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<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>


<h1>Kate Clarendon</h1>

<h2>or, Necromancy in the Wilderness.</h2>

<h3>A Tale of the Little Miami</h3>

<h4>by</h4>

<h1>Emerson Bennett</h1>

<hr align="center" width="50%">
<ul>
<li><a href="#1_0_2">CHAPTER I.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_3">CHAPTER II.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_4">CHAPTER III.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_5">CHAPTER IV.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_6">CHAPTER V.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_7">CHAPTER VI.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_8">CHAPTER VII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_9">CHAPTER VIII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_10">CHAPTER IX.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_11">CHAPTER X.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_12">CHAPTER XI.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_13">CHAPTER XII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_14">CHAPTER XIII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_15">CHAPTER XIV.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_16">CHAPTER XV.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_17">CHAPTER XVI.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_19">CHAPTER XVII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_20">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_21">CHAPTER XIX.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_22">CHAPTER XX.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_23">CHAPTER XXI.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_25">CHAPTER XXII.</a></li>

<li><a href="#1_0_27">CHAPTER XXIII.</a></li>
</ul>

<hr align="center" width="50%">
<p><br>
 The Past but lives in words: &amp; thousand ages<br>
Were blank, if books had not evoked their ghosts,<br>
And kept the pale, unbodied shades to warn us<br>
From fleshless lips.&mdash;Bulwer.<br>
Let us revive the Past, and from the graves,<br>
Long hallowed, wake the sleepers, and make them<br>
Tread anew the paths they tred, and act once<br>
More their several parts upon the stage<br>
Of life, ere they retire forever.</p>

<p>&mdash;Anon.</p>

<hr align="center" width="50%">
<h3 align="CENTER"><a name="1_0_2">CHAPTER I.</a></h3>

<br>
 Change is written on the tide&mdash; <br>
On the forest's leafy pride; <br>
All, where'er the eye can rest, <br>
Show it legibly imprest.

<p>&mdash;Rev. J.H. Clinch.</p>

<p>On the banks of the beautiful Ohio, some five or six miles above the
large and flourishing city of Cincinnati, can be seen the small and
pleasant village of Columbia, once laid out and designed to become the
capital of the great West. This village stands on a beautiful plain,
which stretches away from the Ohio in a north-easterly direction, between
two ridges, for a goodly number of miles, and at the base of what is
termed Bald Hill&mdash; a hill of a conical shape, from the summit
whereof you can command every point of compass, and some of the most
delightful views in the western country.</p>

<p>Standing upon this hill, with your face toward the south, you first
behold, immediately below you, a cluster of dwellings, mostly white, with
their green lawns in front, and their flowery gardens in the rear, with
one or two neat, unostentatious looking churches rising above them, as if
to give a quiet and moral beauty, if we may so express it, to the scene.
Be yond these buildings, which constitute the principal village of
Columbia, the eye at once falls upon an open, variegated and fertile
plain, over which it wanders for something like a mile, to rest again for
a moment upon a few brick and wood-colored houses, half hid amid a grove
of beautiful trees, then upon the smooth, silvery Ohio, which here comes
sweeping past with a graceful bend, and, lastly, upon the green and
romantic looking hills of old Kentucky. Turning to the left, or eastward,
you behold, some mile or two miles distant, a woody ridge, which
intersects the Ohio at right angles, and, stretching away northward,
forms the eastern boundary of the plain. At the base of this ridge, can
be seen, here and there, a quiet farm-house, and portions of the Little
Miami, as it rolls its silvery waters onward through a most delightful
grove, to unite with, and be lost in, the placid bosom of La Belle
Riviere. Between you and the Little Miami, and for many a mile up toward
its source, lies the plain we have mentioned, now divided as far as you
can see, into lots of four or five acres each, all of which, being under
cultivation, present, in the summer season, with their different
products, a pleasing variety of colors, as if to enchain the attention of
the beholder with an unspeakable sensation of delight. Following the
course of the plain away to the north-east, you behold, some few miles
distant, another pleasant village, with its neat, white houses peeping
from among the green foliage of the surrounding trees. Turning again to
the south and west, and following the windings of the Ohio, you can
perceive the village of Fulton along its banks, some two miles away, with
here and there an elegant mansion, all standing out in bold relief
against the green background of a neighboring ridge, and not unfrequently
finding themselves mirrored in the river's placid bosom. A view of the
delightful city of Cincinnati is here cut off by a bend in the ridge and
river; but notwithstanding, the landscape, taken as a whole, is one of
the most pleasing that can be found on the globe.</p>

<p>Such is an outline, only, of the scene which is presented to the
beholder of modern days; but very different was it sixty years ago, when
along the banks of the river and over the plain and hills, instead of the
quiet village and its hum of civilization, and the many pleasant farms
under cultivation, and the farm-houses sending up in graceful wreaths the
smoke of their peaceful fires, there was a vast, unbroken forest,
inhabited by the barbarous, untutored savage, and the thousand wild
beasts of the wilderness. As it is with the early settlement of this
portion of the country we have to do, we must leave the scene as it now
exists, and go back to the period when the hardy pioneer left his
comfortable and well-protected home, to venture hither, and dare all the
dangers and suffer all the privations of frontier life.</p>

<p>As early as November, 1788, a party, consisting of some twenty
persons, conducted by Major Benjamin Stites, landed at the mouth of the
Little Miami, and began a settlement upon the purchase of ten thousand
acres, which the Major had previously made from Judge Symmes. Among this
party were many whose names afterward became noted in history, and whose
descendants still occupy prominent positions in the community whereof
they are citizens. They were the first adventurers into this region of
country, and were a month in advance of the party which landed at, and
erected the first log cabins on, the present site of Cincinnati. On their
arrival, they immediately constructed a log fort, built several cabins or
huts, and then proceeded to lay out the town of Columbia into streets or
lots, on the plain we have described&mdash;believing at the time, that it
would eventually become the great capital of the West.</p>

