| OCR Text |
Show • • • 250 llOEUUCK. too, that ROtne dre:tdful event lllHRL h:1.ve OCCUl'l'CU 1o shaLL r her jntellect, :liHl both her first allusion to J•jliza, and tho nbs nee of the daughter from the 1noLhor in ]trr present conditi 11, , ttggcste l the n10st terri hle apprehensions for the beloved girl. \Vhen Colonel Fitzhugh b c:une n ·quaintecl with these circ1nnstances he expressca the deepest ~-Jorrow for the nfllictions of this poor fatnily, and co11 ·iJerecl what 1night be done for their relief. Among other n1cnsure which he • nggested or adopted, he relieved both Abraharn nnd l\Iark fro1n 1nilitary duty, ad vi ·ing the husband to take charge of hi.· ·wile, atHl the son to go home i1nn1ediately and look after the f->:lfety of his sister. They follo"red l1is aJvice, and ]\[ark was soon ridiu o- r:1pidl y towards the en bin in w hi<.:h EI i~a had been left by her 1nother. • • • HOEllUUJC. 251 CIIAPTE I~ XXIII. llAXTEl!. SoME titne after nightfall, wltile Captain Dakin 'vas ab cnt frotn the vi11nge, npon his foray against \Villowbnu k, and oth )r defenceless dwell ingH of won1rn and children, Colonel vV escl W!lS (':~t d in a great ann-chair, in a rootn of the Swan tavern. J[is rotmt<l fio-urc swelled 'vit.h iml>orLancc, his t:tce 'vn.' rc<l, and ~ his ey s ·were n1oist 'vitlt the dew disLillc<L Ly driuk. Altogether, he looKccl nwllow, though duly iormid: tble, a~ he saitl p01nponsly-" bring in th pri~oner." The onlcr 'va' obeye<l, :t11<l a young n1:tn, fo1lowetl by a o·u:w<.l ' swa<n-rcre<l into the room, and, without wait- ;::::, . ino,.. · , for an invitati n, took a sent. lie looke<l Jir:L at Colon L 'Vesel, nncl then :1t Albert Pnlmcr, who wa~ f4j ltin <Y nt the oloncl'H ri o-ht hand, ~ a couHscllor. b b lie gnzc<l ~tt thcn1 both wjth an inf-wlcnL star(l, :wd then, leaning back in his chair, threw his feeL upon :t taLle. lie ,vas c1acl in the unifonn or a private of Confc<.l rate cavalry. J[e " ra,' not known to the colon \1, unt Palrner at once rccogn izecl hi: oh.l anta~oni~t, H:txtcr. That eccentric cormni. sary r signeJ. hiH (:Onl1ni.~:ion at the time or his duel 'vith Pahn r, and returnino· hon1e he ren1:tined there in inglorious ca~e, ;:::., ' . . 1111Lil the next Rpring, when the law of eonscn~>t~oa W!\s cnnctc<.l by the Uonfe<.lerate Cougre ·s. l~emg th \n oblio· a to ent \1' the service, he became :t pnvate in the eo~1pnny f nnerly comnuu1led by Jiu~rlt Fitzhugh. \Vhen the rcgiu1enL pnsse<.l ncar l~oebn<.:k, • |
