Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-02-12
THE UNKNOWN LOVER.



Of Lou Linwood as she half recliued upon
oss-grown rock " hose base was washed BY tie
never ceasing flow Of waters, aud added, tnete-
by, but another charm 10 her beauty, for beau-
tiful indeed she was, while in her face shohe
n VI alone loyelness that was skin deep, PIT an
expression OF nobleiess. of character, and deli
| cate refinement, most winning In one so young,
for hardly eighteen years had yet passed over
| her fair heat.
| The rock whereon Lou Liuwood reciined.
was a favorite haunt OF hers, for there she was
wont to steal away from the household, when
some more than unusually interesting novel fell
| into her hands, or to escape the iinportunlng
visis Of some of her legion oil lovers, for the
beauty aud the heiress had not lived eighteen
years without breaking aud woundinS hearts,
not that she was heartlass fiirt, oh, no; but
then, she was a woman, and held woman's
prerogaiive to scorch the candle-iies that
| would peisslenlly hover around the name'
Living in retirement,upon her fathers hand.
some estate in the most picturesque portion OF
| Tennessee, Lou Linwood gave her love TO her |
parents, aud brother and sister both her luhi-
or in years. and cared little for society away
from her own home, and thus it happened her
| little heart had never yet been wounded by
dart from a kindred spirit and being romantic
to u certain extent, she determined never to
marry until she met her hearts mate.
| Reclining there that afternoon, half-uncon-
scious of all around her, the maiden heard not
the velvety football OF large panther that was
slowly creeping forward for fatal spring upon
| his prey.
| Nearer and nearer he came, sw nging his tail
| neryously from side TO side, his small eyes
gitiering with greedy and cruel anticipation,
his teeth white aud shiuilg. aud claws clutch.
lug hard into the IN sly path, with restrained
excitement.
Nearer aud nearer, then low crouching TO
the ground, gathering OF the feet together,
swelling OF the muscles, and with 1 bound like
| 4 rocket he was in the air, gathered together for
the descent upon the unconscious victim, when
There came Il pull Of smoke from the hill above,
sharp report whiz Ufa bullet, and the pam
Their tell in heap TO the ground and almost by
TIE side Of the frightened maiden, who, stag
gering 10 her feet, slipped, aud Ia swoou
sunk backward IN the deep, blue depths ut the
river.
A cracking Of bushes, quick, heavy step,
and the next instant a man appeared upon
the rock and then spinging into the liver,
dove deep down beneath the blue water, 10
, rise i'll few seconds bearing ia his arms the
unconscious form of lou linwood.
A few strokes carried him 10 the shore step.
ing over the body of tha slain panther, he, with
apparent ease, bore the maiden to the top of tie
. hiii, upon the edge OF which ran the pubuc car
| riagr drive, and without hesitation placed her
. | upon the seat Oi 4 low buggy, which awaited
| his coming, Ind moment .tuer was driving
' his somewhat iidrd sterd ia tllr direction of
, the residence ot Mr. Lsuwood, winch couli he
a seen glimmelilg through the trees
Scarcely had the stranger driven lwenty
. VaraS however, when, with a deep drawn sigh,
:. Lou Linwood opened her eyes, and started as
i, she found herself supported IN the arms Of a
;. man whom she had never before met.
!. "Oh, | Was 50 frightened Tell Inc, was 1t
a | true that panther was spinging upon ine, and
!. you saved nay liIr?" she said, aime5t nautf
bly,
II Yes. was driving by and saw the auiln Al
Ia creeping towards yoli, aud to save yoe risked
a long Shot with my revolver
"But l'm wlinging Wet -"
l. "lrs the shot Startled you, and catrhiug
T. sighl oil The panther, you moved al Tell into
:, | the river
y And you saved me-"
r. III was 80 fortunate, modrstly returned TIA,
stranger, and gazing earnestly upon hllh Lou
\. saw beside her inln oi, perhaps thirty year
"a oi age, with ddr.i hIIr aud eyes, dark mon s
tacIc, and with an expression in his face. ,
N fascination that at once drew her towards hin
~ with iireslstaDlr power.