<p>Beginning at Crawfish Creek, a small stream which was to form the
north-western boundary of the city, ascending the Ohio for more than a
mile, and extending back from the river for three-quarters of a mile,
taking in a portion of what is now called Bald Hill, they laid out the
ground in streets and squares. The residue of the plain, between this
imaginative city and the Little Miami, and for three miles up this
stream, was cut up into lots of four or five acres each, intended for the
support of the town, when it should come to maturity. These lots have
since been divided by trenches, and so remain at the present day; and as
you view them from Bald Hill, one covered with greensward, another with a
crop of wheat, a third with corn, a fourth with oats, and so on, the
whole plain appears like a many-colored carpet of beautiful squares.</p>

<p>The first pioneers of the Miami Bottom were soon joined by others;
and, in the course of a few years, Columbia became quite a flourishing
place, and, for a time, took the lead of its sister towns, Cincinnati and
North Bend&mdash;the last since noted as the residence of General
Harrison. At this period, these three villages, with the exception of
Marietta, higher up the river, were the only white settlements in Ohio;
and as it was more than suspected by the inhabitants of each, that one of
them was destined to become the great emporium of the West, each looked
upon the advancement of its neighbor with a jealous eye, and sought, by
every means, to push itself forward to the grand desideratum. For a time,
Fortune seemed bent on playing her pranks, by now favoring this one, now
that, and so alternately raising and depressing the spirits of each; but,
at last, as the world already knows, she yielded the palm to Cincinnati,
by establishing there a fort and garrison, which rendered it, with its
natural advantages, a place of greater security than either of the
others, and, consequently, a more desirable location for those venturing
into the Western Wilds.</p>

<p>About the period when rivalry between the places named was at its
height&mdash;and when the momentous question was pending, as to which
would be the favored spot of fortune, the Queen City of the
West&mdash;our story opens. Columbia, as we said before, had already made
rapid advances, and taken the lead of her rival sisters, in point of
business and population. Over the broad plain, between Bald Hill and the
Little Miami, were now scattered some forty or fifty log cabins, and at
the southern base of this hill, on a little knoll&mdash;where, at the
present day, can be seen a neat grave-yard, with its marble and
sand-stone slabs recording the names of many who, since then, have gone
to the shadowy realms of death&mdash;stood a rude sanctuary, the first
building erected solely to the worship of God by the pioneers of the
Miami Valley. Around this humble sanctuary was a grove of beautiful
trees, in whose branches a thousand merry songsters, of all hues, sang
blithely. Side by side with this place of worship, on the same knoll,
amid the same delightful grove, was erected a block-house, for the
protection of the inhabitants in the immediate vicinity. Hither, on a
Sabbath morning, when the toil of the week was over, the villagers of
both sexes, and all ages, would repair, to listen to the word of God, as
it fell from the lips of the venerable Stephen Gano (father of the late
General Gano), whose mild, noble, benevolent countenance, his long, white
flowing locks, and his solemn, tremulous voice, as he raised his eyes to
Heaven in supplication, or forcibly pointed out to his hearers the way to
eternal life, made his remarks deep, grand and impressive. And the more
so, it may be, that each felt himself to be in the wilderness, surrounded
by the hostile savage, and knew not at what moment he might be called to
his last account, a victim to the fatal rifle, or the bloody tomahawk and
scalping-knife.</p>

<p>To avoid a surprise and be prepared for any emergency, during the
hours of worship, sentinels were stationed without the walls of the
sanctuary, who, with loaded rifles on their shoulders, paced to and fro
with measured tread, examining minutely every object of a suspicious
character; while those within sat, with their weapons by their sides,
ready, at a moment's warning, a given signal, to rush from the house of
quiet devotion, to the field of blood and slaughter. Not only to church,
but to their places of labor, where they repaired in companies, and, in
fact, on all occasions, the early settlers went armed.</p>

<p>Besides the block-house on the knoll, there were one or two others
nearer the river, and one some half a mile further up the plain, close by
where now winds a broad and beautiful turnpike, and on the site of which
now stands a private dwelling. Bald Hill (now owned by N. Longworth, one
of the wealthiest gentlemen in the country, and by him devoted to the
cultivation of the grape) was, at the period referred to, covered by a
dark, dense forest, where prowled the wild beasts, and not unfrequently
lurked the murderous Indian, seeking his "great revenge" on his more
civilized and less wily foe.</p>

<p>Such, reader, is an outline view of the scene where our story is laid,
and the condition of the country at the time of its opening. Having said
this much of general facts, we shall now proceed to detail.</p>

<h3 align="CENTER"><a name="1_0_3">CHAPTER II.</a></h3>

<p>A lovely being, scarcely formed or molded&mdash;<br>
 A rose with all its sweetest leaves yet folded.</p>

<p>&mdash;Byron.</p>

<p>Her eyes, her lips, her cheeks, her shape, her features, Seem to be
drawn by Love's own hand.</p>

<p>&mdash;Dryden.<br>
 Strange being he,<br>
Of whom all men did stand in awe; and none<br>
Knew whence he came, nor how, nor whither bound,<br>
Nor cared to question. Strange things he told,<br>
And true&mdash;then disappeared mysteriously. <i>&mdash;Old Play.</i></p>

