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

he early years OF the reign OF George
II 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 ef 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 we'll
connected, too, his uncle being clergy
man in a nigh church appointment. His
person was elegant, lis 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, higu
sounding enough. do not mean, how
ever, to infer 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 l am going to
relate took place.
Richard Mowbrav 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
! piay-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 grimly in the tace, he knew not one
useful art by which he could support ex-
istence, or pay dividends 10 his creditors
What was to lie done? He eluded Jail
as long as he could, and one eventiul
night, riding on horseback, and medita-
ting gioomily on his evil fortunes, he met
covered by the darkness from all dis
covery-a traveller well mounted-plethor-
ic-laden with morey-bags, and bearing
likewisd the burden OF excessive fear.
1t was a sudden though.-acted upon as
suddenly. Resistance was not dreamed of.
Nov 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
tonary appearance. Now his fine person
was ever clad in the newest braveries of the
day and in his double character many a
conquest did he make for he disburdened
ladies OF their jewels and purseS with so
1 - ~. l. IL
forgot their losses IN admiration OF the
charming despoil-r; and Richard, in both
his phases, drank deep draughts of pleas
ure, till he drained the Circean cup to itS
verleSt dregs. Just as even pleasure be-
came wearisome, when festive and high
bred delights palled on his stated passions,
anu the lower extremes .. l;centiousness
and hard drinking, ruthing and fighting,
diversified by the KEEN excitement and
threats OF danger, which distinguished his
predatory existence began to satiate, q ne "
light broke on the ieverish atmosphere OF
his life. He loved Yes Richard Now
bray, the ruined patric;an. De Montmo-
rency, the gallant hghwayman, who had
hitherto resisted every good or evil inau.
ence which Love, pure or earth-stained
offers TO his vo;arles, sUccumbed to the
simple charms OF young. unlearned, un-
ambitious girl, so youthful, that even her
tastes and habits, childish as they were,
could be scarcely more so than suite her
years. Flavia Hardcourt had lust attained
her sixteenth year-had never been 10 a
boarding school, and loved nothing so
much-even her birds and pet rabbits-as
her dear old father, an honest country gen.
tlemAn, and q worthy magistrate. Fiavia
had never been even to London, for Mr..
Hardcourt resided at Aveling-a retired
village, about twenty miles from the me.
tropoiis. Barring tox-hunting and hard
drinking. the Old gentleman, on his side,
took pleasure only in the pretty, gentle
girl, who, from the hour OF her birth
which even. terminated her mothers ex-
istence-had made her his constant play
mate and ompanion. And it was to this
simple wild-iower that the man of pleas
ufe; h r6cllla1k, unprincipled, i'm
pri1fas1lyy eH11eestand rash, presumed
to LIT his eSea, to eIevate his heart and,
Oh, aedf1l 4 Dthis being the mora!
antisI AZ Aer pure self, did Flavia
Hardc0ur4 surrender her youthful, modest,
ineEtiznat lows rmust have been her
tyHy Chi ~ purity that attracted
- despente rob- the hardened Gber-
tine, nav. about Il commit his worst and
1aDst inekcnsable crime. He had acct.
i dmf1lly met NJ. Lkdcourt at a country
hunt; had, with s of his companions
Ebeen invited " DAT 46nest gentleman to :
ptic fete IN ho1lor O. little Flavia's nata
Hy-A ~ - wasi4oat to observe, t.
H4@ "a