The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-04-11
THE aIIDNIGHT RIDE.

THE 8IIDNIGHT RIDE.
When / was sgoverness to the
daughter Of Jackson Noble, at the
opening of the war, was but twenty,
tall, slender, handsome and proud to
a degree of the good old family from
whence l came The one in which I
was domesticated consisted of Mr.
Noble himself, his son Rupert,
and the young lady of whose educa-
ton I=had CHARGE III
jackson Noble was a man whose
forty five years could not detract from
his powers of fascination. [ think
I neveri saw person who could so
speedily disarm prejudice. changing it
into the warmest friendship and re-
spect, as this man. From the day of
my entrance into his elegant home,
| looked upon him as something little
less than perfect: not because he
treated me with the most delicate
consideration although of course,
that had It's weight-but because of
what I considered his own intrinsic
merits. Z
It was lovely afternoon in Sep.
TENDER. -
T sat on the broad verandah sur r
rounding the house, book In hand,
but Il was not reading. ns
Opposite me, on a low stool, sat
Clara Noble, her head resting on her
hand and her blue eyes fixed dreamily
upon the beautiful prospect before
her. 3
As 1 looked at her, vague presen-
timent of evil stole into my heart.
Something told me, that the yellow
haired girl before me would, in some
way, work me evil. The next mo-
ment [ reproached myself for the
thought, and, rising, went to her and
kissed the ripe red lips. Z -
She smiled absently.
s",Whatare you thinking of, Clara ?"
Iasked, with some curiosity, for she
had grown strangely taciturn and
quiet of late.
She threw her small head back with
an expression upon her face whichs1
could not interpret.
"Of the End h"sf 81
I started involuntarily, and she saw
il. l..-iI !. - - -
ssWhatEdoeycu mean ?''-
You know, Miss Flower. Of the
time whenithelSouth shall be free and
the North under her feet. /"
'sY ou forget that | am Northern
s'No, 1 don't; but your sympathies
are with u.s. @E4a u
I turned away abruptly and walked
to- the. other end of the verandah.
How | ragged inwardly at the necessi-
ty which forcd me to conceal my real
sentiments! Had there been any'al-
tentative but death [ should not have
done so. The family and the neigh
borhood for miles around were fierce
secessionists. / had hoped, oh. how;
earnestly-as day by day glided by,
that the war, for we already called it a
war, would come to an end. But
there seemed no signs of such bles-
sed event as yet. +.
D sIstood still in the same places sazing
moodily at the flower beds before me-.
when [ heard footsteps coming up
the walk which led to the main enter-s
ance where Clara sat; then IA voice
which | knew but too we'll. 81
Where are your thoughts, Miss
dNoble?" hsEB e1eD0ss VTsA a
u There. was "a .tremor in the smooth
tones of Clara Noble, which she could
mot hide as she answered the gayssalu-
tation with a startled. You here,
Mr.. Rathel / thought you were.
fighting the Yankees hundred miles
from this placel"5 .eef.s ..sas afs
I1aH Il have had the pleasure of doing
so for the last month, but fortunately
Colonel Brown had mission for me
in this direction, and I have come to
gladden. your eyes for a day or two.
Am l welcome?" 49,.
1 Il heard Clara rise. from her seat
and walk with him into the house,
laughing and talking gayly. AS soon
as they had fairly disappeared. I step.
ped noiselessly down from the veran-
dab, and, pursuing narrow path
which led to the negro-quarters, real
lied what my presentiment OF danger
had meant. '2
have not before alluded, except
incidentally, to Rupert Noble. 1t is
time that [ should do so. He was in
truth AL tha this father seemed, and.
IN addition to this, the handsomest
man in the South. We loved each
other and hoped one day to marry,
out this war had made that event
more improbable than ever Mr..
NOBLE was passionately attached to
ms son, but since the outbreak of the
rebellion Z coolness had grown up
between them Rupert sympathized
with the North. The fact could not
be dlsguisetbin theefamily, nor CLOSED
over. nor put aside.othough sit1 might
be concealed from outsiders! ~
~ Gilpert Rattle was the. son of a I
neighborlng planter, andna5 most ac- |
tive partisan of the rehals since