The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-23
A HIGHWAYMAN'S BRIDE.
BY WALTER WINwooD.

BY WALTER WINWOoD.
he early years Of the reign of George
III was the time OF those gallant robbers,
whose fine clothes, high bearing, reckless
hardihood, and frequently good birth,
took away FROM t: e superficial observer
much eff the darkness of the crime actually
surrounding their deeds and lives.
One in particular was notorious enough
in his brief day for most Of the qualities |
have described, as sometimes attributes OF
these knights of the road. He was WELL
connected, too, his uncle being clergy
man in nigh church appointment. His
person was elegant, his manners courtly,
and he was rash in an extraordinary de-
gree. Mingling freely in fashionable
society in his real name, his deeds OF rob-
berry were the talk of his town under his
assumed one. His proper designation was
Richard Mowbray-that belonging to the
road, his sole source of revenue, was Cap
tain de Montmorency-a patronymic, high
sounding enough. do not mean, how
ever, to inter that any suspected the man
of fashion and the highwayman to be one
and the same person; that was never
|
relate took place.
Richard Mowbray had spent his own
small patrimony, years before the period
at which this narrative commences, in the
pleasures of the town it had melted IN
play-houses, faro, horse flesh and hazard
he had exhausted the kindness and for
bearance of his relations, from whom he
had borrowed and begged, till borrowing
and begging became lmpracticable. He
had known most extremes of lite; and,
moreover, when debts and poverty stared
him grizzly in the tace, he knew not one
useful art by which he could support ex-
istence. or pay dividends to his creditors
What was to be done? He eluded a Jail
as long as he could, and one eventful
night. riding on horseback, and medita-
ting gloomily on his evil fortunes, he met
covered by the darkness from all dis
covery-a traveller well mounted-plethor-
ic-laden with money bags, and bearing
likewisd the burden OF excessive fear.
1t was sudden thought-acted upon as
suddenly. Resistance was not dreamed Of.
Mo bray made of with his booty, consid-
erably enough to repair his exhausted
finances and to pay his most pressing cred.
itors. 1t was literally robbing Peter TO
pay Paul. And so by night, under shelter
of its darkness, did the ruined gentleman
become the highwayman. People who
: knew his circumstances whispered their
surprise when it became known that
Richard Mowbray had paid his debts, and
: that he himself made more than his Gus
: tomary appearance. Now his fine person
5 was ever clad in the newest braveries OF the
r day and in his double character many 9
e conquest did he make, for he disburdenec
e ladies of their jewels and pursez with SC
i, fine a manner, that the defrauded fair one:
1 forgot their losses in admiration of thu
h charming despoil~r and Richard, in botl
o his phases, drank deep draughts of pleas
Y ure, till he drained the Circean cup to it
i verlest dregs. just as even pleasure be-
: came wearisome, when festive and high
It bred delights palled on his stated passions
y and the lower extremes OF licertiousnes
ii and hard drinking, rufiing and fighting
d diversified by the keen excitement ant
d threats Of danger, which distinguished hi
g predatory existence began to satiate, a ne
IL light broke on the feverish atmosphere o
i his life. He loved! Yes! Richard Now
e bray, the ruined patrician. De Montmo
= rency, the gallant highwayman, who ha'
g hitherto resisted every good or evil inau
ence which Love, pure or earth-staine'
offers to his vOtaries, succumbed to tn
simple charms of q young, unlearned, un
b ambitious girl, so youthful, that even he
d tastes and habits, childish as they were
d could be scarcely more so than suite he
l. years. Fiavia Hardcourt had Just attaine
:; her sixteenth year-had never been to
4 boarding-school, and loved rothing $