he said, and sent off i'm
mediately to a distant station, and only re
leased when both ships and men were dis
banded
a few days after he appeared at the
clerks. Unwelcome as he was to Rachel
she could not refuse greeting and con
graduation in such circumstances, particu
larly as he looked i'll and worn and de