<p>It was a lovely day in spring, and earth had donned her raiment of
many colors, and seemed smiling to the whispering zephyr that softly
floated over her. The bright sun had already passed the zenith of the
day, yet his oblique rays fell warmly upon the great forest, extending
over the Miami Bottom, and pierced through the foliage, here and there,
down to the earth, and kissed the violet, the rose and the lily, and
danced to and fro to the music of the swaying branches. A thousand
songsters, of all hues&mdash; from the bright red-bird, the black-bird,
the paroquet of green and gold, to the white and plaintive
dove&mdash;flew hither and thither, fluttered among the leaves, and made
the perfumed air heavy with their melody. Here might be seen the bear,
sitting upon his haunches, or lazily crawling off to seek his lair; there
the timid deer, daintily cropping the green herbage, or, startled by some
rude sound, bounding away with an unmatched grace and the speed of the
flying arrow. Underneath the leaves, occasionally, lay coiled the wily
copper-head, ready to strike his victim; and the sound of the
rattle-snake could ever and anon be heard, giving the generous, but if
unheeded, perchance fatal, warning. Here, too, more cunning, more deadly
than all the dread beasts or serpents of the forest, might peradventure
be found the swarthy savage, with his murderous weapons in hand, crawling
stealthily and silently onward, to execute his fell design upon some
innocent and unwary foe of his race.</p>

<p>But for the dangers everywhere lurking in this forest of beauty, it
might have seemed a Paradise indeed, unsurpassed by that primitive Eden,
where man first broke the holy command, and entailed misery upon his
descendants even to the last generation of time.</p>

<p>But notwithstanding the peril which surrounded her, which perchance
lay hid behind each bush and beneath each leaf, there was one, a fairy,
beautiful being, who seemed to give no thought to danger, as if her own
fair self were an amulet of safety. She was standing on the bank of the
Little Miami, some two hundred rods above its junction with the Ohio, her
back braced against a tall old Sycamore, her head bent a little forward,
and her eyes, those sparkling orbs of the soul, resting upon the dark
waters rolling slowly onward before her, perchance to catch a glimpse of
her own fair face, perchance to watch the motions of the finny tribe, or
perchance to behold the pictures of light and shade, which the sportive
sunheams, streaming through the rustling leaflets, made upon the glassy
surface of the quivering stream.</p>

<p>Beautiful creature! how shall we describe her? how convey, by the dull
pen, to the optical sense, the etheriality, the reality, the sunny
brightness of the being in form divine before us? We can give the outline
of form&mdash;we can describe the shape of her features, the color of her
hair and eyes&mdash;yet how shall we convey the ever-varying expression
of her countenance&mdash;the buoyant, merry, sympathetic, versatile soul,
which animated, and made to differ from others, the clayey tenement which
it inhabited! We cannot&mdash; we despair of doing it; and yet we will
do, to the extent of our ability, and let the imagination of the reader
supply the deficiency.</p>

<p>Know then, reader, that she whom we have introduced to your notice,
was an angel&mdash;not of heaven, but of earth; not pale and pensive,
with wings upon her shoulders, as we sometimes see the tenants of
paradise represented&mdash;but full of color, life, music, soul&mdash;a
bright being, calculated to adorn the sphere where her lot was cast, and
yet, when done, to "shuffle off the mortal coil," and be equally an
ornament among immortals! Her age was sweet, glowing, imaginative
seventeen; that age of all others in woman, the most peculiar and full of
strange sensations; when she stands timidly, as it were, between two
periods&mdash;girlhood and womanhood&mdash;just pensively looking back
and bidding adieu to the one&mdash;just brightly looking before and
greeting the other: when, if by chance she sees through the rose colored
optics of love, the whole pathway before her seems strewn with bright,
unfading flowers, and every thing appears so new and perfectly beautiful;
and she dreams not that serpents, and thorns, and ashes, and
coffin-palls, lie in her path, to make her weep and mourn, and sigh for
the rest of the grave to which time is bearing her.</p>

<p>Bright, rosy, buoyant seventeen! how many thousands daily look back to
it with a sigh, as they think of the hundred still unexecuted plans laid
out for coming time, and contrast their present conditions with those
they intended to occupy! At seventeen, all is sweet indecision,
uncertainty and inexperience; and life is then to us only an ever-varying
kaleidescope, where every thing we behold&mdash;no matter how we twist
and turn it by pretended reason&mdash;is a beautiful flower; and flower
upon flower, each more bright, lovely and fascinating than the last; and
if we dream of change at all, it is always change for the better.</p>

<p>Happy seventeen, then, was she who stood leaning against the old
sycamore&mdash;God keep her from the cold, stinging, unhappy experience
of many of her sex! In form she was a beauty &mdash; light, slender,
graceful&mdash;full of youthful elasticity and vigor&mdash;with a well
developed bust&mdash;a small, white, plump, dimpled hand, and a foot so
exquisite, it might have rivalled that of the divine Fanny of modern
days. Her features corresponded with her form&mdash;were fine and comely,
and radiant with the glow of health&mdash;but remarkable for nothing save
expression. Had they been chisseled in marble; with the soul absent, they
would not probably have even excited a passing remark; but with the soul
there&mdash;that ever varying soul&mdash;they took the beholder captive
to their charms, drew him forward as the magnet draws the needle, held
him fast as the iron chain the prisoner. The predominant expression of
her countenance was a bright, roguish, girlish smile, which almost
invariably hovered around two as pretty lips as were ever seen, and was a
type of her nature and happy heart. The skin of her features, though
somewhat dark, was smooth and transparent, where every thought seemed to
make a passing impression, as the light breeze upon the still bosom of a
glassy lake. Her cheeks were tinted with the rose, and slightly dimpled;
and her mouth was set with a beautiful row of pearly teeth. Her eyes were
dark and sparkling, full of vivacity and animation, and yet so softened
by long fringy lashes, that it seemed as if she were eternally looking
love. Her hair was a glossy, light brown; and now, when the sunlight fell
upon it (for her hood was held in her left hand), it gave out a bright,
golden hue. On the present occasion, she wore a loose riding dress,
carelessly arranged, which, together with her partially dishevelled hair,
showed that her mind was not entirely occupied with external appearances.
In her right hand she held the bridle rein of a sleek, coal-black steed,
from the saddle of which she had apparently just dismounted; and by her
side, lolling as if from hard running, and occasionally looking up into
her sweet face, crouched a large, Newfoundland dog. For a moment she
stood gazing into the limpid stream, in the position we have described
her, and then giving her head a shake, as if to throw back the ringlets
that had fallen somewhat forward over her eyes, she turned to her canine
companion, and, in a clear, ringing voice, as if addressing an
individual, said:</p>

