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New Series.

— Che Examiner.

D SEMI-WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.

PERS RLS TT A ET A

“THIS IS TRUE LIBERTY WHEN FREE~BORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC—MAY SPEAK FRLE.’—-Mictox's Evriw

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CHARLOTTETOWN, AUGUST 14, 1850.

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SELECT TALE. Self-Sacrifice ;

OR THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT. (Concluded.}

About three weeks after the foneral of the deceased baronet, Lieutenant Travers received @ létter, on service, from the Ad- mralty, announcing his appointment to a crack frigate fitting for sea at Ports- mouth, end directing him to report him- self ‘on board immediately. This sum- mons rendered further delay or hesitation unpossible. He could not leave Mar- laade without coming to e frank explana- tioa with Lady and Miss Wharton, and be resolved it should take place that morning. Nota syllable had yet passed his lipe as to the extraordinary disclosures made by Sir Richard Wharton in his last moments, or to the wishes he had ex- preased regarding hia daughter. In the event, Travers mentally argued, of the nee ms of hie suit by Miss Wharton and her mother, there could be no reason for concealment from them; they would not betray the late baronet’s disgraceful secret. Atall events, he would not, by first revealing to Mary Wharton that she wag pennylegs, and atterwarde proffering her his heart and fortune, seem to wish to purchase her cousent toa union with him. Bult of these cogitatione and re- solves, he arrived at Archer's Lodge, to his extreme astonishment, he found the servants packing up the furniture, as if for immediate reinoval. He hurried to the break fast-room, where he found Lady Wharton and her daughter both busily angaged in arranging books, music and

rs.

What is the meaning of this ?” he de- manded, with intense agitation. ‘Surely you are not leaving Archer's Lodge ?”

« Indeed we are, Mr. Travers,” replied Lady Wharton. “We received a letter yeaterday, accepting an offer we had made for the lease of a house in Wales, close to Edmund’s new curacy, which he says will suit us admirably.”

“Us!—Edmund !* gasped Travers. —

“ Mary, love, place these papers,” said Lady Wharton, “in the writing-desk in my room. “Mr Travers,” she added as the door closed, “ you are ill. The walk perhaps fatigued you. Let me give you a glass of wine.”

“No—no—no! What is it you say; Mary—Edmund! Speak, and quickly ? ay brain turns !”

“{ feared this,” said Lady Wharton soothingly, as she approached, and gent- ly took his hand; “and perhaps have seen to blame in delaying the explana- ton which now must be made.”

“What explanation — relative whom?”

“To Mary and her cousia, Edmund Uarford.”

“°°

“Taney are bethroted lovers, and have boam so, with my consent, for many monthe, Listen to me calmly, Mr. Tra- tera,” continued Lady Wharten, terrified oy the wild expression of the young man’s evey, “Mary some time since wish- sd me to give you my confidence. | wevitated; for, alas! bitter experience has taught me to place but little reliance an the faith of men. I was wrong, I see ; but pray strive to calm yourself.”

‘Goon—go on. Let me at least now suow ail-—the worst, the worat.” ,

“{ will be frank with you. The fail- iar health of Sir Richard Wharton has for sorae time warned me but a brief imece remained to him on earth. The tnghtfal eatasthrope of the other day but ussioued bis end, in al! probability, by

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only a few months. Mary’s sole depend- ence wrs in that event, I knew, the marriage secured to me, the inter- est of which amounts to something over £800 per annum,”

“1 know—I have heard ——”

“ Indeed !”

“ Yes; but no matter. Proceed, I beg of you.” se

“The possession of an income in my own right, amply sufficient for the needa of an unambitious household, warranted me, I conceived, in consentimg to Mary’s engagement with her cousin, whom she had known from girlhood, and of whose worth no one can speak too highly. My silence and reserve have, I perceive, Mr. Travers, misled you; but forgive me; I did not know—I could not conceive” ——

“Let me pass, madam,” exclaimed Travers, disengaging bis hand, and atag- gering towards the door. “I will return presently.”

