"At my father's house, and in my father's presence, most certainly not.” "Even on these hard conditions, I will, then, soon seek itcruel one, adieu." "Adieu!" responded the beauteous girl, as, tripping lightly away, she looked back with a smile so eloquently sweet, that it erased in an instant the effect of every frown she had given, and every negative she had uttered, from the mind of her repulsed, but not despairing lover. The progress we have now made in our story makes it necessary to recur to some incidents of an earlier date, connected with several of our leading personages, and having a bearing on the events yet to follow : Some three or four years previous to the events just related, and when the settlers were first meditating an open resistance to the authorities of New York, it became an object with the former to ascertain how far the government of that province was there sustained in its attempted aggression on the Grants, by the feelings and opinions of the people at large—whether, indeed, there did not exist among that people, especially those living near the disputed territory, a considerable degree of sympathy for the settlers in their unrighteous persecutions. For in the event of such a sympathy, the latter believed that the meditated resistance might be ventured upon with safety, or with safety, at least, when compared with a case where the feelings of the people were enlisted on the side of the government. It was therefore determined that an emissary should be sent into the part of New York lying contiguous to the Grants, who, travelling in disguise, or with disguised objects, should endeavor to ascertain the true sentiments and feelings of the people on this subject: and Warrington was the person selected for this delicate, though important enterprise. Accordingly setting out alone with his rifle, and travelling on foot under the assumed name of Howard, and in the character of a hunter and herbalist, he travelled all that section of the country into which he had been particularly sent, calling at almost every house in his course and mingling with all companies and classes in pursuing the objects of his secret mission. And it was while on this excursion, that he accidentally formed the interesting acquaintance, of which the reader has already been apprised. Happening on one of the main roads leading from the east to Albany, he was overtaken by a gentleman and lady in a carriage, travelling towards the last mentioned place. They had passed by him but a few rods, however, before the horse suddenly took fright and overturned the carriage, by which the man was seriously hurt, though the lady fortunately escaped with little injury. Springing forward to their aid, Warrington, after securing the horse with no little difficulty and danger, turned his attention to the travellers, who proved to be a father and daughter, of the name of Hendee. Assisting the wounded man into his vehicle, and placing his daughter by his side to support him, he attended them, leading the horse, to the nearest habitation, which was a poor inn not far from the place of the accident. And having formerly been placed in circumstances in which he had gained considerable practical knowledge of medicine, he, in the absence of a regular physician in that thinly settled country, undertook the cure of the invalid himself, closely attending him till he became convalescent, and repeating his visits, at short intervals, during the two or three weeks that elapsed before the patient was able to resume his journey. And it was during these visits, in which he had evidently found great favor in the eyes of both father and daughter, by the kindness and delicacy of his attentions, that he had contracted an intimacy with the latter, which soon passed the ordinary boundaries of friendship, and ripened into that blissful state of the affections, which constitutes, perhaps, the most purely happy period in the course of love—when the feelings of parties are tacitly understood and appreciated by each other, before an open avowal occurs to throw with its business like aspect, the first shade of earth over this paradise of the heart. It was at this interesting stage of the intimacy that Warrington returned one day, after a longer absence than usual, and found, to his great disappointment and regret, that Hendee and his daughter had departed the day before, without leaving any note or message, as he then could learn, explanatory of their unannounced, and, to him unexpected departure. Believing from this, that he might have been perhaps, deceived in regard to the nature and extent of the interest, which he had flattered himself he had created in the bosom of Miss Hendee, and feeling a little piqued at this appearance of neglect on the part of both father and daughter, he soon ceased his unavailing enquiries concerning the family. And he had never heard anything further respecting them, or received the slightest information of the place of their subsequent residence, except the vague and uncertain information which he gathered in his adventure at the subterraneous abode before described, from that time to the present hour, when, to his utter surprise, he found them located on his own land. And now having no suspicion that they were conscious of intruding on the rights of another, and last of all, his own, in taking up this place under a York patent, and still cherishing all his former sentiments for the daughter, whose heart he believed he still retained notwithstanding the claims of another to her hand, he resolved to relinquish his right to the land, and even keep his ownership, if possible, a secret from the family, while he should prosecute his suit with the girl, at least till he had unravelled the mystery that now seemed to hang over her, and become better satisfied of the hopelessness of his case. Revolving this subject in his mind, he returned to his encampment, and announced to his wondering companions, that he should have no occasion to employ them in the affair which, as