<p>"So, my Bowler, you think you have had a hard chase, eh? In faith, I
thought Marston's legs would prove too much for you?"</p>

<p>Here she turned, and stepping around the tree, patted the proudly
arched neck of her horse: while the dog arose, and approaching her,
rubbed his head in a familiar manner against her hand.</p>

<p>"Ah, Bowler, dog, you look tired," she continued, stooping down and
playfully caressing the brute; "you can watch, better than keep Marston's
company&mdash;particularly when he is in such fine running trim as now.
Come, Marston," she added, to the beast, "let us away again, for I trust
you are now refreshed;" and as she adjusted her dress, preparatory to
mounting, she struck out in a full, silvery voice, in the following</p>

<p>SONG.</p>

<br>
 "Cheerily, merrily, off we go, <br>
 Over hill and plain with glee, <br>
And the swiftly bounding roe, <br>
 Scarce can keep our company; <br>
Swift, as arrow in its flight, <br>
Speed we with a wild delight. <br>
"Horse and rider, linked in one&mdash; <br>
 Instinct, reason, both cembined&mdash; <br>
This to guide, and that to run, <br>
 How the breezes lag behind! <br>
Cheerily, merrily, off we go, <br>
Swifter than the bounding roe."

<p>"Well sung, pretty Kate Clarendon," said a deep, heavy voice behind
her.</p>

<p>Kate (for the fair being we have described was none other than our
heroine), who was in the act of mounting, started and wheeled around with
a look of alarmed surprise; while the horse pricked up his ears, and the
dog, with a savage growl, sprang in front of his mistress, ready to
defend her with his life.</p>

<p>"Be not alarmed, fair being," continued the strange voice; and at the
same instant, a thick cluster of bushes, growing on the bank of the
stream some ten paces distant, was parted by a large, sunburnt, hairy
hand, and a tall, athletic, singular looking figure emerged therefrom.
Toward him the dog now sprang furiously; but the next moment, and ere he
had gained half way between his mistress and the stranger, he dropped his
tail between his legs, and then wagging it in token of recognition,
trotted up to the other as if to solicit a caress.</p>

<p>The new comer, as we have said, was a singular looking being. In
stature he was tall&mdash;being full six feet&mdash;and in person very
ungainly. His legs and arms, each very long and sinewy, were joined to a
crooked, bony body. He had tremendous breadth of shoulder, from which he
tapered down to his feet, in shape not unlike a wedge. His neck was slim,
but full of large muscles and veins, which seemed to stand out from it
like cords. His head was rather large, even for his body, with features
very coarse, and, to one unacquainted with him, exceedingly repulsive. He
had a big, Roman nose, sallow, sunken cheeks, and a prominent chin,
covered with a thick, coarse, dirty, grizzly beard, which extended down
even to his broad, hard, bronzed bosom, and added, to his otherwise
unpleasing exterior, an almost ferocious look. About his eyes, if indeed
eyes they could be called, he had a remarkable appearance; and a
stranger, at first sight, would have pronounced him totally blind. The
lid of one eye was closed entirely; and that of the other so much so, as
just to leave a dull, lead-colored rim of the lower part of the ball
visible. To add to this disagreeable appearance, the nearly closed lid
quivered continually, like the leaf of the aspen; while the ball of the
eye rolled around in every direction, as if the owner were suffering
mortal agony. Above these lids, across the lower portion of a high, dark,
wrinkled forehead, extended light, shaggy brows; and his hair, which was
also light, coarse and matted, came down to his shoulders. He wore no
hat; but instead, a strip of deerskin, painted white, on which were some
strange devices in black, passed across his brow, and around his head,
giving to him an air of mystery. His costume was as simple as an
Indian's. It consisted of a frock made of deerskin, with the hair
outside, which was worn next his body, reached to his knees, and was
tightened around his waist by a rough belt. To this frock were no
sleeves, and, in consequence, his brawny arms were entirely naked;
neither did it fit close around his neck, but left a large portion of his
breast bare also. On his feet were moccasins, which completed his attire;
and in his belt, instead of the usual weapons of that day, was only a
long knife. Strapped to his back was a rude knapsack, in which he carried
jerk, a blanket, and various implements. In one hand (the nails of which
were very long, and the back of which was thickly covered with hair) he
held a stick of witch-hazel, at one end of which were prongs, not unlike
the tines of a fork. To conclude, the age of this strange personage might
have been forty, or perhaps fifty, so difficult was it to determine by
his rough, weather-beaten countenance. His voice was very deep, a little
inclined to the sepulchral&mdash; and his language, ever good, was often
metaphorical.</p>