A whirlwind of emotion was sweeping through his brain, as he hurried from the house into the adjoining shrubbery. Wounded affection, despair, compassion, tugged at his heart, and ruled it by turns. The open air helped to cool and revive him; and after an hour’s bitter conflict with himself, he returned to the apartment where he had Jeft Lady Wharton. She was still there.

“ May I have your ladyship’s permis- sion to see Miss Wharton alone, for a few nrinutes ?” he asked.

Lady Wharton appeared surprised at the request, but at once acceded to it. “T will send her to you immediately,” she replied and left the room.

A considerable interval elapsed before Miss Wharton, trembling, blushing, pain- fully agitated, almost, indeed, in tears, entered the apartment.

“ Pardon my freedom, my importunity, Miss Wharton,” said Travers, in as calm a tone as he could command, as he led her to a seat, and placed himself beside her. “I have a question to ask you, of the last importance to you as to myself, and I entreat you to answer it frankly as to a brother.”

The lady bowed, and the lieutenant proceeded with somewhat more firmness.

“ You are, 1 am informed, dependent as to fortune upon Lady Wharton. Is it, then, of your own free choice and will that you are contracted to your cousin— to the Reverend Mr. Harford? Nay. lady, be nat offended at my boldness. It is in yirtual compliance with the injunc- tions 6f Sir Richard Wharton, expressed in his last moments, that I ask this ques- tion.”

The momentary glance of indignant passed from Mary Whatr-. ton’s face at this cursory mention of her father’s name. Her suffused eyes were again bent on the ground, whilet the rich colour came and went on her eheek, as she replied in a low agitated yolee,—

“Edmund and { have known, have been attached, almost betrothed to each other since his beyhoed”———

“Enough, Miss Wharton,” hastily ris-

ing; “I will not trespass further on your ;

indulgence. May all good angels guard and bless you!” he added, seizing her hand, and passionately kissing it; “and, for your sake, him Farewell!” He hurried from the house, and the same evening took coach for London; made the necessary arrangement for continuing the payment of Lady Wharton’s dividend through Child's, as before; then proceeded to Portsmouth, and joined his ship, which in a few day afterwarde sailed for the South American station.

Lady Wharton and her daughter, re- moved, ae they intimated, to Wales, where Edmund Harford had obtained a curacy, acarcely of so much moncy value

as that which he had left in Devonshire. After the lapse of a twelvemonth he was married to Mary Wharton; still, however, Tetaining hia curacy as a means of useful- ness, ‘The union was @ happy one. Jo the enjoyment of an amply sufficient in- come, and soon begirt with joyous infancy, their days fled past in tranqui) happiness ; and each succeeding year, as it rolled over them in their beautiful retreat, aug- menting with some new blessing their sum of worldly felicity. Ifa thought of the noble-hearted man to whom they were unconsciously so deeply indebted crossed their minds, it was chiefly when a present for one of the children, of some rich or curious produce of distant climes, arrived ; or a gazette of that stirring period an- nounced one of the bold deeda which rapidly advanced Lieutenant Travers to post-captain’s rank. Peace, for which the haraseed, trampled world had-so lon sighed, was at Jast proclaimed, and Ed- mund tlarford, who corresponded with Captain Travers, thought it possible he might now pay them a visit—perhaps take up his abode in the neighbourhood, for Marlanda, they knew, had long since been disposed of. He, however, came not; and the next letter received announc- ed that he had joined the expedition against Algiers under Lord Exmouth. Tidings of the triumph of the British fleet over that nest of pirates reached them in due season, accompanied by victory’s ever present crimson shadow— the list of killed and wounded. Harford glanced anxiously at the sad column, and an exclamation of dismay and sorrow broke from him—Captain Travers was returned “mortally wounded!” Greatly pained and shocked as they all were by this intelligenee, they were some days before they knew how deep cause they had for grief. About a fortnight, it might have been, afterward, Mr. Harford, by Lady Wharton’s directions, wrote to Messrs. Child, to inquire the reason why the last half-year’s dividend had not been forwarded as usual. The answer, reveal- ing as it did the crime of Sir Richard Wharton, the heroic sacrifice of Travers, and their utter worldly ruin, stunned overwhelmed them! “The reported death of Captain Travers,” the bankers wrote, after fully explaining the source from which, since the death of Sir Richard Wharton, the remittances had been deriv- ed, “and a consequent claim to his property by a distant relative, as heir-at-. law, necessarily precluded them from continuing the half-yearly payments.”

