The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-08-24

sssssS
i fected ~ tour Of two years in Eng-
land and abroad, from which he had
only year or so since returned he
i perfectly represented all that was host
IN the young manhood Of Virginia. For
many years there had been hopes in the
minds Of Colonel Wilton and Madam
Talbot that the affection between the
two young people, who had played TO-
gether from childhood with all the
rankness and simplicity permitted nv
country life, would develop into some
thing nearer and dearer and that nv
their marriage at the proper time the
two great estates might be united
| The two children, early informed Of
this desire, had grown up under the
influence of the idea. AS they reached
years OF discretion they had taken #
for granted, considering the arrange
ment as fact accomplished by tacit
understanding and habit rather than
by formal promise. Personally at
tached to each other-nay, even fond,v
affectionate- indefinite tie seemed
sufficiently substantial to bring about
the desired result. Katharine had es-
pec1ally during Talbot's absence in Eu-
rope, resisted all the opportunities and
rejected all the proposals made to her.
and on this account refused all the
hearts laid at her feet. Since Talbot's
return, however, and especially since
ne refused, or hesitated, rather, to cast
his lot in with her own people, his
neighbors and friends, in the Revolu-
ton, the affair had on her part at least
assumed new phase. Still there had
been nothing said or done to prevent
this contamination so devOutly to be
wished until the advent of Seymour.
Then, too, Talbot, calm and confident
in the situation, had not noticed Sey-
mour's infatuation and was entirely
ignorant that the coveted prize had
slipped from his grasp. The insight of
the confident lover was not so keen as
that of the watchful father.
1t was believed by the principal men
Of Virginia that Talbot's sympathies
were with the revolted colonies, but
the influence of his mother, to whom
he had been accustomed to defer, had
hitherto proved sufficient to prevent
him from openly declaring himself.
His visit to England and the delight
full reception he had met with there
had weakened somewhat the ties
Which bound him to his native country,
and he found himself in a state of in
decision as humiliating as it was pain
full. Lord Dunmore and Colonel Will
ton had each made great efforts to en-
list his support on account of his
wealth and position and high personal
qualities. 1t was limited by one that
the ancient barony Of the Talbots
would be revived by the king, and the
gratitude of free and grateful coun-
try, with the consciousness of having
materially aided in acquiring that in
dependence which should be the BIRTH
right of every Englishman, was elo-
quently portrayed by the other. When
to the last plea was added the personal
preference of Katharine Wilton the
balance was overcome, and the hopes
of the mother were doomed to disap-
pointment.
For his own hopes, however, the de.
clsion had come too late, and it may
be safely presumed that his hesitation
was one of the main causes through
Which the woman he loved escaped
him, for Katharine's heart was given
to young Seymour, after ten days
courtship, almost before his eyes. In
any event a wiser man would have
seen in Seymour a possible-nay, GER
taln-rlval by no means to be disre-
garded. An officer who had devoted
himself to the cause of his country in
response to the first demand of con-
gress, who had been conspicuously
mentioned for gallantry in general Or
ders and reports, who had been severe
~ wounded while protecting Kath-
arine's father at the risk of his life, as
we'll bred and. as well born as Talbot,
Of ample fortune and with a wide
knowledge of men and things acquired
in his merchant voyagings as captain
OF one of his own ships in many seas,
Seymour's single hearted devotion emf
nently fitted him to WOO and win Miss
Katharine Wilton as he had DONE
| Nevertheless a friendship had sprung
up between Seymour and the unsus-
pecting Talbot which babe fair to ripen
into intimacy, and it may be supposed
that the stories of battles in which the
older man had participated, his at
tractive personality, the consideration
in which the young sailor was held by
men of weight and position in the COL
onies, as man from whom much was
to be expected, had large influence in
determining Talbot in the course he
proposed taking and which he had not
yet communicated to his mother
The evening repast had just been fin-
ished, and the mother and son were
walking slowly UP and down the long
porch overlooking the river in front of
the house. There was a curious and
interesting likeness between the two
a facial resemblance only, for Madam
Talbot was slender, rather frail little
woman, and looked smaller by contrast
as she walked by the side Of her son,