<p>Such is a description of the personal appearance of one of the most
remarkable individuals ever known. Who he was, or whence he came, none
could tell. Among the settlers of the early times, he appeared
mysteriously, and as mysteriously disappeared; and as he pretended to be
gifted with second sight, or a sight into futurity, there were not
wanting those superstitious enough to believe him either a supernatural
being, or leagued with the devil. This feeling he took care to foster, by
his acts, such as incantations, strange mutterrings to himself,
occasionally a wild manner, and eccentricities of various kinds. In fact,
it is not to be wondered at, that, in those times, he should excite a
feeling of awe and superstition; for often, when thought far distant,
would he make his appearance among a group of individuals, who had
perchance been conversing of him; and this so suddenly, many times, as
really to alarm them; and then again, ere any one was aware how, as
suddenly disappear. He was sometimes on the pretended search for mines or
money, and not unfrequently did he excite persons to dig for treasures.
He told fortunes, occasionally, and occasionally, too, uttered prophesies
and prophetic warnings. Among the whites he came and went as he chose,
and also among the savages, who respected him as a "great medicine" and
prophet&mdash;to injure whom would be to offend the Great Spirit. By the
latter he was called Kitchochobeka, or Great Medicine; and by the former,
Blind Luther, the Necromancer.</p>

<p>As soon as Kate saw his person in full, she said, with a gay
laugh:</p>

<p>" 'Pon my word, Luther, for once you startled me, for I deemed myself
entirely alone."</p>

<p>"We are never alone, Kate," returned the other, shaking his head
gravely; "the spirits of the dead are always with us."</p>

<p>"O, come, come," rejoined the fair girl, tossing her head gaily,
though not without a perceptible shade of uneasiness in her countenance:
"Come, come, Luther, do not seek to make me superstitious; you can find
plenty of proselytes without me, you know. But tell me&mdash;how long
have you been concealed in you thicket?"</p>

<p>"As long as it would take you to count ten."</p>

<p>"But how got you there so silently?"</p>

<p>"By my will, and the wings of the wind."</p>

<p>"By your will, for one thing, most undoubtedly; but as to the
<i>wings</i> of the <i>wind</i>&mdash;why, I rather think that a joke of
yours&mdash;eh, my conjuror?" and the gay girl closed with a laugh.</p>

<p>"He to whom the future is as an open scroll, legibly written, never
stoops to joke," was the grave reply.</p>

<p>"And do you really pretend to know the future, in sincere
earnest?"</p>

<p>"Do you pretend to know the voice of your own mother, girl?"</p>

<p>"But now," said Kate, in a coaxing, coquettish tone, "be honest,
Luther, for once, now do, and tell me&mdash;have you any faith in
yourself? All in confidence, you know, between you and I; for of course
<i>I</i> will never mention it. O no, I will give you a proud example of
a woman keeping a secret;" and the black eyes of fairy Kate sparkled with
a roguish expression.</p>

<p>"You jest, girl," replied the other, solemnly, and in an offended
tone, "with the great mysteries of nature. Have I faith in myself? Have
you faith in what you behold? Look yonder, and tell me what you see!" and
he pointed with his finger toward the great luminary of the day.</p>

<p>"I behold trees, and leaves, and birds, the sky and sun," answered
Kate, who looked in the direction indicated by the finger of the
other.</p>

<p>"And do you believe the things you nave named really exist?"</p>

<p>"Most assuredly I do."</p>

<p>"Why do you so believe?"</p>

<p>"Because I see them."</p>

<p>"And see you nothing more?"</p>

<p>"Nothing of importance."</p>

<p>"I do," rejoined the Necromancer, in a guttural voice, so changed from
the tone in which he had just been conversing, that Kate turned to him
with an involuntary expression of surprise and wonder; which was not
lessened, by observing him standing with his gaze fixed on high, in wrapt
meditation, while every feature seemed expressive of some strange sight,
and his lips moved as if uttering words, though no sound issued from
them.</p>

<p>"And what do you see, strange man?" inquired the maiden, after a
minute's pause, while a thrill of mysterious awe made her blood creep
coldly through her veins.</p>

<p>"A century of futurity, and God permitting man to seize upon the
elements and harness them to his task," answered Luther, in a solemn
tone. "I behold, springing from the earth, only a few miles distant, a
great city. I behold the light and smoke of its fires, and hear the
voices of many thousand inhabitants, and the clink of the hammers of
industry, and see it it gradually spreading itself, enlarging on every
hand, as the eagle when he raises his wings to soar on high. I behold the
dust of the earth put into a great crucible, and lo! it comes forth
another substance. It is seized, and wrought upon, and shapcd like no
living thing that now exists; and yet it is to be a thing of life and
motion, with rolling legs, and speed beyond the speed of the deer,
endurance beyond calculation, and strength exceeding a hundred horse. Its
breath, its vitality, its soul, is vapor; and though it travels with
tearing velocity, through mountains, over streams, hollows and plains,
dragging a thousand times its own weight behind it, yet so gentle is it,
when properly handled, that a child can guide and command it; but once
let it get the upper hand, and the strength of ten thousand men would be
no more to it than a thread to a ship in the gale. I behold, too, the
great timbers of the forest transformed to leviathans, whose vital power
is also vapot, and which, with spoutings that can be heard afar off,
glide swiftly over the bosom of rivers, against wind and tide, and plow
foaming channels in the mighty deep, and carry the sons of earth in their
great bosoms. I behold the red lightning, also, drawn from the
thunder-car of heaven, and sent courier throughout the Christian world. I
behold the great blue vault of heaven turned to an ocean, over which sail
ten thousand ves sels, looking down upon, forests and mountains, that now
to us seem almost impassable barriers. And I behold plague, and famine,
and war, and blood, and fire, and flood, and desolation, and woe, and
crime, stalking apace, by whose dread calls and thunderings, thrones
totter, governments of tyrants are overthrown, and liberty shoots upward,
like a beautiful tree, and spreads its ever-green branches abroad to the
uttermost ends of the earth, beneath which all nations at last repose in
security, and smoke together the calumet of peace. And the vision has
gone from me&mdash;and all is darkness&mdash;and I behold no
more&mdash;for the great seal of obscurity is now set upon my sight."</p>