All emotions of admiration, wonder, gratitude, excited by this discovery were soon absorbed by consternation at the terrible prospect before them—suddenly deprived as they were, as by the stroke ofan enchanter’s wand, of their imagi- nary wealth. ‘Our children!” exclaim- ed Mrs. Harford with fearful vehemence, “nursed as they have been in ease and luxury ?”

“God will provide both for them and us, Mary.” replied her husband. “If we exerciee but faith and patience, | have no fear, but my heart swells to think that that noble-minded man should have pasa- ed away, Mnassured, unconscious, of our deep gratitude and esteem.”

‘Do not deem me aeelfish, Edmund,” rejoined Mrs. Harford. ‘‘I feel his gene- rous kindness as deeply as yourself. It is for our children I am anxious—act for myself, not even for you.”

“ Be assured,” vaid Lady Wharton, re- covering from her panic, “that Captain Travers hes net neglected to provide for such a probable contingency in hie pro- fession as sudden death. Hie unselfish devotion ta yon, Mary, will shield you ang yours from beyond the grave; of that

he satisfied.”

Lady Wharton was not mistaken in her judgment of the character of ‘T'ravers. By the very next post a letter arrived wa- der cover of Messrs. Child, from a soliei- tor, informing them that, by a will exe- ented by Captuin Travers on the same day that he had cirected the bankers to remit the usua! smount to Lady Wharton, the whole of the property of which he might die possessed was beqtenthed to Mary Wharton, now—he, the evliciter, was informed—Mary Harford, for Wer sole-nse and benefit, and not passing by marriage to the husband. “ The i official news of the death of Captain Tras vers arrived,” it vas added, “probate would be at once. obtained on the will; and the proper steps taken to put Mrs. Harford in possession of the legacy.”

A}l doubts were speedily set at rest, 6 carriage drove slowly up the avenue one evening jnst a3 it waa growing dusk, and Mr. Harford woe informed that a gentie- map wished to speck with him. He hastened out, and a pale, rutilated figure extended its hand to him, exclaiming in a feeble voice, “Edmund! do you know me?”

“Captain Travers!” almost shouted Harford. “Can it indeed be you?”

“A ptece of me, Edmund ;” replied the wounded officer with an effort at a smile. “Tam come to ask permission,” he added in @ graver tone, ‘to die here. I shall not | think be refused ?”

He survived for several months, minis- ‘ered to with tenderest solicitude by Mrs. Harford and her husband. The Jast tones that sounded in his ear were those of Edmund Harford, reading with chok- ing voiee the prayers of the church for the dying ; the last odject his darkening eye distinguished was the tearful cown- tenance of the beloved of his youth and manhood ; the last word hie lips uttered was her name— Mary.

= mechaioninatnatingintt SGRBRESPORBENGS.

AN OFFENDED CORRESPONDENT,

[We give the following letter to shew that we have magnanimity enough to Jet our own Correspondents abuse us. “Old Mentor” is only one of a class by whom editors are often pestered: we know them well, and have jong since ceased to be chafed by their impertinence. Let a conductor of a newspaper strive to manu- facture decent, readable English out of their silly lucubrations, and ten to one he gets a lecture as long asa charity sermon for daring to make them appear like sensible folk. They forget, of couree, that their communications cease to be their own property the moment they pase into an editor’s hands. We publish the present letter without a single alteration, “barring” the punctuation; and those who read it will see that we could not wish a better revenge on our correspoa- dent than to print it so.—Ep. Ex’s.)

TO THE EXDITOR OF THE EXAMINEP,

Sir—Ae “The Examiner” is the organ through which my communication of the 234 ult. obtains report in reply to the re- marks of © Fust,” or “ Fact,” ss you now style hin, published in a previous No., and as you have thonght proper to mace- rially alter “the tone,” and thereby the sense of, as well as to pase stricturee—-i had almost eaid censure-—in your editorial of Saterday, on that article, I therefore

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