Show pi IA atrue A TRUE djory i S r jj A few years earb cars ago asit as a gentleman whom we shall calf davenport was one evening about dusk dusy riding slowly ined in the little town of G hoaas startled from a reverie in which he was at the moment indulging by a youthful figure which bounded from flom the carapet and seized the bridle of his horse his is first impulse iwas avas anger at what he considered either 0 malicious or impertinent interruption but the deif delf delicate cate face slight figure and more than all the pleading and agitated expression iehl which cehe he observed in the countenance of the youth irresistibly attracted his attention and impelled him to draw raw his rein and arid request mildly to know the cause of an action so unexpected in timid and tremulous tones tongs and in terms in which the incoherence of 0 extreme agitation was painfully apparent the strang er informed davenport that he had for some time waited in anxious hope of ot seeing some individual lu whose respectability of appearance might pass for a guarantee of dishonor his honor and whom in in consequence he might haye have courage to address in Ina lna a brief and hurried manner he re informed davenport that he feared pursuit from some enemy and implored to be conveyed to some place of safety there was something in the tones of his voice which was at onee once tremulous and spirited but that spirit B s fearfulness by a nervous alarm and fearful fearfulness tearfulness ful fui ness nebs which seemed efre effeminate minate As he spoke davenport felt a growing interest for which he could scarcely account he requested the youth to walk by y hs side as far anthi as the inn where he hinted that a further explanation would be necessary and if proceeded he you satisfy me that glat I 1 shall not be acting improperly you may com command luand inand my services s having ng given his horse to the care of a groom room davenport entered the in inn n followed g the youth and immediately desi desired red to be shown ail all to a private room I 1 wei bellair well Wel lair sir said he as soon as the waiter had withdrawn will you libow ow oblige me by telling me how bow far I 1 may be of service to you andin what way but I 1 beg pardon you saem seem beem fatigued pra pray prax Y sir air sir bir i be seated shiell shall I 1 call for some refreshment the youth stood pale apparently irresolute and evidently abstracted while the heaving of his hes breast betrayed violent emotion atlen ablen at length th he raised his head bead and essayed to speak the effort was too much his lip quivered the fears which had gathered in his eyes overflowed the intended articulation burst bursty and was broken in uncontrollable sighs and convulsive sobs and sinking back into a chairge cha irhe irbe covered his face with his hands and burst into a violent hysterical passion of weeping davenport was amazed what in heavens name can be the cause of this excessive grief griefe gri eft said sald he be 1 I beseech you to confide it to me and if it admits of consolation I 1 swear to do my utmost to assuage it and to promote your happiness 13 the stranger returned a look of gratitude and made strong efforts to control his emotions ile he arose and advanced towards davenport and in performing this action his hat which he had not hitherto removed and which davenport had remarked was worn rather awkwardly slipped from his head and down fell in clustering profusion black as the wing of a raven the glossy curls of a female davenport startled and uttered an exclamation of astonishment he was not less struck with the revelation with this slight accident had effected than with the sparkling and highly characteristic beauty of the being who stood before him A thousand thoughts flashed with the quickness and evanescence of lightning through his brain as he tried to catch a glimpse of the meaning of an adaven tibo 1180 itron strongly gly romantic sel sei self seif is always so predominant in the best regulated minds that the leading idea as prompted by this vanity seemed to ask him if such a disguise as this were the result of 0 some unknown attachment to himself these thoughts however were but the tumultuous crowding of a few seconds the stranger seeing hersele herself discovered stood confused and agitated burning blushes of conscious impropriety suffused her lovely cheeks which were the next instant with revulsion of df feelings pale and bloodless as alabaster and such seemed the overpower inga ing nature of obber her emotion that if davenport stepped forward and caught her she would have fallen to the floor I 1 til all me said he 1 I beseech you and tell moe roe rn calmly cil cit linly and candidly who you are and hat is the meaning of this dis disguise oh sir what must you think of f mel cried she endeavoring to hide her face which was again covered with blushes there is something countenance sir air and in your manner which tell me roe that you are a man of honor and thab that you feel for me I 1 will there fore without briefly relate to you ule uie ue painful in which I 1 have placed myself 2 I 1 was obliged oblige delther either deither to do something similar to this or submit to that which would have been worse than death my aly father is a cold and haughty tempered man mah mansho who would sacrifice every feeling of his nature in the enhancement of his worldly consequence since the death of my mother which happened when I 1 was very young youn 1 l have experienced but little affection from him ile he has latterly however set hla hia heart u upon pon my lra 11 union with wish an aged peer who promised to advance ance his hia political influence and whose cupidity I 1 imagine has been excited by the fortune which I 1 inherit through my mother bu but as I 1 would rather die than be made the victim of a compact so mean I 1 straight though perhaps very told my father soi boi so and the consequence hag has been a rigorous confine ment so a view no doubt of bar tab rab me into compliance homp tomp ilance liante and showing so little affection on the part of 0 my parent that I 1 resolved if I 1 could by any means make my escape to quit him and and proceed to london where I 1 could claim the protection of my deceased moth mothers erys family with whom my father has ion lon long iong been at variance ile he suspecting I 1 suppose e an occurrence of this kind kept me totally without money and it was with great difficulty I 1 procured this disguise di guise in which fearing an energetic and immediate pursuit thoughtlessly and I 1 now see imprudently left my fathers house and now that I 1 begin to perceive the consequences of the step I 1 have taken I 1 know not how to proceed unless you sir she said hesitatingly will be generous enough to protect me till I 1 am safe sate with my relations in town when I 1 can promise your goodness shall not go 11 there is so much nobleness of mind 21 said Daven davenport porty porto in your refusal