Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-11-04
gu @rigimal Sturg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
SLEEPY HOLLOW.
CHAPTER TX.
CHAPTER OF EVENTS,

That day my father and DR.. Wardlaw
were closeted long together. l shut myself
up in my own room, trying to suppress the
fever of excitement which took hold Of me,
and to prepare my mind for the worst, what
ever it might be. At last heard the libra
ry door open, and some one come out. Foot.
steps echoed in the hall below, then descended
the front steps, and the garden gate shut with
clang.
waited for little while longer, in an ag-
ony of suspense then I could endure it no
longer. 1 felt that must 60 down, and find
out something. Perhaps would meet papa,
somewhere about the house, and he would ex-
plain matters to me, of his own accord.
| stole timidly down to the parlor, and
looked in. DR.. Wardlaw was sitting in an
arm chair, near the fireplace, his arms crossed
and an expression of thoughtful gravity upon
his face. He looked up, and the gravity van
ished. A bright, triumphant kindled on
his lips and in his eyes, as he arose and came
forward.
He took me in his arms and kissed my brow.
"Rosamond-my little Rose p he said, soft
". "Rose de Ia nonde-my rose Of all the
worldw
"Papa p found courage to utter.
"Has given you to me; but had sore
struggle to extort his consent It was diff
cult game to play; but the stakes we're too
high for me to lose. 1t was conflict of life
or death p
trembled. "Is he very-very much dis
pleased ?" asked.
"Displeased? He says he gave you carte
blanche to follow your own inclinations; he
has no right to be displeased."
"No-but could not leave him, you know,
unless be really gave his consent. Please tell
me ifhe did,"
"Certainly he did-did I not tell you so
before? Don't ask me any more questions
now; let me realize the happiness of the pres
ent moment-the happiness of feeling that
you are truly, truly mine."
Still / was not satisfied I must know ex-
actly what had been said, how papa had
looked. and all about it. Having received
the information desired, came to the con-
clusion that the affair was, on the whole,
more satisfactorily settled than had ventur-
ed to hope.
"Wbere is papa now ?" asked.
"Gone out-probably to recruit his strength,
after the conflict"
"Please do not jest" said, seriously. 81
almost feel as if were doing wrong"
"Rosamond," he rejoined, with equal seri-
business, "do not make me think that you feel
any reluctance to marry me. want you to
give me your heart so truly, so entirely, that
your love for me, and the knowledge of mine
for you, will absorb every other consideration.
You have nothing to reproach yourself with;
your father, good and kind as he is, has a
monomania on the subject of your leaving
him, and to this he would sacrifice your life.
No parent has right to act thus. Forget
that he has shown any reluctance to sanction
our union, and take it for granted that when
he is able to reflect calmly and reasonably on
the matter, his good sense and his very love
for you will effect revolution in his feelings.
Until then, think Of me alone, and of the hap
py future which awaits US. You believe that
l will make you happy, do you not?'
"Yes-yes| p murmured, pressing his arm.
"And you love me? Let me hear the as
surance from your own lips"
l satisfied him, and then, casting aside the
thoughts which harrasseed me, gave myself
up to the enjoyment of the present moment,
and the consideration of all the happiness in
store for me, as the wife of the man to whom
my heart had gone out freely from the first.
Little by little, he drew from me the confess.
ion of the delight had felt in his society,
and my loneliness and restless feelings when
he had gone away; and then repaid me for
this acknowledgment of my weakness, by tell
ing me how lovely had seemed to him from
the first moment he saw me, and how the
thought had flashed over him that if he could
pluck this fair rose and wear it on his heart,
he would be the happiest Of mortals forever
more!
"But I feared, at first, that it was a pre-
sumptious idea. thought you would consid-
er me too old and world.dried to be the re-
cipient of such boon as your young, fresh
love-"
"You are not DID," said I, looking into his
face. "Not more than thirty-6ve, 1 should
say"
"More than double your age! But it is
even worse than that-you must add on still
three years"
"Thirty-eight!'
"Yes-does it frighten you?"
30, no" said I. "You will be all the bet
ter able to take care of me-"
"Yes, think l can manage that"
"But am spoilt child, you know"
"Never mind. l won't draw the reins too
tight"
"Dr. Wardlaw," said 1, abruptly, II want
to ask you question"
"Dr. Wardlau will answer no more oues-
tions of yours; but Arthur will, with pleasure.
waived the point dexterously, and went on.
"Will you tell me whose picture that was
that you left here, when you went away?
He suddenly became very grave.
"That reminds me-" he said, in an altered
tone, "of fact of which have, unntention-
ally, kept you in ignorance, and of which you
oug ght to be informed. Iquite forgot to men
tion to either your father or yourself, that I
am widower.'
$50 I fancied," rejoined. "You do not
surprise me at all.'
MOP" he said, inquiringly. II was not
aware that had ever made any allusion to
my former life"
I reminded him of what he had said when
we we're walking together, on the evening
prior to his departure, about some one who
had died, with the assurance on her lips, that
she had been happy all her lite
"Ah! yes" said he. Il recollect now.
That was Edith-my child-wife. 1t was a
boy-and.girl marriage. We were first cousins,
and had been playmates from babyhood.
"And you loved her very much ?" l queried.
ayes, loved her. But Rosamond, why
reopen page closed so long, long ago !?
Those memories, though undestroyed, have
been deeply buried for many year. They
seem to me now as the shadows of dream"
tD. III 9TH OH hor