Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-07-16

O.
tale -bearer2 So far from being the means
of disturbing Helen or her father, I would
/ promptly resent any such attempt on the
part of another. And what said about
, giving Lee hint, was all in jest, and
! would not except to an intimate friend
| whose happiness was endangered by her,
say word abot those exploits which have
won for her pre-eminent distinction in her
line" n, g,.se
just at this moment, the supper bell
was heard, and the two young men were
: soon lost in the crowd, leaving Mr.. Lee
utterly confounded by the dialogue he had
accidentally heard, aCan it be pos
sible," he asked himself, that Helen is the
heartless hirt they have represented her
to be 2 I can not doubt it, for the one has
been her victim, the other an eyewitness
of her artful and unfeeling conduct. /
now know why she gave me no answer !;
she wishes me to renew the subject, that
she may sport with my feelings, make me
the miserable dupe of her arts and wiles,
and when she can no longer keep up the
deception, end the game by calling me
} fool for confding in one SO destitute of
truth and sincerity. But my eyes are for
tunately opened in time to see the danger,
and I will tear her image from my heart,
though the tide of life should flow through
the wound. But no,--hope here whispered
it can not be, that one so beautiful, SO
intellectual can be so cold, so heartless and
1 will notcondemn her upon the testimony
of entire strangers who may be laboring
under a mistake, or have some hidden
motive for slandering an innocent woman.
But why need l concern myself about the
truth or falsehood Of the,charge2 1t can
profit me nothing to know, because my
fate is sealed She either loves me not or
is endeayoring to trihe with my affection,
and either supposition settles the question.
Nothing, therefore, remains for me, but
to bear as best may this painful disap-
pointment
} In painful excitement, he retired to his
room, where we shall leave him and return
to Messrs. Molly and Eskridge who, after
supper, had whalked out upon the lawn,
and were in close conference
remember, Ned, said Mr.. Eskridge,
''that the first time we met, after leaving
College, was in Staunton, and or just such
a night as this IS
81 remember the first time we met, was
in Staunton, George but do not remember
that it was just such a night as this, for
moonshine is moonshne to me, and, thank
God, l am not sufficiently under its in
Auence TO be affected by all its phases"
II did not accuse you, Ned, of being
moon-struck; though l am sometimes
tempted to yield assent to the popular
superstition which subjects all nature to
the influence of that chaste planet"
"That chaste planet, indeed Why
George, you must be moorestruckl If its
chastity consists in looking down, night
after night, upon the misdeeds of hemis-
phere-in borrowing light from the sun to
lend it to the perpretation of all manner
of wickedness, grant you it is chaste
planet
"Well, Ned, we will not dispute about
that so let me go on with what intend
ed to say. You remember that, on the
evening alluded to, we went to the female
boarding -house--I to see Helen, you, as
usual, to amuse yourself at the expense of
others" iHE
"Not exactly, George, for, at that time,
II, was not in love, mark you, but had
leaning towards Jane Estelle who, con-
sidering how little there is of her, is the
most charming creature l ever knew.
mention this, in confidence, that you may
see l can sympathise with you"
81 am glad" said Mr., Eskridge, "that
you at last plead guilty of folly, for which
you so often censure me. But tell me
whether you still have a leaning--as you
term it-towards Helen's little cousin p
F "Not | She gave me dose, that even
ing, which removed every symptom, and
will, | think, prove an everlasting preven-
tive of that malady."
! 'Indeed should like to have the re-
ceipt, Ned, if it is not patented
"I would give it to you, with pleasure
George, did ! not know that Helen gave
you the same dose, short time afterwards.
And since that has failed, it is needless for
you to try any othCr. With you, love is
a constitutional weakness, and, judging