Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-12


not somewhat the worse for good
z. wine" was the answer, che WOul,
know better than request my pres
euce as 4 stranger at table where
s am better entitled to command. No
/. | know too well the treatment tina
: awaits me should / dare my father
wrath in what he is pleased to tern
p his moments of relaxation, and wa
ljust making up my mind to diver
myself by an hours sport IN the for
est, when your coming set al
thoughts of that nature to flight"
"Thcre is better game in the field
/ | than is to be found in the forest,
said Jack, with a look of twO-fOlC
( meaning. cold Walters the miller
( marries his younger daughte EfHC
to Adam ClayfOrd tonight mar
. whose years should better entitlt
him to play tie role Of grandfather,
and = lot of Us lads are going TO be
present at the sacrifice. He may
think himself lucky if he escapes a
ducking in the hOrse-pOnd before
his nights experience is ended.
VIII you 60 alongF"
"Efiie, the gOlden-haired and sill
yer vOiCed-the blue-eyed lassie OF
the slashes! What a desecration! ]
knew her when a rOmping, rosy
checked child, and have never re-
garded her in any other light than
as the play mate Of my bOyish years,
to whom l used to give parties and
what not at the hall. 1t is old Clay
fOrd's money, l suppose, is at the
bottom. What a pity some one
| with spirit could not be found to
prevent the profanation!"
'1e will feel the claws Of the cat
before he gets through" " said Delap-
laine, with a knowing wink that
was not lost upon his companion.
"And by the way, it used to be
said that you were sweet upon Eff
tie once yourself, and who so fit to
avenge her wrongs and teach old
Adam ClayfOrd his needed lesson?
Come, you will join ust"
Anything TO divert my mind, F"
said Arthur, "shOrt of remaining
here. If I find that coercion has
been used l viii teach the princi-
pals in the outrage a lesson they
seem to need, for the land they both
/ live on is mine, held only in trust
until l become of age, and their
| bargain may not prove, after all, so
/ profitable as they thought"
The sun was already getting low
as some half-dozen young gallants,
as smart as ever put foot in stirrup,
rode forth from the stables Of Cal
verify Hall. A parting flask to the
merry souls left behind them, many
| of whom were now anything but
merry-being safely deposited un-
| der the table-aud they were dash
( ing at break-neck pace down the
/ public road, in the direction of the
| little rustic chapel in which the rite
was 10 be celebrated, the lord of the
manor being by that time too far
gone to inquire after his sciOn's
whereabouts
They had traversed but part of
the way, leading through the most
! lonesome part OF the district, a dis
! trict noted for acts of laWlessness,
when the storm which had been all
the morning gathering burst over
their heads. Great trees, the growth
of more than a century, were torn
up by their roots and hurled as
lightly as feathers across the road.
Bolt succeeded bolt, and fast follow
ed flash with the rapidity of dis
charges of artillery, while the rain
descended in such volumes as to con
vert the mountain roads into so ma
ny torrents. Huge bOulders and
fragments IF rock were hurled
crashing and bounding into the
swollen streams at the bottom of
the declivity.
''Their bridal bed viii prove a
moist one, | am afraid, that begins
with such evil omen," said Jack,
who was so drenched within and
without as to bid defiance to the
storm, and, III fact, the rest of his
companions were not far behind
him, even Arthur Calverly, who had
the additional goad of dependency
to urge him on. BY the time they
hadSby hard riding reached part
of the way where the roads diverg-
ed they were drenched to the skin;
but relief opportuuely appeared at
this point, in the shape of a rude
hunting lodge, a part of the Calverly
property, within which a number of
persons had already installed them
selves. They were the two bridal
parties, which were to have Joined
forces at this point, and thence
have proceeded directly te the chap
el IN which the rites were to have
been consummated; but the storm
coming on,. they had been driven
within the shelter of the lodge,
within the ample chimney-place of
which they had l1indled a rOusing
fire, around which the bridal party
were driving themselves. The "hOt
stuff" which is an invariable &C
compartment of such occasions, was
Il,
hilarity was manifested, which re-
ceived renewed zest from the in
trusiOn of The yOung heir expect
ant with his companions. Under
the direction of Arthur Calverly
a raid was Instituted upon the con-
tents Of tie cellar, and gratifying
addition was m8de to the resources
of the company. The reverend man
being present, and old Adam bear
ing in miGd tGe prOverb that ''there
is many a slip 'tWiXt the cup and the
lip" it was agreed that the knot
should be tied then and there.
She stood up at one end OF the
room, q gentle, fearful thing-nOt
vet past her teens, beautiful, despite
I the pallor which had driven the
roses from her face-a timid, BASH
full creature, who, was evidently as
yet hardly alive TO the Importance
OF the step she was cOmpulsOrily
taking. The bridegroom "a wither-
ed old man, whose locks were
/ blauched with the SHOWS of sixty
winters, was already pressing for
ward to assume his proper place, but
paused for an instant to drain q
canteen to his friends, and that mo-
meut, brief as il was, decided his
[ fate.
"Uist, Ellie, sweet EGie," whis-
pered a voice at her side; ''have you
/ forgotten Arthur Calverly-that
Arthur Calverly who shared your
| childish sports and to whom, half in
| Jest, half in earnest, you plighted
your maiden troth? He hiss return
Ell from bis place of exile and his
| books, q man and an heir in his own
| free right, to renew the old vows
and 10 make YOU his own in the
/ laws despite. These uUptials are
evidently abhOrrent to you as they
must be in the sight of God. An
/ Instant and it will be too late TO re-
tract. Say, then, the word that
makes you mine
Poor Efie, She did not see that
| he who addressed her was half be-
side himself with the effect of re-
pcatcd pOtatiOus, nor needed the
/ glare of the eye with which he re-
| garlIed her. She knew only that
/ She had been offered the means Of
/ escape from q terrible fate, and that
z Il L. L