Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-09-15
TIE PUNISHMENT 0F A C0QUElTE.


Every person has his particular way OIL
telling a story; have mine, and with
this short preface l at once commence
my simple-but. unfortunately, too true
narrative. / must, however. observe
that have purposely altered names, with
a view to avoid affecting a family with
whom | was oHce-aS will hereafter oe
seen--upon terms OF intimate friendship.
Nv tale commences in the year 1913.
The heroine is Isa bel Athelstan, beauty
and an heiress. The close intimacy
which subsisted between our families
first led to our friendship. and though
she was several years my sei5nior. we
were almost inse perab BILE. | have since
thought-perhapsI wronged her-that
Isabel made me her chosen companion
less for my good qualities than for my
defects. certainly must have been an
edmirabe foil for her. for nothing could
be in greater contrast than my dunpy f5-
ure, my deep red cheeks, and ms grey
eyes. with her stately form. her pale rich
cream like tinted com plexion, her perfect
regularity of feature. and her raven black
ewes and hair. Nor was the disparity in
our disposition less striking. Educated
in retirement. merely simple
hearted, alfectionate girl. with the spirit
of childhood softened down into the mirth
of uninterrupted cheerfdlness. and actu-
ated by impalse rather than reflection or
calculation. Bat Isabel was cal N AMI
cold as some exquisite piece of sculp piure.
Rarely excited either to pleasure or pain.
her brow was always as placid as sum-
mer lake; and the bland smile which
set on her beautiful lip was unchan-
gng as if carved in stone.
lsabel's calm exterior afforded the hest
of all concea ments Cor her real charac
ter. She seemed ra her to await than to
seek admiration; and it was scarcely pos
sible to bslieve that the cold and passlon-
less beauty WAS in heart consummate
coauette. Even as the dark tide flows
on Increasingly. though the icy fetters oil
winter have stilled its surface. so beneath
her calm Indifference was hidden rest
less and insatiable desire for admiration.
But the adulation and homage which
young beauty can always command in So
ciety were not food enough for Isabel
Her vanity was not to be satisfied by any
ordinary sacrifice. She required her ad
mirers TO become lovers. and an offer of
marriage could alone be received as
sufficient euidence of her power.
At the time | first entered society she
had already rejected many suitors. and it
was one Of her favorite pastimes to gath
er fc W of her young friends around her.
while she carelessly tossed over for our
inspection copies of verses, billet doux.
letters and other testim onials TO the pow
er of her beauty.
IL there b. any ything which ought to
expos. a woman to lasting contempt. ii
is such an objectionable breach of conf
dsnce as thati, which Isabel INDUCED.
Issbel's tact IN playing her victim"
was unequalied. While she never de-
parted from her quiet manner. she yet
managed 20 a1er: a1:eer:: 3e:5-i:: so we'll to the
peculiar character of her admirers, that
each believed her to be studying his tastes
and moulding herself to his standard of
perfection. Then she WAS a matchless
maneuverer in the arrangement of time
and place for securing her prize. In the
gay party and amid the excitements of
mirth. the snare was laid for the frivolous
the moonlight walk and the fascina-
tions of sentiment were lures for the en-
thusiastic-the quiet household circle
and the rational pleasure of home were
traps for her more practical admirers.
Isabel had reached her twenty fourth
year without having formed any attach
ment likely to end soberly and nationally
in marriage, when she became engaged in
a firtation which proved more serious in
the end than she had designed. Some
body. ] have forgotten who, introduced
to our acquaintance young man who
bore the name of Ernest Leclerc, and was
said to be the son o! rich West Indian.
His delicate health, which had been seri-