Ellen Walton

Ellen Walton

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Title: Ellen Walton The Villain and His Victims
Author: Alvin Addison
Release Date: July 22, 2005 [EBook #16345]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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WALTON ***

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ELLEN WALTON;
OR, THE VILLAIN AND HIS VICTIMS.
BY ALVIN ADDISON,
AUTHOR OF THE RIVAL HUNTERS, ETC.
CINCINNATI: H.M. RULISON, QUEEN CITY PUBLISHING

HOUSE, 115-1/2 MAIN STREET. PHILADELPHIA: QUAKER CITY
PUBLISHING HOUSE, 32 SOUTH THIRD STREET. 1855.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by
H.M. RULISON,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Southern District of
Ohio.

THE VILLAIN AND HIS VICTIMS.
CHAPTER I.
FLEMING'S HOTEL.
In the year 1785, as, also, prior and subsequent to that time, there was a
hotel situated in one of the less frequented streets of Pittsburg, then the
largest town west of the mountains, and kept by one Fleming, whence it
derived the name of "Fleming's Hotel." This house, a small one, and
indifferently furnished, was a favorite resort of the Indians who visited
the town on trading expeditions. Fleming had two daughters, who
possessed considerable personal attractions, and that pride of a vain
woman--beauty. History does not, to the best of our knowledge, give us
the first names of the two girls; and we will distinguish them as Eliza
and Sarah. Unfortunately for these young females, they had ever been
surrounded by unfavorable circumstances, and exposed to the vices of
bad associations; and that nice discrimination between propriety and
politeness, which is a natural characteristic of the modest woman, had
become somewhat obliterated, and the hold which virtue ever has by
nature in the heart of the gentler sex, had been somewhat loosened. In
short, the young Misses Fleming failed at all times to observe that
degree of propriety which should ever characterize the pure in heart,
and were, by many, accused of immorality. How far this accusation
was true, we shall not attempt to say, but, doubtless, there were not
wanting many tongues to spread slanderous reports.

In early years of womanhood, Eliza had given her affections to one
who sought her love under the guise of a "gentleman of fortune." He
proved to be what such characters usually are--a libertine, whose only
motive in seeking to win her confidence and young affections was to
gratify his hellish passions in the ruin of virtue and a good name. Under
the most solemn assurances of deep, abiding, unalterable love for her,
and the most solemn promises of marriage at an early day, which if he
failed to perform, the direst maledictions of heaven, and the most awful
curses, were called down upon his own head, even to the eternal
consuming of his soul in the flames of perdition, he succeeded in his
design. Virtue was overcome, and the jewel of purity departed from the
heart of another of earth's daughters. Vain were the tears of the
repentant girl to induce a performance of the promises so solemnly
made; false had been and still were the vows of the profligate; but he
continued to make them all the more profusely; and hope, at first
unwavering, then fainter and fainter, filled the heart of his victim. Once
conquered, and the victory was ever after comparatively easy; and
having taken something of a fancy to this lady, he was for a long time
attached to her, and, in his way, remained faithful.
Such were the mutual relations sustained by these two toward each
other, when, one day, the betrayer entered the presence of the betrayed,
and, in some agitation, said:
"Eliza, my dear, you have always been a kind, dear girl to me, and I
have resolved to repay your constancy and devotion by making you my
bride in a few days; but first I must demand of you a service, an
important service. Can I depend on you?"
"You know you can; let me know how I can aid you in such a manner
as will insure me your hand, and I will serve you unto death."
"Bravely spoken! Just what I expected of your devoted love! But the
service I shall require will sorely try that love!"
"Then let me prove its strength."
"Eliza, do you doubt my truth? my sincerity?"

"Have I not given you stronger proof than a thousand asseverations, or
the strongest oaths, that my confidence is unbounded? Without this
trust, I should be