The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-01-08

this world | wish, the deceiuul fairy will
fly away with my happiness to laugh
with her companions at my regret and
despair" Danish your fear, my dear
Frederick; yesterday | was the 'cidou
of Lord Melvil, to-day, | am Madame
de la Tour, yow rife; dismiss from
your Imagination this fairy image of your
childhood, for there is 10 fairy tale to re-
late, but true story"
Frederick de la Tour had every reason
to believe that a supernatural being had
taken his fortunes into keeping; for, dur
inc the last month, either by accident,
chance or destiny, an inexplicable sue
cess had made him rich and happy be-
yond his most sanguinc wishes. He was
young, not more than twenty-five, alone
in the world, and living with the most
self-denying and rigid economy, when one
dav as he was walking in the street of
Saint Honore, a splendid equipage was
suddenly drawn up opposite to him, an
elegant woman leaning out Of the coach
window and seemingly much agitated cal
| led out TO him, "Mr.-Mr." He stop
ped. The lootman descended from his
station, let down the steps, and with his
plumed hat in hand respectfully invited
the as.onished Frederick to enter the car
rage He did so, and thus, as if by ma
gic, found himself seated next woman
both young and beautiful, and dressed
with great elegance and richness. He
had hardly time to look around, before
the horses were again at full speed.
''My dear SIR Said the lady who was
thus running away with him, and in the
sweetest tone Imaginable Il have rcceiy-
ed your refusal, | hope | shall see you
again at my little soiree tomorrow eve
ming" "NIe Madam" said Frederick.
eyes, sir, you-Oh | beg thousand
pardons. | hope you will forgive the
mistake | have made" said the lady, with
an appearance Of surprise, 'but you re-
semble so perfectly one of my intimate
friends, that | mistook YOU for him. Oh,
excuse me, sir; what must you think of
me but the likeness is SO striking ii
would have deceived any one" Before
this explanation was at an end, the equip
age entered the court yard of a splendid
mansion, and Frederick de Ia Tour could
do no less than hand Lady Melyil from her
carriage.
Now Lady Melyil, as we have said
before, was handsome and not one of
those dsagrccabc red checked, heavy
stepping, immense English women, who
when they smile, open their pale lips
adcctcdly and show YOU thirty-two fright
full big teeth No, she was French wo-
man, and her beautiful black hair con
trasled well with her brilliant complexion,
and her coral lips permitted an occasional
glimpse of the whitest teeth in the world.
Frederick de la Tour, dazZlcd rs he might
well be, by so many charms, had no diff
fculty in believing that Lady Mclyil had
mistaken him for some less happy mortal,
and he thanked his stars for it, as it ena-
blcd him TO know my lady, whose obli-
ging and very ilattering invitations he
eagerly accepted, and, strange "a tell, soon
became not only a marked iayoritc, but
among the most constant and welcome
guests at her table. The rich widow was
surrounded by suffers who were dismis-
sed one by one, and it was so brought
about, that before the end of fortnight
the young clerk had an interview by her
ladyship's own appointment. Marriage
was proposed by her and Of course ac-
ccpted by him, in delirum Of love and
establishment.
Frederick de Ia Tour stood before the
small glass in his modeslly furnished attic,
and looked at himself from head to foot
He was not certainly an ugly man, but he
could not consider himself handsome :;
his dress was such as became a clerk with
salary of as many dollars only as there
are days i'll the year, and he could not
therefore attribute his good fortune to his
tailor. He concluded he must be loved
for himself alone, or else that lady Melyil
was under some strange and unnatural
deIusion. When the marriage day ar
rived, and when the future husband was
in the presence of the notary, his astonish-
ment was re-doubled. He would be
worth millions. He would have lsaid
the marriage contracD country seat in
Burgunda, domain in Normandy, a
honsn i'm the street of Saint Innorp in
Paris, and various other goods and chat
tells of which, until that day, he had never
heard = syllable. Lady Melyil had riches
across the channel and mines in Wales,