they were apprised, he had been to investigate. CHAPTER VIII. "Let us be conjunctive in our revenge.” "'T is lucky! I can work my purposes, PERHAPS there is no kind of hatred, that finds harbor in the human breast, more deadly and inveterate than that which is entertained by the perpetrators of base actions against those who have detected them in guilt. Nor does the degree of inveteracy with which this fiendish feeling is secretly cherished by the former, appear to be very often lessened by any forbearance which may be exercised by the latter in not exposing their baseness, or bringing them to punishment. We will not detain the reader, however, with any speculations of our own on this dark and somewhat singular leaf in the history of the human passions, but leave the subject to be illustrated by those incidents of our story, by which these remarks were here suggested. When the discomfited soldier retreated from the presence of Warrington and the rescued maiden, he concealed himself in a thicket, from which he could espy the movements of the couple till they separated. And when this had taken place, he proceeded directly to his boat, and, entering it, pushed for the opposite shore, plying his oars with a sort of nervous and spiteful energy, as if impelled by the commingling feelings of chagrin and revenge, that were working within him at the thoughts of his defeat, and the consciousness that he had disgraced himself forever in the eyes of the girl, as well as exposed himself to the contempt and abhorrence of her deliverer. "Fool! fool!" he angrily muttered to himself, as he urged his skiff through the waters, which, as if in mockery at the dark turmoil of his breast, were now sparkling in cheerful brightness in the rays of the setting sun; "stupid fool, to think a timid girl would listen to me in such a place! and more fool still to manage so blunderingly as to alarm her, when, if I had begun right, I might have told her all, or at least found out whether she would have made it to my advantage to do it. And then to mend the matter, I must try, in my eagerness, to stop her! which brought down that cursed interloper upon me, as if the old boy sent him just at that moment to make an affair out of the trifle! I wonder what they supposed I wanted to do? that is plain, however, what they thought; but they are mistaken: Bill Darrow for once is accused of what he is not guilty! ha! ha! aint that a curiosity! Well, the plan, like every woman plan I ever laid, is all blown to the devil now, I suppose; though I can yet bring it about with the old man, if I choose. But that scoundrel, dhim! whoever he may be, I'll dog him to the death, but I'll pay him for his rascally interference !' While thus reasoning and raving by turns, in the way of soothing his smarting feelings, he had nearly reached his destined landing, a small cove about a furlong north of the fort, when he caught a glimpse of a man standing among the bushes on the shore, apparently awaiting the approach of the boat. "Ah! who have we here?" resumed the desperado, as, shading his eyes with his hand from the blinding rays of reflected light that fell in his face, he threw a scrutinizing glance at the person of the other; "why! can it be? - it is Jake Sherwood himself! What in the devil's name brought him here just at this time? Ah! my dear fellow, you may thank your good stars, and evil ones, that you are not by this time pretty devilishly well dished! But can he have mistrusted my good will? No, no! the secret is still my own, and for the present shall remain so, as my best stock in trade. Yet what can he want with me? Some Beelzebub errand to be done, I'll warrant me! Well, he shall pay roundly for doing it, besides shelling out something more. than promises on the old score, or I'll yet put him in a spot he will little relish, I am thinking." "Well, Darrow," said Sherwood, as the former now reached the shore, and, pulling up his boat, mounted the bank; "sporting a little over yonder this afternoon, eh? What luck? None! Well, that is the way sometimes. But come, take a seat on this old log here, in the bushes. I should like a little talk with you; so lay aside that grim scowl of yours, and be sociable once, if you can." "Sociable! hum! I should like to know who in hell could feel sociable, or wear a decent face, while his conscience is loaded down with such soul-damning secrets as these of yours." 66 My secrets! ha! ha!- as if they were not yours, too!" “And they may be somebody's else, too, unless you mend your manners, and show yourself a little more liberal than you have been lately, Jake Sherwood. But what brings you here now, and what would you have with me?” “Oh, nothing very special—nothing of any great consequence "Nothing very special, hey? When did Jake Sherwood, or his father before him, ever call on Bill Darrow without a special object, I should like to know?” "Well, well, supposing I have an errand, what then?-what is there so out of the way in that, you surly one?" "Why, nothing out of the way, but exactly in the way, as I said. But what is the use of puttering with your round about moonshine? — out with it!” Darrow," said the other, after glancing about him as if to make sure that there was no one within hearing; "there are several of the York outlaws prowling about Otter Creek. We came near seizing them a few days ago at Lake Dunmore, though they escaped us, and that was not all but no matter they, day before yesterday, went down the Creek to the Lower Falls, and took, and laid waste Colonel Reed's plantation there. And their leader, one Warrington, with part of his gang, has since moved off somewhere in this direction. Now there is a reward of about two hundred crowns to be had for taking this fellow. I have had my eye on him some time, and now I have some particular reasons for wishing him secured." "What a kind of a looking fellow is he?" asked Darrow, with considerable interest. Do you know him by sight? "Yesa tall, square built, and rather good looking fellow - |