The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-12-19
For the Jeffersoniau
THE UNION VOLUNTEER.
BY III. LANGFORD.
CHAPTER VIII.
CAMILLA AND HER FATHER.

i" ooI Wy ucT UeuSlue III ucep
thought. The low grated window, black
with dust, admitted but dim uncertain
light, which merely dlspelled the pitchy
darkness, that would otherwise have made
the chamber dungeon. All day did she
sit in this position, prey to her own
suffering, and wept the long night over
with the low sob of despair. Hour after
hour she imagined that her deliverance
was near, but no sound ever reached her
attentive ear except the sneaking footstep
of her father; and no human voice awak-
ened her from her dreams of suffering
but his; and then it was only to taunt her
with having brought disgrace upon his
name by inducing Austin to enlist in the
services of Northern oppression. She,
from the first, declined to believe that he
was drowned, and from hints which Con-
salvo let drop whenever he spoke of him,
she concluded that he was yet safe and far
away, whittier she had enjoined him to
go. This was her chief support, and as
often as she recurred to it in her thoughts
a faint dilation of light burned in her
soft brown eyes. She resolved also to
smother her griefs, and appear cheerful
as often as he visited her, aud by this
line of conduct, she hoped to regain her
position in his confidence.
A month passed away, and she became
so smitten by confinement, that her tor
menter was forced, at last, to alleviate his
rigid and Jail discipline A few hours in
the day was she allowed to walk in the
garden under his surveillance; and many
days when business detained him else
where, she was denied that privilege at all.
1t was certain that some doom awaited
her since her relentless parent kept a
cold watchfnlness as to her health: for
he began to perceive that the rose of
youth had disappeared from her cheek,
and sickly and unnatural hue settle it.
self around her brilliant eyes.
One morning she sat silent as before,
when sound of footsteps along the gal
lery interrupted her sorrow stricken
thoughts, and Immediately after the key
Jared in the lock and the door opened.
Her father entered, and, after closing the
door, took his seat beside her. He took
her hand in his; and cold shudder ran
through her frame as she felt the icy fin
gers clutching her. His hand trembled,
and his face, although appearing calm
and reeonciled, scarcely served to hide
some bitter purpose concealed in his
heart. None knew better than she did
when he had an enterprise to fulfill, and
none were less pliable than when the is
sue lay with her. She inferred from the
present expressiveness of his eyes that
there was something to be accomplished
through her, and she sat silent and i'm
passive to hear what it was.
Gonsalvo quietly regarded her, and he,
too, surveyed his thoughts ere he began
to make his project known. Looking,
with all the composure that his cunning
spirit could devise, into her face, he said
hoarsey and with some embarrassment:
Camilla, or rather my Lollotha,
think you that | am Indifferent to your
sufIering?"
"No." And she, for the first time,
looked up, and, with a severe scrutiny,
gazed upon his halfpitiful and designing
face. {" No" And she withdrew her
glance, and bent dounwards to avoid the
dark picture which her thoughts read in
his eyes.
Do you think you can love me as
ever, Camillia?"
No."
"Why, no? This little chastisement
arises from what | have aud feel To tell
you the causes would be unnecessary now
but they exist, that is enough. Your at
tacbment to your brother Austin is natu-
raj and becoming, but it must not inter
fere, or lead to issues which are really
criminal, and present nothing iu their
character but false notions and biases,
with which honor and bravery have no
thing to do. Remember that while
counsel l warn you, and expect in return
full and explicit obedience"
" Which l cannot give"
AID Gonsalyo noticed the blush deep
ening over her pale face, and watched
her till her heart rose full with the colol
of her cheek, and tears came to her eyes
He was confounded, and he felt hei
hand slipping through his skeleton fin
gers, as she bent her face to the pillow
and sobbed aloud Poor Camilla = few
and sunshiny are the tears caused by
parental displine, but thine are meted
out from the hard saplcss nature OF ty
rant = the fountain whence so much sui
fering and adversely come. Few suci
destroyers ever darkened the scene OF lii'
around them without experiencing 10 th'
end the blood bought celebrity that may
hurl them to their graves. He waited ;
few minutes in silence, but no tear O
sigh betrayed any parental weakness, o
ayowed any susceptibility in his stony ma
ture. Her sorrow invoked no sympath,
from his cruel spirit, and he, indifferen
to her anguish, calculated that he had
at last, wruDg from her the confession
that she, in some way, violated her dutII
in not loving her the more. Pleased VIII
l. hn