AZ Dressed pl4iuly a suit of black il CAV,
of him, perhaps rather seriou, appearance, bur
Al S"t, their Wa as.m-lhiig about him that A
r- olce COMMA drdlrrsp'ct and adinla - AS wei
Va As confidence, aud frankly laid her hand mo-,
IS his arm, .tr'' sat with gr-. fs,H.s
=. "l ON have tweed saved my life to-day, sill
nj AMI pray you, Il ever eau III any way prov
my apptclll ION, you viii command me-
Lady, thank heaven Was the iiistrunen
lie to prevent Your meeting with au uutiinely an
IS tTribr death; that have saved you therein
AN my reward.
~ "H"re must leave ynu, thr now YOU ar
y, at homr,' aud aiding Lon To disniouni, til
~ stranger turned away, and kindly hu, firmly d.
lie clinins all rntrrates To- enter the house. or
''n ! wait and meet lirr parents and receive the
~ thanks he spramg again into his buggy At
'm drove rapidly away, ils, ~ Mr.. l.iuWuOd eau
tra from tue door.
Quickly Lou made known to her fiighle
II" ed parents the adventure Size had met wit
and the strange persiStenry Of her pre,eryer
ha- refusing 10 enter the house, and, ordering Il
- carriage Mr.. Linwood determined to drive aft
= him and bring him back To the mansion, belle
Jew ing il was only desire to escape thanks, III
ave made him shnu him.
/; But the search fJr the stranger proved fru
the less, for nowhere could MIR. Iinwood hear
s him, and chagrined at his disappointment,
: drove back home 10 hnd Lou, her mother, a
anu the servants all gazing upon the form OF tile pa
.ue ther, terrible looking even in death, as he
Ilhg upon the ground with i small stream of bic
.iihr yelling up from the bullet wound IN the bu
! IT'S OF his head.
ZACH "A crack sii.t ha certainty il Ia IA q,
cap work at forty PAGES with 4 pistol, but, Lou
'sru VIII have ihe animal stuffed for ynu, said
nv" lLller, Us he ga2ed nervousy into the face
WAS his daughter, yet pale from he fright Sue
received, and thought how near that lov
main form had come TO being manglrd ny the sh
sight claws OF the panther.
wen From that day Lou LinwouJ had found
lay hearts idol, and day and night tile handsu
lie u stranger haunted hor, until all OF her bes
ZEN, gave up III despair OF ever being able To win
.ner- obdurate heart
dies Three years passed, and yet she renal
ring single, IN spite of the desire of her parents
cot SHE should accept one OF the very many x
cad oh-rs She received; but no, she had but
answer, that was that She loved but one per,
Iieen lie who had saved her Lille, aud if she never
pnud him she would never marry.
dress but Lon you do not even know his ma
and would not know him ii you met hIr
i'll o day" argued her mother.
"lrlle, do not know his name, but ii |
him him ten years hence | would rerog
help him, for his lace IS not one to forget
Then he may be married, Lou
"fhat may be, father; but yet can adj
/ for hum and thus giving excuses for every i
l-ven ment brought against her, Lou iinwood p
ed hive years in single blrssedn~ss after
seen strange and romantic adventure.
Il his Bat then adversely overlook Mr.. LAW
and by the failure Of bank, ia which lie
grand largely Interested, much vi his wealth was
ed to denly swept from him, and ms magud
wards house had 10 be sold.
0 was With the remainder Of his tJrtune, Mr..
wood Diet ermined TO seek another State, wi
/. You ia he owned small farm near growing Il
ON 10 aud his younger children having grown up
W nv married, he departed from his Tennessee H.
~ ,he accompanied by his wifi, and Lon I.iny
10 my VINO greatly cheeftd her parents ~ their
ndred | fortune, and in two weeks more all were
fortably settled in their new residence, "
iopinr they found much better than they had Al
I'd f+I pated.
Becoming domesticated, the second Su
,nou | OF their stay, Lou drove with her father [.