New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-06-29
NUN BER 90,
THE cOoUETTE.

II can hhfuly DeHeVe this story they tell,
Ned. You, a strong, hearty, jovial fellow, al
ways up TO mischief and fan, dying for love ;
Bah it's all moonshine"
Spite Of his forged mirth, the voice Of the
speaker grew tremulous. The scornfnl glance
Of that dark eye unnamed him Was this
but the wreck Of what had been 30 noble, so
beautiful The sunken cheeks, the claw-like
hands, that Pickering death light, that un-
steady glance Of the death bloom-could this be
all that remained Of go much manly beauty
" You never knew me, Marshall
His voice was low and broken. '' never
knew myself was an orphan only one loved
me-sister, brother, had none-and when my
heart first learned the meaning of that mighty
passion which makes earth paradise, or dries
those living springs and greenness to desert bar
renness, | feared for myself But ! was not
happy. Dying for love you say it is not that
The bitter consciousness that where looked for
truth-for every divine virtue, / found but du.
plicty, art, deception-a withered heart, buried
in a whited sepulchre-oh heaven" and he hid
his face in his wasted hands
My dear fellow, be man: bear up more
bravely; do not, pray you, die for the love of
silly girl
"She was beautiful continued the sick
| man, Is and she taught me to hope, she tuned
every string Of my heart till it would vibrate
but at her touch she led every pulse till they
was all wrong for me 70 love her go, and yet
| isolated as it had been from infancy, how could
| help it When the bolt FELL it crushed me
May you never know what it is to be deceived
and by one so lovely as Helen Murray"
| Again he had covered his face with his hands.
He had not seen the convulsive start, the death
like palor Of his friend. And when he said good
night, twilight was falling, so that they par ted
and neither knew how blighting the words that
| fell on each others heart
g am beautiful said a queenly girl, as she
stood before her mirror; '' beautiful without all
these-lifting pearl spray, and Frightening
with it the rich gloss Of her brown ringlets-
and circling wrist and finger with gems of un-
told value,
81 shall be the queen Of the ballroom to-
night. Envied and courted and not exactly
happy. How ezquisitely rich this lace-pool
Ned heigho-somehow what he said seemed st
real | wish he had been rich, poor fellow =
| half believe l love him better than l think
even now l'
g Miss Helen, are you ready :"
Yes, coming, Linda-how do l look /
Harvey waiting: There, take my bonnet ant
shawl-earry them down, I'll be there. Poo
Ned what makes me think of him tonight,
wonder: When | think Of Harvey's proposal
and my brilliant prospects in the future, seen
to see his ghost. Can he be dead' Was it no
see him will he be at the ball, wonder -
Thus soliloquizing, the fair, proud girl hur
ried down TO meet her lover. Resplendent a
she looked, bewitching as she knew herself, sh
was startled at his coldness.
He came forward, took one white hand, gaze
at her from head to foot, and with smile tha
seemed even to her mockery, he said, in mea
sured tones, ' How beautiful you are ' an
turned abruptly away.
ha al bnv
himself, then hurriedly performing the office
E gallant, he assisted her into the carriage an
{ they drove off
1t was not before the brilliantly lighted bal
room that they stopped. No streams of ambt
t hight checked the dim pavement but all ws
e still, dark, solitary.
For heavens sake, where are we going
q Helen exclaimed, as her lover made motion
n leave the carriage.
. To see a friend, my love-" he answered
the same freezing tones; "you whose heart
so tender that il bleeds at the sight of huma
I misery, will not, l am sure, deny me your CON
pany on the errand of mercy -
Through a long, dimly lighted entry, Il
: young man led her silently, hurriedly. 'sPra
God it be not too lete,'' he murmured, as h
stood hesitating before half closed door Sud
denly it was opened to its utmost, and shad
owy figure passed out, starting as it met the in
| truders.
They stood beside the dead
Helen shrieked, and falling beside the couch
hid her face in her shaking hands.
Look on your work, woman" exelaime
her lover, Murdered by your cruelty, ther
lies one of the noblest of his kind Ay' stal
| at the fallen jaw, the hvd temples, the du
staring eyesl You will never again with lin
voice, or smile, beguile the great heart to i
ruin. He died with the mantle of his pur
steadfast love wrapped around him; he laid hi
down with the music of that love breathing
blessings from those lips.
"Ay sob and shudder well you may; f;
you are as truly his murderer as if you ha
pierced his heart with the cold steel, or pour,
the poison from the chaliee of death upon
lips. Miserable coquette, spurn you -
And yet forgive me- he added, passionate
, ly. relenting at the sight of her agony; "' Vel
| geance is mine,' said just God, and the AFRO
of eternal remorse is lodged in your soul PHI
you-from my very inmost heart | pity 20,
+, Rather would | be yonder poor senseless Gle
than you, bright, beautiful, brilliant as you ar
with the murder of fellow creature heavy
your conscience"
"Mr. II ,rvey, will you take me home'''
Her face was as ghastly as the one befo
, them, and the shining baubles, mockers of h
sorrow, flashing and Pickering like graveli,
e about pail Relenting, as that pale ia
: looked so mploringly in his face, he would ha
t supported her, but she sprang from him, al
motioned him to lead the way
Turning only once, she uttered a smother
t cry, and passing both hands over her heal
Il followed Harvey as the criminal follows T.
= executioner.
G Take me home,' she said, and once ther
c she tore off her glittering ornaments never
. wear them again.
, Two years afterwards she did become the wi
$ Of Harvey; but first a subdued, broker. cpiritt
/ woman, ever feeling that but for her a long Il
t Of brilliant usefulness might have been voucl
safed to Que whose heart being too tender, brol
/ in striving to forget her. She has four beaut
. full daughters, but not one of them will be,
5 the remotest degree, that heartless thing
coquette. [OiSe Branch
5 THE WAY TO STEAL CHICKENS.