"Yes, your fond grandma, then in her blazing charms, drew him to her
band again with the lure of Widow Brereton's hand; he killed a constable
to recommend himself the better, and died on the gallows at his native
Cambridge. _Hala hala!_ she gave your mother, wild-flower Hulda, to Joe
Johnson next to wife."
"It is an awful story," Levin said, "but Hulda never saw it."
"I can remember my father," said Hulda; "a large, strong man, with a
slow, heavy face, but he never smiled on me."
"Well, here is the cross-roads," said Van Dorn. "What shall I do with
this letter, bad wild-flower?"
"Read it, if you will, or take this English shilling and post it."
Van Dorn shrank back, rejecting the money.
"Will you not buy it back, Hulda," he whispered, "with love?"
"Never."
"You may pay for this letter this night with your life or modesty!"
"You dare not kill me," Hulda said.
"You will see," said Van Dorn.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
PACIFICATION.
Princess Anne had missed for several days some conspicuous citizens,
such as Daniel Custis and wife, Captain Phoebus, Levin Dennis, and the
free negro Samson--large components of a small town; but it had also
gained what everybody admitted to be the most beautiful woman in the
place except Mrs. Vesta Milburn--the brown-eyed, tall, roguish niece of
Meshach Milburn, whom Vesta had made a lady of in externals, corrected
some of her faults, such as the sniffle, and was daily teaching her the
mysteries of grammar and address, aided by the rector of the parish,
whose heart was roused to partial animation again by the young visitor.
Pages:
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432