<p>During this speech of Blind Luther, his countenance was lighted up
with the fires of an enthusiastic soul, until in part it had the sublime
look we conceive the seers to have had of old, when they uttered those
great and mystic truths, which shall descend to all generations; and our
fair heroine gazed upon him in wonder, not unmingled with admiration; for
there was something lofty and elevating in his manner and strange
eloquence. As he concluded, he waved his hand with a majestic gesture,
and then turned suddenly to Kate.</p>

<p>"You think me demented&mdash;or perhaps an idiot; yet what I have just
uttered, is written on the great seal of the nineteenth century. You do
not understand it&mdash;you think me an impostor, perhaps?"</p>

<p>"No, Luther," answered Kate, "not an impostor; but I fear, at times,
you let a wild imagination get the better of your reasoning powers."</p>

<p>"It is seldom," returned Luther, "that I condescend to experiment, in
order to convince frail mortality I am what I pretend; but in the present
instance I shall do so; as it is necessary, for your future welfare, that
you believe in me, and adhere to my instructions. Behold my power!"</p>

<p>As he concluded, he brought the fore-finger of his right hand in front
of his face, and strode slowly toward Kate, who fixed her gaze upon him
in curious wonder. When he had reached within a pace of her, he paused,
fastened his eye upon hers for a moment, and said:</p>

<p>"You are now under the influence of my spirit. You have not power to
move a limb without my consent."</p>

<p>Kate made an effort to move, but found, in truth, she had not the
command of a single muscle. She was like a rock. Not even her eyes could
she turn away from that strange being who stood before her. For the first
time in her life she felt superstitious&mdash;for the first time in her
life she secretly acknowledged a power in man beyond the scope of reason.
As she thought upon it, her blood ran cold, and cold drops of
perspiration stood upon her face and body.</p>

<p>"And now you believe," said the Necromancer, at length, waving his
hand.</p>

<p>"I believe you are a wonderful being," answered the other, with a
shudder.</p>

<p>"Yet fear me not girl; I am your friend. Open me your hand."</p>

<p>Gazing for a few moments into the soft, white palm, which Kate, in
compliance with his request, now extended toward him, he said,
solemnly:</p>

<p>"Eventful destiny is thine&mdash;thou of the sunny locks, fairy form,
and laughing eye!" And he proceeded to chant the following mystical
lines:<br>
 "Where the parent stem is broken,<br>
'Neath the tree that's old and oaken&mdash;<br>
Where the night-wind cool is blowing,<br>
O'er the life-blood warmly flowing&mdash;<br>
By unchanging Fate's decree,<br>
And Almighty Destiny,<br>
One shall stand thou sawest never,<br>
Yet shall see and love forever:<br>
And he unto thy spirit,<br>
Shall a legal right inherit:<br>
Yet moons shall come and wane,<br>
And the harvest leave the plain,<br>
And the earth be green again,<br>
And tribulations sore<br>
Shall befall thee o'er and o'et&mdash;<br>
Ere thy evil all be mated,<br>
And thy web of joy completed.<br>
Come, ye fates, and set the seal,<br>
On what I of ye reveal!"</p>

<p>He paused, and struck the palms of his hands three times together.</p>

<p>"These are strange words, Luther," said Kate, "and I do not understand
them."</p>

<p>"Thou shalt understand all in time," answered the other.</p>

<br>
 "When sorrows dark do weigh thee down, <br>
Thou shalt behold this mystic crown;

<p>[Here he touched the band around his head]</p>

<br>
 "And in the depths of deepest woe, <br>
The mysteries I have told thee, know; <br>
Whate'er thy fortune, nobly bear, <br>
And yield thee never to despair.

<p>"My mission first is ended, and so I leave thee. Farewell!"</p>

<p>He waved his hand, and turned to depart; but just as he did so, Kate
uttered a piercing scream, and wheeling suddenly around, Luther perceived
her features distorted with horror&mdash;for notwithstanding his apparent
blindnes, he could see very distinctly. She was looking upward, at an
angle of sixty degrees; and turning his own gaze in that direction, he
beheld, to his amazement and alarm, the fiery, glaring eyeballs of a
large panther, crouched on a neighboring tree, and just in the act of
springing. There was not a moment to be lost; and catching Kate by the
arm, as though she were an infant, he swung her upon the back of her coal
black steed, and shouted: "Away! away!"</p>

<p>The next moment, horse and rider were bounding over the plain, and man
and beast were closing together for the death struggle; for in his haste
to spring, that his prey might not escape him, the panther had fallen a
little short of Luther, who, dodging quickly around the tree, had thus
time to draw his knife and prepare himself for defense.</p>

<p>As to Kate, knowing that she could render Blind Luther no personal
assistance, she rode swiftly to an open field, some quarter of a mile
distant, where several laborers were at work, to whom she quickly made
known the peril of the Necromancer. Seizing their rifles, which were
always their companions, some five or six hardy fellows started
immediately to the assistance of Blind Luther (whom all knew and
respected), preceded by Kate herself. When they arrived at the spot, to
their astonishment, they found the panther lying dead, but not a single
trace of his opponent.</p>

<p>"He's not here now," said one.</p>

<p>"He's the devil," returned another.</p>

<p>"Wonderful being," observed a third.</p>

<p>Uttering such, and similar remarks, they spent some half an hour in
examining the animal, the ground round about, and then returned to their
labors, more than ever convinced that Blind Luther was something
superhuman.</p>

<p>As for Kate, she explained to the others how Luther had suddenly
appeared to her, and the manner of their separation; but of their
conversation she told nothing; and her thoughts on what she had seen and
heard she kept to herself. As she rode slowly over the plain, however, to
the dwelling of her father, some half a mile distant, a close observer
might have seen a sedateness on her countenance, a sadness in her eye,
that accorded but ill with her naturally light-hearted, merry look.</p>

<h3 align="CENTER"><a name="1_0_4">CHAPTER III.</a></h3>

<br>
 With all that's ours, together let us rise, <br>
Seek brighter plains, and more indulgent skies; <br>
Where fair Ohio rolls her amber tide, <br>
And Nature blossoms in her virgin pride; <br>
Where all that Bounty's hand can form to please, <br>
Shall crown our heavy toils with rural case.

