National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-07-16
The Heroine of the Border.

seventy years ago. The sky had
not cloud the air was soft and
balmy; and the moon sailed silent
" on high, flooding wood and field
and river with her calm, pure light.
Never since the last evening i'll
Eden had mother earth worn an as
pect so like Paradise.
At IA gate of mansion, in the
then newly settled town of Wheel
ing. stood two lovers, about to part.
The solemn spell of the hour, COM
bined with the farewell they were
about to take, had east sweet sad.
ness over both.
1T is a long ride to Shepard's
Fort. and almost fear for you,' said
low and now timid voice, as the
fair speaker looked up into the face
Of her companion, Cannot you
put off this departure p
The bold Nirginian gazed tender
ly down at his beautiful comp lnion
and then, as if instiuctivcly. drew
her to him, imprinting kiss on her
forehead as he answered.;
You were not always thus timid,
Lizzie. remember, before You
went to PhidelphIa, that YOU were
the boldest girl of all the border /;
but TO night you are as fearful as Il
young dove. lou have come back
accomplished as u queen, and as,
nervous too. \ fine lady is not tit
tor a bride ON the frontier
Il am net naturally umid as you
/ know earnestly replied his com
pauion, blushlng at the raiIery, but
these terrible Indians appal me-
You tell me that tucy held great
council at ChlIilcothe and resolved
to take up the hatchet Z a / a.
What if band OF them should way
lay you tonight.
Never fear it dearest, they are
tar away as yet, My information
is in advance Of them, and we shall
probably not see them for weeks, II
at all. | thought 1t my duty to ride
over and tell your father, though,
he added archly, perhaps there were
other reasons which made me only
too ready to find an excuse for Wis
ting Col. Zane
i suppose my fears are foolish,
answered his companion, but with
women, instinct, they sometimes
say, takes the place of reason; aud
| feel as if some great danger sur
rounded us
1T is in the moonlight, Lizzie
. nothing else, galley responded tn,
lover. always feel Il touch OF sad
ness myself ON such au evening az
this, Cheer up dearest these are
idle iancieS. lmust, however, make
the best of the moonlight, or Ii vii
be dark before | reach the fort
- God bless you,' he added, as he kiss
ed her again, adding bravcly IT per
il should aSSail YOU. not ten thous
and of these red devils shall prevcn
"a Francis Duke flying 10 your aid
In another moment he had leapc'
upon his horse, which stood nea
by, and with a parting wave OF th
haha daSlleu on at S| |lnsinE m "
His botrothed watched him till h
+, disaI pearcd in the gloom of tn
- forest; then with sigh. She re.cn
tered her lalleI ) mousse
The family was about retiring
" and rcvercnuy kissing her parent
the beautiful girl assembled to h'
chamber. But she could not sleeI
= An indefnablc sense of dang
-, pressed upon her fee i n y :, an
throwing / TX the curtain of her WI
dow she sat down and gazcd withou
- asS Observation-Disclosures before h
of herlovcr hurryiug along the iu
est DEPTHS. while Il savage ambu
eade waited To receive lrm AM
VIVID was the picture that Sl' ro'
with a start OF terror ana coll
. scarcely suppress a cry hul l,
next minute the illusion faded, u
ms serene moonlight Gained her So'
ns and she resumed htr seat aS'''l''
'- of her idle tcrrorS.
b.. Thus hour after hour passed, h
fancy continually coniuring up nC
pcriis for her lover, and her sol
- reason as constantly ovcrcoml
these visionary fears, Her slice
lcssncSa still continued. AT !,
the moon began 20 sink behind I
e. western forest. Slowly she watch
the lcngtheuing shadow as it diSi
pcarcd, until the landscape was
,,,st ,,,,irnlv stranded i'm rlooI