ars
rushed to his eyes, and turning upon his heel, he went back to his own
room. It was then that Isabella was revenged; and she no doubt looked
smilingly down from her home in the spirit-land on the scene below.

On Gertrude's return from her shopping tour, she found Henry in a
melancholy mood, and soon learned its cause. As Gertrude had borne
him no children, it was but natural, that he should now feel his
love centering in Clotelle, and he now intimated to his wife
his determination to remove his daughter from the hands of his
mother-in-law.

When this news reached Mrs. Miller, through her daughter, she became
furious with rage, and calling Clotelle into her room, stripped her
shoulders bare and flogged her in the presence of Gertrude.

It was nearly a week after the poor girl had been so severely whipped
and for no cause whatever, that her father learned on the circumstance
through one of the servants. With a degree of boldness unusual for him,
he immediately went to his mother-in-law and demanded his child. But
it was too late,--she was gone. To what place she had been sent no one
could tell, and Mrs. Miller refused to give any information whatever
relative to the girl.

It was then that Linwood felt deepest the evil of the institution under
which he was living; for he knew that his daughter would be exposed to
all the vices prevalent in that part of the country where marriage is
not recognized in connection with that class.

CHAPTER XVIII. A SLAVE-HUNTING PARSON

IT was a delightful evening after a cloudless day, with the setting sun
reflecting his golden rays on the surrounding hills which were covered
with a beautiful greensward, and the luxuriant verdure that forms the
constant garb of the tropics, that the steamer Columbia ran into the
dock at Natchez, and began unloading the cargo, taking in passengers
and making ready to proceed on her voyage to New Orleans. The plank
connecting the boat with the shore had scarcely been secured in its
place, when a good-looking man about fifty years of age, with a white
neck-tie, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on, was seen hurrying on
board the vessel. Just at that moment could be seen a stout man with his
face fitted with the small-pox, making his way up to the above-mentioned
gentleman.

"How do you do, my dear sir? this is Mr. Wilson, I believe," said
the short man, at the same time taking from his mouth a large chew of
tobacco, and throwing it down on