The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-05-22

''What idle talk. is this ~ asked Col
Beaufort, entering with more haste than
usual the neat parlor where his wife and
daughter sat sewing. c2nSs1
what. do you mean" asked Mrs
Beaufort, looking up quickly. {
"There is meaning enough! Flora. is
all this talk truth or falsehood ? You
know to what ! refer. .Ata
Flora Beaufort's face turned as white
as the. delicate muslin she held in her
hand, and her soft blue eyes sank before
the stern gaze Of her father si5e,
tili"If you will explain, father" she at
last faltered, II may be able al
sYes, will explain" interrupted the
irate parent. Who walked to the Swamp
Meadow;last Saturday afternoon You
did. Who met you there2 o, to think
a daughter of mine should sink so low !!
If you say that all this talk hear is
TRUE, SO help me heaven, Douglas Viii
lard's blood shall pay for it."1aaf9 isait
Flora looked to her mother as if ask
ing help il her extremity, but that moth
er's face was stern, and her eyes bent an.
grily on her beautiful daughter. OH
Answer said herofather. "If7it is
true that you have engaged yourself to
this Douglas Willard, l will shoot him
as iIawould d dog" The hot.tempered
man began pacing the floor with rapid
tread
Flora, in all the eighteen years Of
your life'you have never told yoar pa
rents falsehood answer as rlow,r said
Mrs Beaufort in q low and impressive
tone. A. deep blush, followed by death
like pallor came over Flora's face. She
appeared to struggle with some emotion
and then answered in low voice:
~ SIT is ,false.p ~ nommo9-<9t)H
ao,See. then, that you never give any
one occasion to couple your name witt
lthatirascal's.'s said the Colonel sssI be
lieve it was an accident your meeting
him at Swamp Meadow. 0 Avoid him az
you would pestilence,' y and the Colone
left the room. 9iiftS hAG a!i) tsIaa
~ Without daring to give "a glance at th,
face of her mother Flora gathered NJ
lherG sewing, and 5hurrying up the stair
way gained the seolusion iof7her owl
room. There she sank on the floor ant
burying her face in her hands wept he
first bitter tears. She had told her frs
lfaIsehood. but Eitwas to shield him whom
she so tenderly loved. = Ff
/ Col. Beaufort was stern man, but ex
cessively proud of his children, whom b
watched with the greatest solicitation
|seeming to be in constant fear that on
lof, them might chance to commit som
terror which would forever disgrace tn
old name which he proudly hore. H
had sent TO northern college the tw
telder sons, who had been rather wild
land kept on the plantation his tw
:. daughters, Flora and Fannie, and hi
youngest son Fred. He had a gres
J prejudice sgainst the northern gentleme
who visited during the winter the tow
nearest his plantation and took care the
none of them should meet his daughter
His anger had therefore been aroused I
overhearing talkatlve ploW=hand spec
: ulating to a fellow laborer on the reaso
which took "Missy Flora" to the Swan
Meadow just as Mr., Douglas Willard,
visitor at the to wn near them should ais
90 there. The Colonel angrily demand
led Of the man what he meant by such
tale, and received in reply a statemel
that Miss Flora had been seen speakir
Ito Willard in the Swamp Meadow only
Ifew days before. Unable to control b
anger the Colonel had gone at once
bear what Flora had 10 say about the 8
fair, with the result which has just bet
recorded. ~ass e 8=r
Il A couple of hours after the scene
! the parlor of the Beaufort mansion, Do
glas Willard was stopped in the street
a small negro boy who put into his hal
smnll note and then quickly walk
Y away Douglas was not surprised at |
o ceiving the note, which was written ]
), Flora, for the little boy had frequent
y been employed in the same way. Ope
ling it he hastily read:
"All has been discovered. Meet l