The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

love in her ear—indeed, little time had been afforded him since her rescue, But now he approached the lovely valley again under fairer auspices than ever before. It is true, he was not without that natural diffidence which most lovers of refinement must experience as they approach that em- barrassing period which is vulgarly called “popping the question ;’ but almost every- thing bore a brighter aspect now. He wis without the harassing cares, with “regard to .the condition of his country, which had formerly weighed so heavily up- on the spirits of all true patriots. Certainly, the war was not yet over; but then a stage was reached whence, it seemed, could be discerned “the beginning of the end”. Gates, who, as we haye seen, had lost some- thing of the high reputation which he had gained in the conquest of Burgoyne, had just been superseded in the command of the Southern army by the brilliant and pop- ular General Greene. Cornwallis had not yet recovered from the disastrous effects of his compulsory retreat southward after the battle of King’s Mountain—although large reénforcements were now reaching him— and was bungling forward in his new cam- paign, which was soon to have a stinging check at the battle of the Cowpens and with Morgan’s victory. In fact, the old year was going out finely, with every pros- pect that American victory would inaugur- * ate the new—at least in the long-oyerrun, long-suffering Southern Colonies, Then, while Cleaveland had been away, he’ had received several glowing, friendly letters from old Godfrey Gwin, and one sweet little pink-tinted treasure of an epistle from Ida, breathing the very spirit of grati- tude and warm friendship for him, which he had ever since worn in his bosom. He had also received news that the last of the denizens of the valley who could revive the | recollection to contemplate anew those hor- rible tragedies of the mountain to which he had been a witness, was now no longer of the living. This was old Jacob Gleason, who had at last, burdened with many crimes and the incessant anxiety entailed upon him by his ill-gotten wealth, perished in self- compelled indigence and misery, $o that it was with a far lighter heart than formerly that Cleayeland found him- self cantering over the well-knowh road from Valleyton to Misty Mount with two months’ furlough at his disposal . And there he saw the noble old host waiting to THE SECRET SHOT, welcome him from the porch of his hospi- table mansion. In a few moments the col- onel had alighted and his hand was in the warm grasp of Mr. Gwin. Ida came tripping out at the sound. of horses” feet. She at first colored up at the sight of the colonel, but immediately ad- vanced and accorded a frank hand anda warm welcome. Perhaps her cheek was a trifle thinner— her beauty a trifle more subdued, than when she was first introduced to our readers; but two months was a short time for such a delicate being to overcome the effects of that terrible experience in the Tories’ cave. And Cleayeland, at any rate, thought her beauty holier, lovelier, tenderer than it had ever before appeared. “And how is mon amie?” he inquired, gayly taking her little hand in his own. “ Assez bien ; et Monsieur le colonel?” she replied, demurely. “In perfect health,” said he, laughing. “JT propose a return to the mother tongue, I have no intention showing the poverty of my patois along side of the pretty French of Mademoztselle Ida.” “ As you will, colonel.” As he passed up stairs to his baggage, which had arrived before him, he could not help thinking that she was a little cool to- ward him, and immediately began to grow misérable. But his buoyant hopes returned when her happy smile greeted him upon his descent to dinner. Well, they fell back into their old de- lightful ways; rides and rambles by day- time, whist, the piano, reading and’ singing by night; and it seemed more than likely that half of the gallant colonel’s furlough would be frittered away before he mustered courage to read his fate in the blue eyes of that simple maiden. But one day, at about noon, seeking for Ida to take a walk, he found that she had gone out alone, and thereupon took his hat and cane to go in search of her. It was almost in the middle of December, but the day was.sunshiny and quite warm,. The earth, it is true, had lost something of the splendor in which he had seen her inher mid-autumn robes; but there was some- thing soothingly sweet in the soberness which had come upon. her in the soft win- ter of her age. The colonel was so fortunate “as to find the object of his quest in a little summer- house a short distance from the mansion, MIiGdoOo =