Year: 1860

her Judgment in preference to his own. 1t
anything else he would have obeyed without Q
murmer; hut he recolected his promises oil
the Brandywine and the influence that the
mysterious woman held over him, rose vividly
before his Imagination. He would willingly
have taken the counsel of his mother but he
knew too well that Peggy Drew held dominion
over his body and mind, and that she would
hold him to his bargain. He was well aware
that he could never fly from her toils--it ap-
peared that her presence was everywhere She
was never out of his mind; she haunted him
in his dreams as well as his waking hours.
He believed that she was omnipresent; that
she watched his every movement and would
work out his destruction If he did not obey
her will. With these thoughts uppermost in
his mind he persisted in selling his real and
personal estate, and taking the proceeds South
to purchase lands and slaves. She proceeded /;


"You cannot in the excited condition of your
mind get any consent to sell your property
it was accumulated by years of toll by your
father, and would not have it squandered
now"


Smother, you do not know everything, or
you would not object to my plans"


"What is there son should not tell his
motherl Does not her whole soul centre in
him If he have troubles ought she not to be
consulted at first, ought lie not to unburthen
smind to her she willbe the first to relieve it
son should never place himself beyond the
pale of his mothers confidence"


The young man seemed to hesitate whether
he would proceed and tell her all his troubles.
In an instant she saw the cause of his hesita-
tation and nterposed:


'tHesitate not my child-you know if any
weighty trouble preys upon your mind, will
do all that lays in my power to relieve you.
There is nothing that concerns you but what
affects me. You have fortune enough to sup
ply all your reasonable wants. All that
have will in few years be yours. What more
can you desre?"


s'Peaee of mindr'


"Peace ofmind-you should never hayea trou-
bleinthe world. Ifwealth makes happiness you
can possess it. If ease and comfort, and even
luxury can make happiness, cannot see why
you have not got your share"


"I,ecause there is canker at my hcart--it
gnaws and gnaws and forever gnaws; can
not run away from it. There is no rest for me
still the demon of my bosom preys upon my
vtals, and cannot remain here where this
curse forever follows me; haunting me day
and night"


Tha ofh al, nj NIT
every muscle of her sons face as he made the
confession that something preyed upon his
mind. She had been aware of that fact al
ready, but never till now did he admit it to
her. With the determination of drawing out
a little farther the hint that had been given
her, Madam Jaques proceeded to cross-ex-
anime the idol of her heart For that purpose
she proceeded


my child you grieve me to hear you talk
so strange. | am sure you should have no
trouble that you would not be willing to con-
fide to me-"


II know, mother, that should coniide to
you any ordinary matter, but this is something
beyond your healing power. This issomething
that cannot be trusted to many, and you must
know that it is exceedingly private when
hesitate about imparting it to you"


"You need not hesitate my son, in telling
me the secret that preys so heavily upon your
mind 1t is your duty, and as an obedient
son you should disclose everything to me-"


~ would, mother, but am obligated to
another to keep this secret"


"Fi Fl boy; obligated to keep secret
from your motherl Why, you are joking; you
never thought OF doing any such foolish
thing as that Obligated to some one else
Ha, ha what an idea; you under more obli-
cations to some other person than to me. oh,
no, that could not possibly be. Such an idea
would drive me mad"


"Mother, mother If you only knew the fas-
cination that surrounds me | am under the
influence of another more potent than my
mother. One who owns me body and soul.'
#As he spoke his eyes flashed wildly. Madame
Jaques saw the excitement under which her
son labored, and she almost regretted having
said so much. But matters could not grow
much worse, and the curiosity of the woman
predominat,d; she inquired in an excited man.
ner;


"What do you mean by saying one who
.vns You 10Y and soul ~


II mean precisely what say"


"Who is the person who holds this influence
over your


"That must remain "A secret'-


"From your mother?"


'Yes, from my mother"


That cannot be. You must tell me all abont
this matter; it interests me only,at present"


The son refused to comply with his mothers
request. She could not imagine what to do
under the circumstances she therefore resolved
to try the virtue of stratagem, and continued
a My son, don't know it will not change
my mind in regard to the disposition of your
property Since your mind is so determined
upon that point, will consent to your wish on
one condition"


"What is that?" eagerly inquired the son.


That you will unburthen your thoughts to
me-make me your confident, and tell me eve
rythng, If can be of any service to you |
will be on hand money shall not stand in the |
way of any project you may undertake.


At this piece of information Augustus eyes
sparkled with delght-he saw that his mother |
was about to yield point and he was anxious
to take advantage ofthat much disputed vantage |
ground; consequently he acquescOd in her re-
quest and promised to tell her all. Sheproposed |