River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-01-11
THE FELON'S BRIDE.
BY LIEUT.. HENDERSON.

BY LIEUT.. HENDERSON.
My opening scene lies in a town
west of the Allegheny Tange-a town
more famed for its beauty than its
size.
The blasts OF autumn had swept the
leaves from the trees, and they
stretched out their bare and quivering
limbs to implore winter to cover them
with his icy sheen. The poor were
shivering in their novels; the rich en-
joying life as best they could, sur
rounded by such comforts as wealth
always commands.
In a neat and cosy mansion in the
said town-or rather in a parlor there
of-sat two persons one young man
whose almost beardless face and youth
| full appearance, did not place him
above one-and-twenty years in the rec
ords of time, if SO much. Had it not
been for rather reckless and dissi-
| pated look, he would have been con-
| sidered handsome. He had dark,
flashing eye his hair curled around q
high, fair brow; his features were
regular his figure good, and his dress,
with the exception of being overflow
elryized, was in the fashion, and ele-
| giant.
His companion was a modest and
lovely blonde small and plump in fig
ure, with auburn hair, aud those ten
der blue eyes, which, while they
speak not of fever heat, nor tameless
passion, still contain world of deep
and constant love. Her age was evil
IDENTIFY two or three years less than
his just that era when the girl is
merging into womanhood /; when, with
new thoughts, new feelings, new pas
siOns and no experience, she energies
from the bud into the flower, hanging
upon the thorny bush of humanity, at
the mercy of every breeze, and in dan
ger of every daring hand.
"What do you say Annie ?' said the
young man. "Will you not be mine
without his consent ?"
so, Charles, how can IT. replied
the young girl, as she clasped one Of
his arms within both of her own.
GLOW can L! / love and fear my faith
er love you but is it not my duty
to heed him !"
"hnd so marry old Prendegast, the
banker, for whom he intends you =
said the young man, bitterly.
"No, Charles that Twill never dol"
she replied, in tears the while sit is
cruel in you to say it.
"And yet he intends it he tainted
me with it to-day, when | asked your
hand of him, while he called me moth
ing but beggarly post-oflice clerk"
A change came over the young girls
face as she heard this. The tears
seemed of themselves to dry upon her
burning cheeks. Her little form seem
ed to enlarge, and her plump bosom
rose and fell like waves on lakelet
suddenly aroused to motion. The color
on her cheeks grew deeper and the
light in her eyes more bright.
"IIe has spoken to me of that old
wretch" said she 'tand he is invited
here to spend this coming Christmas"
"Then, dearest, let him come; but
do not let him find you here. Let us
fly. Disguises for both are ready the
cars pass in two hours | have plenty
of ready money, and in a few hours
we can be in another State, and you
shall be my welded wife. Then we
will send your father word, and copy
of our certificate of marriage; and
though he may storm and rave for an
hour two, he will soon see that it is
useless, and call us back to his love
and home again! Come, Annie, GOMEZ
She hesitated-there was evidently
a struggle going on in her young heart
love on one scale, and duty on the
other. He saw her indecision.
''Pendergast is hateful old miser!'
said he.
The scales turned in moment.
''Charles," said she, and her tone
was low and solemn, and her look
touchingly earnest in its trusting limo.
cense as she spoke "Charles | will
go with you; but / pray God to treat
you as you do me; fer my honorary
very life, is in your hands from the
moment leave my fathers protecting
roof ~
'sAmen, my dear Anuie,' said he,
as he kissed her tenderly. "You need
not fear wrong from me, for | love
you as do my very life y
And he seemed in look and tone most |
sincere when he spoke those words.
"Be with me in an hour, a5 the cor |
ner of Bland and CIPHER streets, dear
ast," he continued, sand from thence |
We 90 where we can disguise all that |
ID ICSCbSdl ~ SoOttpC 1GSOSiilblO4A db /
the depot; and then, within ten hours !
more, you will be so much mine by the |
laws of God and man, that no power |
on earth can drag you from me. |
have arranged at the office, and got |
leave to be absent for few days SO /
that shall not lose my situation by /
being away from my post"
al will be there, Charles, replied /
Annie, not in wild romantic manner.
but wit hthe quiet frmness of one who
seemed well to know what she was
about to do, and who in deep, calm
love, was willing to risk all for him
whom she loved.
And now the reader might as well
be told who those young people so bent
upon elopement were.
Annie was the only daughter of the
wealthiest man in the place, the daugh-
ter of an honorable but ambitious man,
who was stern in his manner, and
naughty, while she was as winning as
a June morning. Yet Mr.. Rivers was
looked up to with great reverence ON
every hand. Annie-young though
she was-had many suit0rs some at
lracted by her beauty, but more for
her position rs an heiress. Among
.hese-as we already know-was Mr..
Pendegast, who ranked second only to
Mr.. Rivers in wealth of the place, and !
who had run into gray-headed old bach
,lorhood before he thought himself