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Show 33G HICIIAHD JIUTIDIS. puuislllllcnt. As n strong man it might be my lot to depend 011 your friPndly Hympnthy to save me from a Imltcr." " T would do it, l!"'ostcr, believe me." "\\'c nn1st make you do it. '\Yo must keep our reins upon you. llut of wlint nvnil would be a permission to you \rhich (.'n1dtl not nnuiltilatc tlJC }Jroofs whi<'h we ll n\'C ~1gainst you 1 "\VJ,cthcr we suffered you to go free, and held you to Lc 110 longN one of us or not; the of1'cJJ('C wlticlt we eould JlrOYC ngainst you, would still mnkc you lin Lie to tlJC law. Our mere pcnnisl'iiou to dcpmt would Lc nothing-" "YI'S-Cn'rytlliug! It would frf'C nH' from a bondage tlmt JIOW crushes me to tiJC earth, and defrnts all my rncditatcll nction in otlH·r rcsprcts! For tho wrong l lt:wc dono to HHrLcrs, I would wnke Htoucwent-" "Hepay 11i111 the mouey from the roLLcri<>s of others," rcldicd l:'osl<>r, witiJ n sneer. 11 1\o, Foster," snid the young 111:1n patiently, "not a ccut would l Lear from your trcnsmy. 1 would go !Urth m; UIIC'n· ~mnLcred with your booty ns I l1opc to be UIICilcumb<)rcd with the sin :md Hhamc of the conncctiou." "You usc tender words in speaking of your comrades nud tlH•ir OCC'II]l:ttions, J<:LPrly." "\Vitilout llleaning to offe JJd , l!'oster. But hear me out. I !'iHluld not merely r<>pay Hnrbcrs, but I would couf'ess to him the crime of which I l1nd Leon guilty." " U:t! and the subsequent sinful conJH'ctious wl1ich you have fOn nNl with us, and our precious doings together. This is your }Wf'Jcious plan, is it 1" . "Not so ! 'l'lJough rcsoh·ed to declare my own cnmes :md crrorA, I :un not houml to betray tl1e confidence of otl1crs." "This is your resolution now; l10W long will it remniu so, •:nd what will Le our security whcu the chnuce ktppcns-w!JJCh may lHlJlpen-wlten, nt one full 1;woop, you may take us nil like a flock of p:utridges, nnd Jeliver us up as :lll ntonc1~CH! for your own youtl1ful sius, to the Lands, so called, of Just1~c · Eberly-Eberly, you are spcnk ing like a child. Do you tl~mk we can l1carken to a prayer, such ns that you make 1 1\ hy, every -r /lite-livered boy of onr band, wlw happened t_o fane~ a pair of Lluc eyes, :mel n. dimity petticoat, would be seized With DJo~SPAm OP THE WEAK BI~01'HF.U. 337 n fit of virtue toward us, in precise degree with his hot lnst after the weuch he fancied-" "Stny, Foster; I see that you are aware of my intimacy witl1 Miss Grafton." "Surely. Yon li:we never taken a step that I am not acquainted with. And now let me ask, did you feel our bondage so oppr<'~sive till you bcc:une acquainted with tit is girl?" "I did not; my knowledge of l1er first im1)rcssed upon me, witl1 a more jnst sense of their worth, the value of those rewards wltich foll()w virtuous prnetice." "Pshaw, mm1, how is the getting of this girl a reward of vir tuc. Can't. you get 11er now, wlJilc you arc a trusted mcmbCl· of tile confCdcracy 1 To the point, man, and speak out the truth, have you not spoken to her, and lms siH" not consented to be yoms 1" "She lms." "\Vhnt more! Marry her-we do not hinder you. We ob~ ject not to the new bonds which you propose to put on yourself: though grumbling so much at ours. Be sure, we slwll none of us forbid the banns. Marry her, and settle down in quiet; our laws will give you no trouble; your duties shall Le accommodated to the new c1wnge in your condition, nnd, as a justice of the pence, a juror, member of the assembly, or of Congress, you can be as eminently useful to us as, nay, more useful than, :1. stri~ ker along the woods, or a passer of counterfeit notes. 'rhese are small matters which any huH-head among ns can perform; you have talents which can Letter serve us in higher stations." The youth shook his head, as he replied sadly- " If I did not love Julia Grafton, or if I loved her less, it might be easy to be satisfied with what you say. But I neither can nor will fetter myself or her in a bondage such as you men~ tion. In truth, Foster, I cun serve you no more-l can serve the confederacy no more. I make this declaration to you, though I die for it! On your mercy I throw myself-on your kindness often professed, and tried on more occnsions than one ! Be my friend, Poster-on my knees I pray you to save me in this respect-save me-Jet me go free-I will leave tho country-! will go into a distant state, where you can b& in no dan~ ger from anything that I can do or say! You can have no ren- 15 |