<p>&mdash;David Homphreys.</p>

<p>Misfortune does not always wait on vice, Nor is success the constant
guest of virtue.</p>

<p>&mdash;Havard.</p>

<p>George Clarendon, the father of our fair heroine, was a native of
eastern Pennsylvania, and only son of a gentleman, who, to use the
phrase, was "well to do in the world." At an early age, he was sent to
school in Philadelphia, where he received a good education, and became
acquainted with a merchant's daughter, between whom and himself sprang up
an intimacy, which, in course of time, ripened into an ardent passion,
and was at last productive of a happy marriage. Not having any set
occupation, he entered into partnership with his father-in-law; and for
many years afterward, the firm of Cooly &amp; Clarendon was extensively
known and respected.</p>

<p>During this time, a daughter was added to the family&mdash;the bright,
rosy, mirth-loving Kate, whom we have just described, and on whom both
parents doated fondly, looking upon her as an angel sent from Heaven to
minister to their happiness. Years rolled onward, and all went smoothly;
and of course Kate, who gave promise of making a beautiful and
intelligent woman, was not neglected. As soon as she became of a suitable
age, she was sent to school, and every means possible taken to secure her
a pol ished education&mdash;which she, to her praise be it said, was not
slow to profit by. At the age of fourteen, she returned to her parents.
At fifteen, extensive preparations were being set on foot for giving a
grand party, that she might make her debut in society; but ere the
consummation of this event, the firm of Cooly &amp; Clarendon, to the
utter astonishment of every one, suddenly failed. This was caused by the
failure of a large mercantile house in England, with which our
Philadelphians had a too close business connection.</p>

<p>After having honorably discharged their debts, by other property in
their posession, Clarendon and his partner found they had but little left
them; and the former at once resolved to take what means he had, and set
out for the West forthwith; there to embrace the more sure, if not more
profitable, occupation of agriculture.</p>

<p>Having completed his arrangements, he bid adieu to his friends, and
departed with his family, on a journey of adventure to the frontiers. His
first stopping place was Pittsburgh; but not satisfied with the
appearance of the town, he joined a party descending the river, and
landed at Marietta Still dissatisfied, he joined the party of Major
Stites, and was one of the first who landed at the mouth of the Little
Miami, on the ground we have before described.</p>

<p>About half, or perhaps three-fourths of a mile above the mouth of the
Miami, and a hundred rods west of this stream, was the spot selected by
Clarendon for his residence. Here, soon after his arrival, he erected a
comfortable log-cabin, whither he soon removed his wife and daughter, who
meantime had remained at Marietta.</p>

<p>As must naturally be supposed, it was anything but agreeable to people
brought up in the refined manner of the Clarendons, and used all their
lives to luxury, to be changed so suddenly from their former enjoyments,
to all the rough, rude customs of pioneer life; and from a state of
security and ease, be transported to one of danger and hardship. But they
had counted the cost beforehand, and prepared themselves for the worst;
so that the change proved less severe than it might otherwise have done.
Happiness is not to be found in externals&mdash; it lies within, and
depends altogether upon the mind&mdash;and as the Clarendons, instead of
fretting and complaining of what they could not alter, strove to look
upon everything as happening for the best, and sought to be cheerful and
to cheer each other with words of hope and encouragement, so they soon
found themselves in possession of enjoyments beyond what at first thought
seemed possible for them to obtain.</p>

<p>As for Kate, always light-hearted and merry, she was not slow in
finding means to make life pass gaily and agreeably, even in the wilds of
the frontiers. She was exceedingly fond of the art eques train; and that
she might not be deprived of all the priviliges to which fortune had
hitherto entitled her, her father purchased the steed, on which the
reader has already seen her mounted, and on which it was her delight to
scour the surrounding country, accompanied by the playmate of her youth,
the faithful Bowler.</p>

<p>Kate soon grew to like her new home, and to be the favorite of every
one who knew her. Her frank, cheerful, merry disposition and winning
ways, won the hearts of all; and there was not a man, woman or child, in
the village of Columbia, but spoke of her in the highest terms of praise;
nor one whose face did not grow brighter at her coming. She ever had a
cheerful word and a smile for all, either young or old. She was the belle
of the village, by general acclamation, and yet none were envious.
Whatever Kate did was perfectly right; and as to the young men, the
greatest poltroon of them all would have put his life in jeopardy to
gratify her slightest wish. She was a queen, and reigned supreme; and
though England's sovereign of modern days may possess more power and
splendor, yet Victoria, in the height of her popularity, never had
admirers more ardent, nor subjects more devoted, than had simple Kate
Clarendon.</p>

<p>Our fair heroine had but one fault&mdash;perhaps this was not a fault,
strictly speaking&mdash;but if so, it was a fault of
circumstances&mdash;one of which almost every pretty woman is
guilty&mdash;and one which, if not carried to extremes, is certainly
pardonable: she was, in a measure, a coquette. Among the villagers she
had many admirers, of whom there were three, genteel young men, special
suitors for her hand, at the opening, of our story. For these three, it
was rumored, Kate held a preference over all others; but which one of the
three was most admired by the fair girl, none could tell&mdash;not even
themselves&mdash;for to-day it was apparently this one, and the next day
that, so that each was alternately buoyed up with hope, and depressed by
disappointment. All the gossips contended she had a choice; but the
difficulty lay in finding out the favored one. Whenever Kate was
importuned on the subject herself, she invariably replied with a laugh,
that she liked them all, but that her choice was neither. This, however,
was not believed; and those who strove to keep a record of every event
transpiring in the world of Columbia, were daily on the look-out for the
news of a wedding&mdash;of beholding the merry Kate caught in the noose
Hymenial.</p>

