Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-05-22
THE HIGHWAYMAN,s BRIDAL.

sMine were the days for gallant rob-
bers, whom fine clothes, high bearing,
reckless hardihood and Frequently high
birth took away from the superficial OBJ
server much of the darkness of crime
actually surrounding their deeds and
lives. You were divested of your rings
and purses, often, with demeanor so
polished that really it resembled paying
a toll to good manners more than sub
mitting to highway robbery-a robbery
it is true, yet still it was more soothing
to the feelings at the time than being
knocked down with the butt end of
pistol, or bullied as well as plundered.
Fashion, too, capricious in this as all
else, affected some knights of the road
above all others, and fine ladies inter.
ested themselves amazingly about deeds
of highwaymen, conspicuous for hand
some persons or brave conduct, or rather
daring .villainy. The fair DANES were
also much concerned in their heroes
final incarcerations and execution at the
fatal tree of Tyburn. But highwaymen
had, as everybody knows, been still
more popular in the preceding reign
yet, ever and anon, as the profession
seemed to be on the verge of decay,
and likely to dwindle down into mere
common theft and murder, some new
candidate was sure to start up and
revive the dying embers of the road
chivalry.
One In particular was notorious enough
In his brief day, for most of the qualities
I have described, as sometimes attributes
of these knights of the road. He was
well connected, too, his uncle being
clergyman In a high-church appointment.
His manner elegant and courtly, his
person faultless, and he was rash in an
extraordinary degree. Mingling freely
In fashionable society in his real name,
his deeds of robbery were the talk of
the town under his assumed one His
proper designation was Richard Now
bray-that belonging to the road; his
whole source of revenge was Capt. De
Montmorency-apatro nymic chigh-sound-
ing enough. I do not mean, however,
that any suspected the man of fashion
and the highwayman to be one and the
same person that was never known till
the event which am going to relate
took place.
Richard Mowbray had spent his own
small patrimony years before the period
at which this story commences, in the
pleasures of the town. It had melted
into ricittos, play-houses, faro, horse
flesh and hazard. He had exhausted
the kindness and forbearance of his re-
lations, from whom he had borrowed
etau bcSSOQ I'LL DOrrOW1nR ana DeRRnR
had become impracticable. He had
known most extremes of life; and, more
over, when debts and poverty stared
him in the face, knew not one useful art
by which he could support or pay divi-
dends to his creditors. What was to
be done? He eluded a jail as long as
he could, and one eyentful night, while
riding on horseback and meditating
gloomily on mis- evil fortune, he met
covered by the darkness from all discov-
ery-a traveller well mounted
-ladened with money and bags, and
bearing likewise the burden of excessive
fear.
It was sudden thought, acted upon
as suddenly. Resistance was not
dreamed of. Mowbray made off with
his booty, considerable enough to repair
his exhaSsted finances, and pay his most
pressing creditors. It was literally rob-
bing Peter to pay Paul. And SO by
night, under fac shelter of its darkness
did the ruined gentleman turn highway.
man. People who knew his circum.
stances whispered their suspicious
when it became known that Richard
Mowbray had paid his debts, and thai
he himself had made more than his Gus
tomary appearance. Now his person
was clad in the newest braveries of tht
day, and in his double character many
conquest did he make, for be disbur