The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-07-14

such words? This is the vile cant of those
wretched Rebels. fancy. Give me a
straightforward answer, girl, with no pre-
liminary remarks about freedom and the
like. What hast thou to say to De Courcy
and his suit? Come, this is no new thing
to thee, thou hast known of De Courcy's
love for long. Can'st speakP" Annie
Fairfax, with arms still folded and her clear
eyes bent upon her father, replied at
length:
MY answer could not be otherwise than
straightforward, my father, and Louis De
Courcy knows this well. To his suit l
have but one answer, as you and I well
know. 1 do not love him. 1 will die
rather than marry him."
Foolish jade 7" said the old man,
bringing his fist down upon a table with
such force as to almost overturn it, and ut
tering a fearful oath as he did So "Thou
shalt marry Louis De Courcy Dost hear
I swear it, and if that cursed young rebel
who has dared to pay court to thee appear
again before my door, shall lay him dead
at my feet p
AS the old man spoke, in his excitement
he struck his gouty foot violently against
the leg of the table. The sudden pain
called from him sharp cry and another
savage oath. His daughter sprang to her
feet, and would have aided him to chair,
but he waved her off with threatening
gesture, himself hobbled to an armchair,
where he sat for moment quite speech
less from pain. When, however, he had
regained his sef-control he said with
fiercer emphasis than before
Understand me, then, thou hast but
few hours of grace. Louis De Courcy will
come to thee, to-day, to press his suit. If
thou darest to say him nay, win break
thy proud spirit for thee, or thou must
leave thy fathers roof, and find home
where thou canst Mark my words, An
ME Fairfax have commanded, and thou
must obey ~
The old man now rose and left the room.
The girl with cheeks pale and cold as
marble, and with lips tightly set and color
less, seated herself at the writing-t table and
wrote few hasty words.
edward AS you love me, come to me.
| will consent now to be your wife in spite
of my fathers commands; only come and
set me free from torture. d
Your own,
ANNIE FAIRFAX."
The sheet containing this, she folded in
as small compass as possible, and con-
cealing it in her bosom, she left the room.
Pausing in the hall, she took her hat in her
hand and walked rapidly forth. Down the
path towards the shrubbery she pursued
her walk, but when she entered its green
shelter, she turned aside, and quickening
her steps even yet more, she left it's bounds
and walked over the brow of the hill, and
under the old trees, never pausing until
she had reached little log cabin, that was
almost hidden by trees and vines. There
was no one in the hut excepting an old and
quite infirm negro woman, and a young
aged lad. aH
"Miss Annie p said both at once with
cry Of surprise. The girl hushed them
with her uplifted hand. "Say nothing,
and listen to me-" she said, speaking in
low and rapid tones. Z" must send a word
to Mr.. Edward Peyton, Immediately" she
said, "and no one can take it but Jake
Can you spare him, aunt Hannah, and will
he dare to go?" .''
The old woman raised her hands with an
ejaculation, "De Lord sabe usp' Jake's
dark cheek lost shade or two ofebon hue,
but he answered, rapidly enough "Ise
all ready, Miss Annie"
" Take this note them" said she, giving
it to him, "walk over the river to James
Peyton's, and tell him to give you the
feetest horse in his stable, Keep clear of
the redcoats, and ride for your life, till you
reach Gen. Green's army beyond the Deep
River, and give this yourself into Massa
Peyton's hands"
The faithful servant waited for no
further order, but vanished from the cabin,
and in another moment was walking rap
idly down the river, whose silver waters
were plainly to be seen from the cabin
door. The young lady only paused to
caution the old negro woman to secrecy,
and to assure her that everything should
be done that her necessity demanded, and
then retraced her way TO her home. That
evening, she assured the young British
officer who called to see her, that she
would never willingly aocede to his suit
The next morning she found herself a
prisoner in her own room. There she re-