The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-08-28

destroyers. II thirsted for celebrity, it
would be the fame Of having acquired the
blessings Of those among whom my life was
passed. Yes, my dear father!' continued
she, without needing warning look from
the minister, q should rather that such
should live to bless me than to die cursing
me. 1t is frightful to thick of these slayers
of men. Do not speak Of them, sir, but
let us pray heaven to deliver the earth from
them all,
'Child!' muttered the tortured minister,
filing Ericson's glass, and trying to attract
his attention. TO the glory Of Alexander,
Count
SWELL said, cried the warrior, quenchins
his anger in glass of delicious wine.-
Come! little savage! to the glory Of Alex
under!' and he struck Christmas glass SO
violently as to shatter it to pieces.
Il have no thirst for such glory,' replied
the saucy girl. Il will not drink to one of
those malevolent phenomena who hide
. tigers skin under the royal mantle.'
my lord! my lordp interrupted the
coursier frightened at the rising anger Of
his guest, whose eyes glistened like the
blade of a dagger. Gan the salhes of q
young girl wound your feelngs2 She is
pleased only with her little dog, which she
cutters to bite her with impunity, and tear
her fingers, which are as weak as m infants
see - continued the minister caressingly,
seeing the soldiers anger diminish at the
sight Of the child-like hand which he held
under his rough moustache. 'Her warlike
knowledge is confined to the march OF u
game of chess; that narrow sphere is her
field of battle," said he approaching the
table where he had caused to be placed
set of chess men, (for chess was Ericson's
favorite game.) 'She fights the general so
courageously, that even an old soldier like
myself finds some honor in bringing down
her womanish PRIDE
Nothing, to all appearance, could be bet.
ter calculated to compose the ruffied digni-
ty of the uncouth Ericsson than the prospect
Of a game at chess; for turning to the Ca
PRECIOUS and laughing child, he challenged
her to game with him; with more courtesy
than she had supposed him capable Of show
ing:
lit will not be at chess alone that you are
my conquerer, fair and wicked one! y an
swered he, looking her directly in the face
and pressing her hand so hard as to make
her exclaim. Christine blushed and cast
down her eyes, not without having given
disdainful glance at the awkward soldier
but the ice was broken, the butterfly had
emerged from the crysalis-he met her
proud look with another look, as it he doubt
ed her sincerity.
There is more fire in the automaton than
had Supposed thought Christine, in con-
fusion, 'and my father is forcing me to play
q hazardous game. She hid her
| A. hop
eyes immovably on the chess aboard, deter
mined in a fierce fit of obstinacy, to play as
badly as possible to mortify her proud ad-
versary. But this was n superfuous pre-
caution. The little field Of battle trembled
under Ericsson's shaking hand, and he
could scarcely tell one piece from another,
and played every way but the right one; his
| ill-judged attacks were SO easy to repel,
that the new learner, with the innocent Joy
of unexpected success, cried out 'Check
mated, by the queen!'
Cruel one!' answered the count, striking
with his fist in the midst of the board, which
blow made the men fall in all directions;
'do you wish to make the king your slave?'
'But do not prevent him from running
away answered Christine, astonished at
such rudcness, and stupifed by the calmness
of her father, who was observing all this
with an indulgent smile. 'It is impossible
now to distinguish the game continued she,
trying to set up the king, queen and knights,
which were all mixed together.
DO not try! do not try!' cried Ericsson,
pushing the chess board over so that it fell
on the floor, sThe game is decided-you
have check mated me completed y
Then suddenly, as if ashamed of his vio-
lence and of the power which SO triding an
occurrence had over him, he went out with
the most detected air Notwithstanding
his sword against his legs, and swearing in
ternally at his own awkwardness, and of the
love which caused it..
sHe will not come back l hope!' said
Christine, seeing her father return again
after having disappeared with Erisson,
whose footsteps he had followed rs if he
had been the most agreeable guest imagina-
BILE.
You are mistaken, my DEAR answered
the minister, who seemed delighted; she is
anxious to return, and is inconsolable at not
having spent to better advantage the enchant-
ing evening he owes to you.'
acknowledgement! is it thus that he
epeaks?' answered Christine with astonish-
ment. sOh! father, feel know not how!'
interrupted she, seeing her father laughing
at moment when she would have preferred
his reproaches. It is to try me, is itnot,
that YOU make me believe that such a man
presumes to aspire to my love? | think he
is more in love with Alexander than with
me, and he has chosen wiselyp
Ellis enthusiasm is praiseworthy in war
rior Of nineteen years Of age, whose savage
nature YOU are tanning. He is in great dis
tress, which should be very aattering to q
young mad-cap like you-but you should
put limits to your waywardness--do you
hear me, my dear? He is brave, rich, and
nobly born-what would you have more9'
Il would have my cousin p answered
Christine, with spirit, my brave Adolphe;
much braver than he is, am sure, and as
honorable born as you are, my noble pa
rent.'
SO rest that wilful little head,' said her
father. kissing her forehead, 'and pray God
for your fathers glory.' =,
Christine prayed fervently, and with all
her heart for the paternal glory, after which
she prayed with equal fervor for Adolphe's
happiness, which she did not consider to be
distinct from her own.
She was, for several days, too much occu-
pied in tormcnting the lover whom she
adored, to take thought of the one whom
she detested so frankly. Meanwhile,
Adolphs, prouder than Christine, because he
was poor, was unwilling to play any longer
the slavish part allotted him by bis mistress.
He had the courage to absent himself from
her abode, leaving Christine in consterna-
ton, thinking that she was given up BY her
cousin to her richer suitor; and when he
re.appeared, during short visits received
somewhat coldly by his uncle, who was fro
zen, by diplomacy, he kept himself so far
aloof from Christine, who was now in fit
of the pouts, that she saw no other way to
recover repose and Adolphe, than by putting
an end forever to the audacious pretensions
1 of the count.
One morning, when she wished, perhaps
even more ardently than Ericsson himself,
to be left alone with him, after having fol.
lowed her father with her eyes to the end of
a long gallery, through which he disappear
cd under prete1t of an important dispatch
to be expedited, she waited with anxiety for
him to speak, to repulse his addresses 50
effectually as to be rid of him at once. In
vain. The thouchtful suitor seemed to have