out her residence—­and, betimes, the morning following, made my obeisance in her presence, and with that bashful, awkward grace—­if I may be allowed so paradoxical a term—­which my youth present purpose, and former good breeding combined, were calculated to produce.  I was more embarrassed still a minute after, when, having given my name, and hinted at the singular document of the old lady deceased, I found my fair intended, as well as her family, were in total ignorance of my meaning; and could I at the moment have been suddenly transferred to my horse, I do not think I should have paused to make the necessary explanation.  As it was, there was no alternative; and accordingly begging a private interview with Elvira, I disclosed the whole secret; which she listened to for a time with unfeigned surprise; and then bursting into a wild, ringing laugh, declared it to be ’The funniest and most ridiculous thing she ever heard of.’

“She was a gay, sprightly, beautiful being—­fresh in the bloom of some fifteen summers—­with a bright, sparkling, roguish eye—­long, floating, auburn ringlets—­a musical voice—­a ringing laugh—­the latter frequent and long,—­so that I soon felt it needed not the stimulating desire of wealth and revenge to urge me on to that, which, under any circumstances, would have been by no means disagreeable.  To make a long story short, I called upon her at stated periods; and, within a year from our first acquaintance, we were plighted to each other.  About this time my father, together with some influential friends, procured me a lieutenancy, to serve in our present struggle for the maintainance of that glorious independence, drawn up by the immortal Jefferson, and signed by the noble patriots some two years before.  I served a two years’ campaign, and fought in the unfortunate and bloody battle of Camden; which resulted, as doubtless you have heard, in great loss and defeat to the American arms.  Shortly after the action commenced, our captain was killed, and the command of the company devolved on me.  I fulfilled my duties to the best of my ability, and myself and men were in the hottest of the fight.  But from some alleged misdemeanor, whereof I can take my oath I was guiltless, I was afterward very severely censured by one of my superior officers; which so wounded my feelings, that I at once resigned my commission and returned to my native state.

“On arriving at home, to my surprise and mortification, I learned that my intended was just on the eve of marriage with a cousin of mine—­a worthless fellow—­who, urged on by the relatives interested, and his own desire of acquiring the handsome competence of twenty thousand dollars, had taken advantage of my absence to calumniate me, (in which design he had been aided by several worthy assistants) and supplant me in the good graces—­I will not say affections, as I think the term too strong—­of Elvira Longworth.