The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-08-21

noblest and handsomcst fellow imaginable,
but who. now that the rebellion was under
way, had cast his lot With the insurgents,
and had SO distinguished himself in their
ranks as to become a leader among them.
It was well known that Mary and he
loved each other most passionately and of
this fact Armstrong now determined to take
advantage; for he was certain that Redmond
would contrive various opportunities of see
ing Mary, and if necessary visit the cottage
after nightfall, at the risk of his life, when
within any reasonable distance Of the being
he so ardcntly worshipped
Although not discarded in absolute words
by Mary, he felt that he was no welcome
visitor at her residence but yet he kept up
the semblance of a kindly feeling toward
the old people; and as they were Catholics,
and under a ban, they felt they could not
afford to excite his animosity to any grea.
extent; and the more so, as he had long
been all-powerful with some of the gis-
trates of the county.
Mary, also, since her lover had taken up
arms against the kings troops, had, out of
policy, and with view to the interests of
Redmond, behaved with more ciyilty of
late, little dreaming that now his only OBJ
Ject and aim was to secretly betray his sue
ccssful rival into the hands of the authori-
ties, from whom, he Well knew, he should
receive but short shrift.
Every evening, consequently, he was to
be seen at the garden gate, di<coursing with
the father Of the poor, frightened girl, or
seated within the house in the hope of
cleaning some information as to the where
aboutS of Fitzgerald, trusting to accident,
or an unguarded word, to enlighten him Oh
that point.
From the first moment that my father
90 a glimpse of this t,eaclerous scoundrel,
and began to see which way the land lay,
he was determined t" keep his eye on him,
and, if he began to play any foul tricks, to
checkmate him if possible.
In furtherance of this design, he became
acquainted with the unwelcome visitor.
who, perceiving hlm in the livery of George
Ill, thought that all was right, and at once,
and without the slightest suspicion, in
formed him that he had sure and certain
intelligence that the rebel Redmond Fitz-
gerald had more than once visited the cot
tage ut night, and that now, as doubtless
he was informed of the presence of soldiers
III 1T, he would not approach it, but might
be surprised at some point convenient to it,
if Mary were closely watched, as he was
satisfied he would risk his neck at any mo-
ment to gain an interview with her.
My father appeared to be greatly elated
with this information, and to enter with
gusto into the >pilit Of his informant. as
suring him, at the same time, that he should
not lose sight of Mary, but strongly coun-
selling him to the strictest secrecy, and ex-
tracting from him promise that he would
not broach the subject to any other soul
living, and, with a view to giving Mary
fuller opportunity to meet her lover, visit
the cottage less frequently after sunset.
This decided upon, Armstrong, firm in
the assurance that he had laid deep and
effective trap for his rival, and hoping that
if he fell into the hands of the authorities,
he might yet be able to vanquish the rcpug-
nance of Mary, and make her his wife, he
left my father, after his first confidence
with him, in the very best of spirits, and
the more so as in any action that might be
taken in the case of Fitzgerald he had deter
mined to keep altogether in the dark, so
that he might not, on that score, evoke any
additional animosity against him on the
part Of the fair young girl or that Of her
parents.
Now, this was all very well, and would
doubtless, have led to something serious,
had not my father the least little drop of
the Irish party slowed away in one corner
of his heart and had he not told Mary, for
whom he began to entertain a sterling
friendship, every sentence that passed be-
tween him and Armstrong.
The sweet young girl became flushed and
pale by turns, and trembled violently as the
disclosure was being made to her, and, in a
transport of gratitude, grasped my father S
hand and kissed it with tears, when he had
closed his narration.
Nor was this all; for, on my fathers as
suring her that she was free to go and see
her lover when she pleased, without the
slightest surveillance on his part and that
if he knew where he could lay his hand on
him, he would rather assist him to avoid
the clutches of the law than attempt to be-
tray him into them, she took him aside and
confessed that she was iu the habit of meet
| ing him almost every evening, and that
while she spoke he was secreted in glen
scarce half mile from the cottage, from
which he intended to move, now that the
! soldiers were stationed so near it.
! OF course, Mary would never have made
confession SO dangerous had she not been
! well aware of my fathers leanings, and the
proverbial goodness that influenced all his
/ acts relating to the insurgents. But still
( Notwithstanding the fact of her new friends
! truth and fidelity, there was imminent peri
/ in the position Redmond was placed in fol
the glen was perfect wilderness of straw
berries, and was consequently a very genera
resort for the children of the town, as wei
| as for the soldiers themselves. .fT
In this way matters stood when Arm
strong made his way one evening to the cot