of your fathers improper propos alsand so much spirit in your execution of your plan for evading it rash as the plan was that I 1 cannot for a moment hesitate the truth Is that the novelty of the situation into which he was thus suddenly thrown as protector of a lone female flying from the tyranny of an ambitious parent had bad irresistible charms for a mind so as was that of davenport he immediately proposed as a matter of prudence and to at stop 0 o the venomous tongue of slander if this adventure al venture adventure should by any chance become known that miss aliss S by which initial we shall designate th the stranger estranger should immediately become the guest of his sister who had lately become the bride of a clergyman at no great distance and to whom he was at that time on a visit to her he said he be would relate the whole matter as he could depend implicitly on her hr prudence miss aliss S joyfully and thankfully accepted this offer and a coach was forthwith ordered and thither they proceeded davenport on their arrival at the vicarage lost no time in informing his sister of his bis rencontre as she possessed a heart no less kind than his own she willingly installed miss S as her the latter of course was soon transmitted into her propria pr opria persona and as she entered the room in her female attire the heart of davenport palpitated as though the love shaft of cupid had been loosened smartly from his bow and lind had already ed his bosom and if in the vanity of youth he thought the eyes of miss S as she expressed her thank thanks sj beamed upon him with an expression warmer than that of gratitude will he be be blamed the ile next morning they set out for london on his arrival there after having informed the relatives lativs re of miss S of her peculiar pa culiar cullar situation she wrote an letter tot to her father the reply was a furious demand that his daughter should be immediately and unconditionally restored to him the letter concluded with sundry threats of the vengeance of the law in case of refusal davenport was now at loss how to proc proceed bed but having got intelligence that mr S was posting up to london he forthwith determined to avoid him by posting back to his sister leaving the exasperated father to dissipate his rage as best he might the latter on his arrival in london made immediate inquiries for davenport of whom much to his chagrin and disappointment he could learn no tidings he ile then went to the relations offis of his bis decease deceased wife but they could give him no satisfaction through the medium of his lawyer he was w a 3 directed directed to the country residence of davenport whither he proceeded on his arrival there he was again disappointed for he found the house merely in the keeping of the stew ard who informed him that his master had not resided there for the last six months in similar fruitless and anxious inquiries he 8 spent ent nearly a quarter of a year for no one thought t of directing him to the dicara vicarage ge where the sister of davenport and her spouse led a i very retired life ile he was in despair it s seemed e e med as though his daughter wa was a lost to him forever f 0 r e er and for the first time in his life as I 1 this thia crossed his mind he felt like a father ieather he ire was sitting sitt ingin in his hig study upbraiding I 1 himself hi roselE for the unkind co coldness laness with which he had ever treated her and pondering upon what steps he should next pursue when a servant entered and presented him a letter it was from davenport requesting in the most respectful te terms ring that he would take into consideration the unhappiness which must necessarily be the lot of his daughter daughters if it ho he sacrificed her to ti the arms of one whom she must ever dislike and despise de spi se it concluded by requesting the favor of f an interview at the vicarage a direction to which was added aa As mr S pursued the letter some of his former harsh feelings returned upon him it was with difficulty to be endured that a mere stranger should take the liberty of dictation dicta dictating tin 0 any part of the conduct which he be was to pursue with respect to his daughter ile he JI however lost not a moment in proceeding to the place of interview it was about three on the day subsequent to that on which he had received the letter that he arrived at the vicarage of on his hia entrance he was immediately conducted by the attendant to a drawing roomy room where the first object that struck his sight was his daughter standing at a window leaning fondly on the arm ofa of a gentleman whose noble features beamed with love as he gazed with a delighted ex expression upon her face on perceiving her fa father tp ner her she rushed forward and und kneeling at his bia feet exclaimed forgive me forgive me my dear father oh bir sir I 1 fear I 1 have now doubly offended youly you mr air S violently curbed the flow of at hf faction which would hae haye prompted him to raise and embrace her liar and said sternly 1 I foreve forgive you emilion emil Emi lyon aa condition that you I 1 immediately m me lately give your hand to the earl 0 of lou jou C i not otherwise 2 i the gentleman before mentioned who had stood a calm observer of this his t scene now stepped forward and bending the knee beside her said your condition is impossible to be performed sir we both need your pardon for having though unavoidably proceeded proceeded roce eded without your a approbation ro bation your aughter daughter sir air is now mrs henry davenport my wife mr air S stood for a few minutes amazed Is this so emily he at length exclaimed even so sir air faltered she hiding her face on the white arm which rested on her bus bands bandos shoulder 1 and pray sir said mr S the man pf af the world worl preponderating out through his bis struggling adf aff affection action what may be your pour income ant and prospects respects are they of 0 sufficient weight to balance lalance balance against the large fortune my daughter will bring you and which I 1 am very sorry to say I 1 have no control overa over I 1 afy my aly income sir 12 said sald davenport raisin raising I 1 emily from her knees is clear cear four th thousand usand per annum my famil family y political ca I 1 connections and influences are powerful and extensive 1 7 the ile last clause settled the point emily said mr air S give me your hand until you parted from me I 1 knew not how much I 1 valued how much I 1 loved you and now I 1 find you but to lose loae you again however mr air davenport your zour hand band there take her god bless you may you be happy P Y davenport with tears in his eyes thanked his future parent enthusiastically and emily threw herself upon her fathers neck and wept never was a union more hacky happy than this which was as so strangely baroug brought t about and n this true story will serve as one more instance added to the many of the romance of 0 real life |