<p>The father of Kate, was a man some forty years of age, large and
well-proportioned, with a noble, manly, handsome countenance, and manners
dignified and pleasing. Among the villagers he was very popular; and
being a man of fine intellect and education, he was looked up to, by
most, with much deference and esteem. His wife was a mild, quiet lady, of
a sweet, benevolent disposition, a few years his junior, who also stood
high in the estimation of the people; so that, among all the villagers,
there was, probably, no family that en joyed a greater share of genuine,
heart-felt popularity, than the Clarendons.</p>

<p>The residence of the Clarendons was a well-constructed double cabin,
with puncheon floors and clap-board roof. Their furuiture, of course, was
of the plainest description; for in those days, and in this section of
country, it was impossible to have other. They had some good clothing,
and a number of small articles of value, which they had brought with them
from the East. The cabin itself stood upon a very slight knoll, and
fronted the west, surrounded by a tall grove of beech, sugar-tree,
locust, &amp;c.&mdash;with the exception of an acre in the rear, that had
been cut away, and the ground turned into a handsome garden of vegetables
and flowers. There seemed but one fault in the whole arrangement; and
that was, that the dweliing was too much exposed&mdash;its nearest
neighbor being at the distance of nearly half a mile. This was remarked
upon by some of the settlers at the time of its erection; but Clarendon
himself declared that he had no apprehension, and the subject was never
again referred to.</p>

<p>Time rolled on smoothly, and the Clarendons, at the date of our story,
found themselves once more in rather prosperous circumstances. But as it
is with Kate we have for the present especially to do, we will return to
her forthwith.</p>

<h3 align="CENTER"><a name="1_0_5">CHAPTER IV.</a></h3>

<br>
 Bright as the sun, her eyes the gazers strike; <br>
And, like the sun, they shine on all alike.

<p>&mdash;Pope.<br>
 There's danger in the dazzling eye,<br>
That wooes thee with its witching smile.</p>

<p>&mdash;Mrs. Osgood.<br>
 But then her face,<br>
So lovely, yet so arch&mdash;so full of mirth,<br>
The overflowing of an innocent heart.</p>

<p>&mdash;Rogers.</p>

<p>Upon the youthful mind of Kate, the words of the Necromancer made a
deep impression; and for several days after their interview, it was
noticed by her friends, with some concern, that, contrary to her usual
manner, she appeared sad, thoughtful, and even abstracted. But as it was
known she had received a severe fright from the panther, the cause was
attributed to this, and every one looked to see it gradually wear off,
and behold her again bright with her own cheerful, happy smile. Wear off
the sadness certainly did; and a week from the event we have chronicled,
Kate appeared the same smiling, joyous being as before.</p>

<p>About this time, the young people of Columbia decided on having a
ball&mdash;which, if it could not rival in splendor some in the older
settlements, might, at least, in heart-felt enjoyment. Accordingly, an
appropriate place was selected, a fiddler engaged, and every preparation
thought necessary for the coming event speedily set on foot. The building
chosen for the purpose, was a new double cabin, which had just been
completed, and only waited this kind of christening, as some of them
termed it, for the young couple, who were to tenant it, to take up their
abode therein. Flowers of all hues, together with sprigs of cedar, were
collected; and the walls and ceiling were decorated with hangings of
green, and with beautiful festoons and boquets. In one apartment a long
table was spread, and covered with such delicacies as the country then
afforded; and many dishes there were (composed of deer, bear and buffalo
meat), which, among us of the present day, would be considered great
rarities. An old banner of stars and stripes (that had been somewhat torn
and riddled in the long and sanguinary struggle of the Revolution, which
belonged to one of the settlers, who had himself carried it in the heat
of battle, and which was held in great veneration by all) was procured
and arched over the door of entrance; and not all the purple and crimson
robes of royalty, could have excited one tithe of the pride in the bosoms
of those simple-minded pioneers, than did this soiled and dirt-begrimmed
bunting of "red, white and blue."</p>

<p>The belle of the ball was, of course, to be our youthful Kate; and as
she was to be escorted thither by one individual only, and as there were
three young men who laid equal claims to the honor of being her
beau-gallant for the occasion, there was, as a natural consequence, some
peculiar sensations excited in the breasts of each, in regard to which
should be the favored one.</p>

<p>Unwilling to take an undue advantage of each other, they met to decide
the matter by themselves. Among other things, one proposed that they
should draw lots for the preference; another, that they should run a race
for it; and the third and last, that they should all go in a body
together, and allow her to make her own selection. This last proposition
was finally agreed to, as the point at issue would, in this way, be
decided by the girl herself; and, consequently, each would know which was
the most favored suitor of the three.</p>

<p>Accordingly, the next morning, which was a beautiful one indeed, and
the third preceding the gala night, our three lovers mounted themselves
on fine horses, and together rode over the plain toward the residence of
their fair umpire, to have the pending question decided by her own sweet
lips and voice&mdash;each to be made happy or miserable, as the case
might turn out.</p>

<p>Kate was seated in the door of her cot, gazing upon the lofty old
trees, that threw their deep, cool shadows over the luxuriant earth
beneath, watching the birds that hopped from branch to branch, and
listening to their happy, musical, artless songs, the while humming some
tune herself, in a corresponding strain of melody. At length the tones of
her voice swelled out, rich and clear, in the following</p>